Noah Glass

Noah Glass is an American entrepreneur who founded Olo in 2005 and built it into a leading restaurant technology platform serving more than 750 brands across 84,000 locations before its $2 billion acquisition by Thoma Bravo in 2025.^[2][3] Glass previously co-founded Twitter in 2006, coining the platform's name, though he was removed from the company shortly after its creation.^[4]

Glass founded Olo after experiencing frustration with long wait times for food service, initially developing the platform to streamline restaurant ordering and payment processes.^[2] Under his leadership, the company raised $73.6 million in funding and became a dominant force in restaurant technology, powering digital ordering for major chains and independent restaurants.^[7] In 2020, Nation's Restaurant News named Glass the #1 figure on its Power List, recognizing his influence in transforming how restaurants serve customers.^[5]

Glass graduated from Yale University in 2003 with a degree in Political Science and initially planned to pursue law before pivoting to technology after a summer internship at Shutterfly.^[6][10] He serves on the board of No Kid Hungry, a national campaign working to end childhood hunger in America.^[5]

Glass was born in 1981 and grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, where he attended Newton North High School.^[4] His mother was a cookbook writer who tested recipes on the family, giving Glass early exposure to food culture.^[10] He worked various service industry jobs during high school and college, including as a cashier at a convenience store gas station and as a pizza delivery driver for Pizza Man in Newton at age 17.^[10]

Glass enrolled at Yale University in 1999, initially planning to follow his sister's path into law.^[6][10] During the summer of 2000, he interned at Shutterfly, an experience that shifted his career focus from law to technology.^[10] He graduated from Yale in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a focus on International Relations.^[6]

Industrial Light & Magic (2003–2005)

After graduating from Yale, Glass joined Industrial Light & Magic as a software developer, working on film production workflows.^[4] The role provided him with technical experience in software development and product management that would prove foundational for his later entrepreneurial ventures.

Odeo and Twitter (2005–2006)

In 2005, Glass co-founded Odeo, a podcasting platform, alongside Evan Williams and other partners.^[4] When Apple's iTunes began supporting podcasts, threatening Odeo's business model, the team pivoted to develop a new concept that Glass named "Twitter."^[4] Glass co-founded Twitter in 2006 and is credited with coining the platform's name, but was removed from the company shortly after its creation in a dispute with his co-founders.^[4]

Olo (2005–present)

Glass founded Olo in 2005, motivated by his frustration with long wait times for food service.^[2] "I was just sick of waiting in long lines for coffee or waiting in long lines for lunch," Glass explained of the company's origin.^[2] Drawing on his experience working in restaurants as a cashier, server, bartender, and delivery driver, Glass developed a platform to streamline restaurant ordering and payment processes.^[10]

Under Glass's leadership, Olo grew to serve more than 750 restaurant brands across 84,000 locations, becoming a dominant force in restaurant technology.^[3] The company raised $73.6 million in total funding across multiple rounds.^[7] Glass nearly sold the company for $65 million during its growth phase but ultimately decided to continue building the platform.^[2]

In 2025, Thoma Bravo acquired Olo for $2 billion, representing a significant return on Glass's two-decade investment in building the company.^[2][3] Glass continues to serve as CEO under the new ownership structure.^[1]

In 2020, Nation's Restaurant News named Glass the #1 figure on its annual Power List, recognizing his influence in transforming restaurant technology and operations.^[5] Glass serves on the board of No Kid Hungry, a national campaign working to end childhood hunger in America.^[5]

Glass has spoken at industry conferences and participated in podcasts discussing restaurant technology and digital hospitality trends.^[8][9] He has appeared at Yale University events, sharing his entrepreneurial experience with students and alumni.^[6]