How This Young Entrepreneur Struck Gold After Failing 15 Times

Corey Capasso is only 26, but he's already founded five companies. He founded his first startup, a plastic retainer business in Connecticut, when he was 18. He noticed classmates chewing on pen caps, and thought the experience would be better if the caps tasted like fruit. So he and a partner invented flavored plastic.

That business is still up and running, but Capasso went on to another venture. Capasso helped create Spinback, a startup that was acquired by Buddy Media in a mostly-stock deal. That acquisition was fruitful when Buddy Media was acquired by Salesforce one year later for nearly $700 million.

We spoke to the startup-addicted twenty-something about what motivates him in business, and how 15 failures led to ultimate success.