Besitos online game and rewards firm appoints new leadership

Besitos is a bootstrapped online gaming and rewards company focused on the intersection of entertainment and financial empowerment. And today, the company announced a leadership transition as the company continues to scale its primary business offerings, KashKick and Besitos Marketplace.

Jeevan Balani has been appointed CEO. Vishal Mahtani, cofounder, is stepping down from the CEO position and will continue to serve as chairman of the board. Mike Murzyn has been appointed COO, and Chris Maynard has been appointed chief product officer (CPO).

Besitos’s primary offerings are KashKick and Besitos Marketplace. KashKick, recognized as No. 11 on the Inc. 5000, focuses real-time consumer rewards, offering millions of users seamless access to cash rewards through gaming, surveys, and interactive experiences on its no-strings-attached platform.

Besitos Marketplace focuses on the $32 billion mobile gaming industry. It brings technology, data-driven insights, and immersive gameplay together to unlock new revenue streams while delivering unparalleled value to users.

“When we founded Besitos eight years ago, we hardly imagined the success we’d attain – building a fully bootstrapped company that’s garnered over 3.5 million users that in 2024 earned approximately $20 million, helping them achieve their financial goals and improve their lives. We’ve done this by fostering a strong, inclusive company culture that allows us to continuously innovate and expand into new verticals and markets, ultimately bringing those benefits to even more people,” said Mahtani, in a statement. “I’m optimistic about this transition as the company continues to scale and excited for Besitos’s future with Jeevan, Mike, and Chris leading the way. Going forward, I’m focused on continuing to enhance the company’s social impact, while continuing to identify opportunities to innovate.”

With over 25 years of executive management experience, Balani began his career at Accenture and McKinsey and Company, where he spent a combined 15 years. Leveraging his management consulting experience he has since held advisory roles focused on scaling the development of high-growth startups and VC-backed companies, including Outschool and MasterClass. He joined Besitos as Chief of Staff in August 2024.

“I’m honored to take on the role of CEO,” said Balani, in a statement. “Over the past several months, I’ve witnessed the incredible work of Vish and the full Besitos team to redefine the online rewards space and put more money directly into the hands of consumers and businesses. I’m excited to lead this new chapter with a renewed focus on expanding earnings and rewards opportunities for our users, ensuring we continue to provide them with even greater value.”

Prior to his appointment, Murzyn served as the general manager and EVP for Besitos Marketplace. With over 25 years of experience in marketing and consumer insights, he brings a deep understanding of the evolving end-user. Murzyn spent 11 years at InboxDollars, which was acquired by Prodege in 2019, where he last served as Vice President of Programmatic Market Research.

Throughout his 20-year career, Maynard has focused his career on driving innovation in advertising technology and AI-driven personalization. Maynard began his career as a software developer, spending the last 11 years at Revcontent, where he served in a variety of roles including Vice President of Products, Senior Vice President of Engineering, and Chief Product Officer. Maynard authored 4 patents in the advertising technology space during his time at Revcontent.

Established in 2017 by industry veterans Mahtani and Jacob Shemesh and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Besitos is a consumer products company dedicated to rewarding users for their time and attention. Besitos currently comprises two key products: KashKick and Besitos Marketplace. Leveraging an API and microservices architecture, Besitos enables partners to monetize their brands and enhance consumer engagement through rewards and loyalty programs.