Entrepreneur and investor Mark Verge is changing the landscape of neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles, creating many of the most popular and successful destinations and businesses today. Mark founded Westside Rentals in 1996, building the dominate player in the rental apartments space in California. His ability to hire strong leaders, anticipate the changing marketplace, adopt new technologies at the right time, and manage a large diverse workforce played an important role in Westside Rentals’ success — and is a signature of all of the businesses Mark touches.
Thirty-one businesses span his diverse portfolio; comprised of restaurants and bars, hotels, environmental companies, real estate acquisitions, and fashion companies. Partnering with Cedd Moses, they co-own “213,” a nightlife development and management company and driving force in L.A.’s urban revival. Their popular downtown Los Angeles watering holes—Cole’s, Casey’s, Las Perlas, Cana, Seven Grand, and The Varnish, et al., built in the bones of Historic Downtown’s classic architecture, are a magnet for over 1,500,000 young, discerning drinkers annually seeking to satisfy their evolving taste for high quality spirits and handcrafted cocktails.
Restaurants (such as Margo’s, Art’s Deli, Ashland Hill, and OP Cafe) share a guests-first philosophy, drawing neighborhood crowds in L.A.’s most food-and-fitness conscious coastal communities.
Mark also founded Perfect Business, a resource center and network of entrepreneurs, investors, and business experts, to share knowledge and coalesce the business community in support of aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners who may be struggling in today’s uncertain economy. Perfect Business provides start up tools gratis, potential funding opportunity, and a vast video library of inspiring interviews and sage advice from a constellation of market leaders. His mission includes committing time for speaking engagements evangelizing entrepreneurialism to inspire and encourage the next generation of business leaders.
Many new investments are on the horizon, as Mark continues to expand his hospitality and business footprint throughout Southern California.
Mark’s great passion is his family. Marrying his high school sweetheart Lani (a USC Business School graduate and CPA). She oversees financial management across all family businesses and oversees operations for the restaurant and hotel groups. Mark is a hands-on dad, and is happiest when spending time at the beach with Lani and his two teenage children, Malia and Rex.
A lifelong resident of Santa Monica, Mark’s family roots date back five generations to the Marquez Rancho days. He was raised in a large Irish-Catholic family (six siblings), with a great admiration for his mom and dad. His father Dr. Art Verge, a longtime Santa Monica educator and city historian, served as a Santa Monica lifeguard while earning, with the aid of the GI bill, two Master’s degrees and his Doctorate. Later, he became a History professor and Registrar at Santa Monica College, and helped establish their popular International Studies and Study Abroad programs. The Verges helped found the Santa Monica Historic Museum and his father served on its board. Mark and his older brother, author and History professor Arthur Verge III, followed in their father’s footsteps, also serving as Santa Monica lifeguards.
Mark is a graduate of St. Monica’s High School and UCLA. Mark and Lani are very active in the local community. In addition to being a first-time employer for hundreds of local students new to the workforce, Mark and Lani donate generously on a regular basis to Santa Monica College, Santa Monica High School, St. Monica’s High School, and the Santa Monica YMCA.
Mark’s also works on behalf of the Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA raising money for cancer research. Mark is a founding member and a Hall of Fame inductee to the Venice Historical Society and Hall of Fame honoree of St. Monica’s High School.