Carlo Franzblau, Chief Executive Officer and Founder

The minute you enter Carlo Franzblau’s office, you know he’s not your average Chief Executive Officer. On the walls: vibrant and original paintings, family photographs and folk art. On the floor: puppy toys for Sophie, the young schnauzer-poodle who joins him at the office. And on the shelves, amid the typical ringbinders and folders, are jazz CDs, the unabridged history of coffee, the National Reading Panel report and journal articles with the latest advances in brain research. Welcome to the inner sanctum of the ever-inquiring mind behind Electronic Learning Products.

Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, Carlo received a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. After college he worked in New York City for American Express and he also joined the film industry for four years, including a stint at Paramount Pictures. When he was ready to settle down and start a family, Carlo returned to Tampa, where he continues to serve as a principal in his family’s business, the Thompson Group. Thompson is a leading retail catalog and direct marketing company that publishes four popular catalogs: Thompson Cigars, Linensource, CasualLiving USA and Cafe Belmondo Coffee.

The success and stability of Thompson, which employs 500, enabled Carlo to incubate Electronic Learning Products and TUNEin™ to READING, a breakthrough solution for struggling readers. Serendipity sparked the software’s creation, but Carlo isn’t leaving its expansion to chance. If you’re a customer, don’t be surprised to receive one of his famous midnight emails asking your opinion on a new product feature or setting up a visit to his most important clients in the classroom. He also travels regularly to New York, Washington, Tallahassee and across the country, spreading the word to leaders in education policy and practice. His mission: teaching the world to read and learn languages, one song at a time.