Mark Surfas
Founder, operator, investor.
La Jolla / New Orleans
I've been starting companies since the late '90s and I still haven't figured out how to stop. I founded GameSpy Industries — at its peak the largest online gaming community /service / gaming technology company. It was a wild ride with the best team ever. Nothing will ever compare! I sold GameSpy to focus on my family and have had a jolly time raising my 3 boys and generally assing around the planet. I've founded and invested in a few things and have been tinkering with software and starups pretty much non-stop ever since. I'm currently living in La Jolla, California and New Orleans, Louisiana.
What I Spend My Days On
AI Systems
Building AI workflows that go beyond demos. Agent orchestration, practical automation, tools that make real work faster. Currently deep in OpenClaw — an AI agent gateway that lets multiple models work together without stepping on each other.
Real Estate
Long-term compounding through property development and student housing. Veranda Homes builds in Laguna Beach. Veranda Student Rentals operates near Tulane in New Orleans. Real estate is patient capital — the antidote to tech's short attention span.
Software
Mobilize is an AI-powered SMS platform. FlipTarget helps real estate investors analyze flips. GroupFire powers online communities for associations and nonprofits. I like building tools that make complicated things simple.
Writing
Writing is thinking made visible. I use this site to work through ideas, document what I'm learning, and share the operator's perspective — the messy reality behind the polished demos. Thirty-plus drafts are always waiting in the wings.
Companies
Veranda Capital
Real Estate · Private EquityPrivate equity firm co-founded with Marci in 2024. Over $30M in assets across student housing near Tulane (Veranda Student Rentals), luxury flips and builds in Laguna Beach (Veranda Homes), and capital raises for real estate investors.
GroupFire / Mobilize
Software · CommunityCommunity and communications platform used by Goldman Sachs, YPO, Kingdom Entrepreneurs, and hundreds of associations. Founded 2016. Mobilize is the AI-powered SMS evolution.
FlipTarget
Real Estate + TechAnalysis platform for real estate investors. Run the numbers on a potential flip before you put in an offer. Built because Marci needed it and nothing good existed.
Previous
GameSpy Industries
Gaming · Acquired by IGNFounded in the late '90s. Built the largest online gaming community in the world. Game server browsers, community tools, and the infrastructure that powered online multiplayer before it was mainstream. Sold to IGN Entertainment.
California Stem Cell
BiotechCo-founded. Developed novel therapies for melanoma treatment. A different kind of building — same obsession with solving hard problems.
Philosophy
I like useful ideas over performative complexity. Simple systems. Direct writing. Fast iterations. If it doesn't ship, it doesn't count.
I've watched too many smart people build beautiful things that never see the light of day. I'd rather ship something rough and improve it than plan something perfect and never start. Every company I've built started with a version that was embarrassing in retrospect.
That's the whole strategy.
Off the Clock
I live in Laguna Beach with my wife Marci and our Jack Russell Terriers. We have three sons: Nick Tulane'24, Ethan Tulane '23' and Jackson UofA) '29.
When I'm not building things, I'm probably walking the dogs along the coast, arguing with an AI agent about code architecture, or adding another draft to the pile of posts I'll publish "next week."
Get in Touch
I'm not hard to find.