John Sortino

  • John Sortino is the founder and former CEO of The Vermont Teddy Bear Company (VTBC). Within 15 years, John turned a peddler’s cart business – making teddy bears – into a $100 million stock public offering. During John’s tenure, VTBC was named one of America’s fastest growing companies three years in a row by Inc. Magazine, “Best Customer Service in New England” by NECSR, and the “Best Company in America” by Dunn and Bradstreet, Coopers and Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) and The National Foundation of Independent Business People. Also under his pioneering leadership, VTBC received the Yankee Award for “Best Public Relations.” John was also named to the top 100 marking people in Advertising Age. 
  • John’s book, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur” has sold over 55,000 copies. John comes from a family with a long history of entrepreneurs, both grandfathers, father and brother are entrepreneurs. 
  • Also John is currently the CEO, founder The Boston Bike Corporation which makes the best US bikes in the world right here in MA. https://thebostonbikecompany.com. John is also a board member of St. Peter’s School in Cambridge and Cambridge Local First. 
  • John’s favorite Job is being a father and grandfather, 3 wonderful kids and 2 wonderful granddaughters. He often says that his favorite avocation was coaching little league for 16 years.
Cambridge Local First