About · Lyn Graft · Austin, TX
Entrepreneur, producer, speaker, and author. Lyn has filmed 1,000 founders, produced 1,200+ videos including CNBC’s American Made, built 9 companies, and wrote Start With Story. Today he helps founders create the stories that raise capital, drive sales, and earn press.
Lyn GraftFounder · Storytelling for Entrepreneurs & LG Pictures
Why storytelling
Stories are one of the most useful assets a founder can build. They help audiences understand the founder’s motivation, the customer problem, the market opportunity, and the reason to act now.
Lyn’s goal has stayed the same for 18 years: share entrepreneurial stories that inspire founders, help them through difficult moments, and teach them how to apply story to their own companies.
By the numbers
Current, verified figures, updated July 2026.
Background & education
Lyn holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University and an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from The University of Texas at Austin. Before betting his career on stories, he worked as an engineer for HP (formerly DEC) and taught snow skiing in Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico.
That engineer’s discipline still shows: his storytelling frameworks are systematic, testable, and built to be used, not just admired.
My Story · Coming soon
Nine companies, four sisters, one engineering degree, and the moment a camera and a founder’s story became the work. In production now.
Press
Lyn's work and companies have been covered by national business media.
Off camera
Because every good storyteller has a few scenes that didn't make the official bio.
Lyn's favorite road-trip ritual. The cows remain unimpressed; Lyn remains undeterred.
His four sisters. Yes, really. And yes, that naming convention explains a lot about the family's storytelling instincts.
Before boardrooms and film sets, Lyn taught snow skiing for four years across Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico.
His favorite professional award, earned at Digital Equipment Corporation, for enthusiasm well beyond the engineering job description.
For media & events
Reprint these as-is for event programs, media coverage, and speaker introductions.
Short bio · ~60 words
Lyn Graft is the CEO & Founder of Storytelling for Entrepreneurs and author of the best-selling book Start With Story. He has filmed 1,000 entrepreneurs, including the founders of Starbucks, Whole Foods, TOMS, and LinkedIn, and has produced over 1,200 videos.
Full bio · ~160 words
Lyn Graft (LG) is the Founder of Storytelling for Entrepreneurs and author of the best-selling book Start With Story. He has filmed and interviewed 1,000 entrepreneurs, including the founders of Starbucks, Whole Foods, TOMS, and LinkedIn. He co-created and produced CNBC’s first primetime TV series ‘American Made’ and has produced 1,200 videos for entities such as Entrepreneur Magazine, Microsoft, Dell, and Nestle.
Lyn founded 9 companies, raised $10M in venture funding, and has served on advisory boards for SXSW, Dell, and Empowering a Billion Women. He has given over 50 keynote presentations on entrepreneurial and business storytelling at entities such as HP, Dell, EY, EO, SXSW, the Wharton School of Business, and the University of Texas. He is a mentor at the SKU CPG Accelerator, Founder Institute, and a16z TXO Startup Accelerator. Lyn has a B.S. in electrical engineering and an MBA in marketing and entrepreneurship, and loves honking at cows on road trips.
FAQ
Lyn Graft is known for entrepreneurial storytelling: filming 1,000 entrepreneurs, producing 1,200+ videos including CNBC's first primetime series 'American Made', speaking on business storytelling, and writing the best-selling book Start With Story.
Lyn has filmed or interviewed the founders behind Starbucks, Whole Foods, LinkedIn, Zappos, The Container Store, Paul Mitchell, The Knot, FUBU, TOMS, Dropbox, Chobani, Dell, and Fast Company, among 1,000 entrepreneurs.
Lyn holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University and an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship and Marketing from The University of Texas at Austin. Before his storytelling career he worked as an engineer for HP (formerly DEC) and taught snow skiing in four states.
Lyn is based in Austin, TX and works on location for filming, speaking, and workshops.
Lyn's projects include Storytelling for Entrepreneurs (founder education), LG Pictures (video production), the book Start With Story, and mentoring at the SKU CPG Accelerator, Founder Institute, and a16z TXO Startup Accelerator.
Scene 02 · Working together
What 4,300 founders read to sharpen their story.
One founder story, one storytelling lesson, and one practical move per issue, drawn from filming 1,000 entrepreneurs.
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