OUR FOUNDER & CEO

Bert Sperling

"The guy who picks the best places"

- The New York Times

Crowned the "Guy Who Picks The Best Places" by the New York Times, demographic expert and three-time author Bert Sperling has been helping Americans find their best place to live since 1985. His free-to-use website bestplaces.net gets two million visitors each month and is the premier resource for information and data on places. His research and data has been referenced on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Simpsons, and Good Morning America, among others.

Sperling was born in Brooklyn and has lived in Florida, California, Alaska, and, most currently, Oregon. He's also toured the U.S. by car several times, most recently in 2015 when he documented his travels on YouTube. He's consulted cities across the country on how they can improve their quality of life and business health. Sperling is a graduate of Oregon State University and recently received their esteemed Weatherford Award for outstanding alumni.

Books Published:
"Cities Ranked and Rated" & "Best Places to Raise Your Family"

OUR CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Bertrand Sperling

Bertrand Sperling is the COO of Sperling’s Best Places. He heads the company’s daily operations and oversees its research, content, and product development. Bertrand is the son of the company’s founder and CEO, Bert Sperling. While Bertrand has been an essential component of the company’s executive team for eight years, research and data analysis of cities and places has been running through his blood since he was a boy.

Prior to officially joining the Best Places team, Bertrand worked with the William Morris Endeavor (WME Entertainment) agency, contributing to the motion picture literary and television departments. Bertrand holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Dartmouth College.

OUR CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

Al Olsen

Al Olsen is the visionary Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at BestPlaces.net, where he leads the technological innovation and development of cutting-edge tools that empower individuals to make informed decisions about where to live. With a passion for leveraging technology to enhance people's lives, Al brings a wealth of experience in software engineering, data analytics, and strategic planning to his role.

Throughout his career, Al has been instrumental in revolutionizing the way individuals access and interpret data related to cost of living, quality of life, and community comparisons. His dedication to creating user-friendly interfaces and robust algorithms has positioned BestPlaces.net as a trusted source for accurate and reliable information on various locations across the United States.

Under Al's leadership, the tech team at BestPlaces.net continues to push boundaries, harnessing the power of AI and data-driven insights to provide users with personalized recommendations and detailed analyses that cater to their unique preferences and needs. Al's commitment to excellence and innovation drives the company's mission to simplify the process of finding the perfect place to call home.

OUR DATA ANALYST / CARTOGRAPHER

Nick Arnold

Nick is, above all else, a Geographer. As a youngster, he explored the world through Cartography and would often recite the Capitals and largest cities of each State. As a young teenager, alongside his family and a crop of young collegiate Geographers, he spent a month of each spring Storm chasing in the Great Plains. His interest in Geography carried straight through his studies and into his career as an expert in geographic data and mapping. His work at BestPlaces combines modern Computing and traditional Geography.

Background: Cartography, GIS, Web Development

OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

Jasmine Briggs

Jasmine is the Customer Service Representative of Sperling’s Best Places. She has over 4 years of experience in customer service. She currently works at a government agency in Human Resources. Jasmine manages our customer service inbox and deals with all customer inquiries.

She holds a B.A in Business Administration, and Management from the City College of New York. When she is not working, Jasmine is spending time with her friends and family, playing with her cat, and traveling.