Who is Jonathan Kaplan? The New US Ambassador to Singapore, Appointed by President Biden

One of the tech entrepreneur's business ventures include a restaurant chain called The Melt, which focused on offering grilled cheese sandwiches

The United States Senate has confirmed President Joe Biden's pick for ambassador to Singapore, technology entrepreneur Jonathan Kaplan. The founder of Pure Digital Technologies and co-founder of EducationSuperHighway, a non-profit organisation, will fill a post that has been left empty for almost five years.

The previous ambassador Kirk Wagar left his post in January 2017 after former US president Donald Trump took office.

Kaplan, whose confirmation by the Senate was done by voice vote, was CEO of Pure Digital Technologies when he invented the Flip video camera. The company was sold to Cisco in 2009 for US$590 million. He left Cisco shortly before it closed the Flip unit.

Below, we list five things you should know about the tech entrepreneur.

He is the head of a non-profit organisation

Kaplan currently serves as chairperson of EducationSuperHighway, a non-profit organisation that seeks to connect US public schools with access to high-speed internet.

Its mission is to close the digital divide for the 18 million households in the US that have access to the Internet but can’t afford to connect and focuses on America’s most unconnected communities, where more than 25 per cent of people don’t have Internet.

He invented the Flip video camera

Kaplan invented and marketed the revolutionary Flip video camera and, when Pure Digital was acquired by Cisco Systems, Kaplan became Senior Vice President and General Manager of its Consumer Products Division, according to a biography released by The White House.

He once described himself as a “serial entrepreneur”

Back in 2011, he told NPR that he started his first business when he was just a kid. From doing a newspaper route to landscaping jobs as well as offering DJ services at sweet 16 parties—all before he entered college.

He launched a chain of grilled cheese restaurants

The Melt was launched in 2011 and Kaplan said the reason he chose to focus on grilled cheese was simple.

"Grilled cheese makes people happy, and when I created the Flip I wanted to really think about a way to change the way people captured and shared video, a way for people to feel empowered and make memories," he told Morning Edition.

He even went to the Mall of America, a shopping centre in the US, a decade before launching this chain just to speak to “everyday Americans” and find out what food makes them happy.

He wants to work closely with Singapore to tackle the climate crisis

At his confirmation hearing on October 20, Kaplan told senators that he wants to strengthen trade and security ties between Singapore and the US, and work closely with Singapore to tackle the climate crisis.

"If confirmed, I plan to strengthen our bilateral trade relationship and advance an economic agenda that promotes a shared prosperity, further secure our economic resiliency and access to supplies, and work closely with Singapore to tackle the climate crisis," Kaplan said at the hearing.

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jonathan kaplan us ambassador us senate tech entrepreneurs non-profit organisation CEOs

Tatler Asia

5 Things To Know About Jonathan Kaplan, the New US Ambassador to Singapore

He is the head of a non-profit organisation

He invented the Flip video camera

He once described himself as a “serial entrepreneur”

He launched a chain of grilled cheese restaurants

He wants to work closely with Singapore to tackle the climate crisis