John Orta

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT JOHN ORTA

I’m a tech-savvy Chief Legal Officer who still believes lawyers can be business accelerators—not just red flag-wavers. Over the years, I’ve built and led legal teams at fast-moving companies, tackled everything from M&A to privacy to stock plans, and worn a few extra hats along the way (Head of People, Corporate Development, Public Policy—even Insurance wrangler, for better or worse).Right now, I’m the General Counsel at Whatnot, the largest livestream shopping platform in the U.S. I also lead our Business Development and Public Policy teams—because building the future of commerce takes more than airtight contracts. It takes smart deals, smart regulations, and the ability to spot opportunity in chaos.Before that, I was the CLO and Head of Corp Dev at Nextdoor, where I helped neighbors (and sometimes their dogs) stay connected. I also oversaw our Policy function—covering everything from government affairs to platform safety. Basically, if it involved keeping neighbors (and regulators) happy, it crossed my desk. Earlier roles include Chief People Officer and General Counsel at Metromile, the pioneers of pay-per-mile car insurance, and SVP, General Counsel and Head of People at OpenTable, where I helped ensure your date night reservations were seamless, at least from a legal perspective.I love working at the intersection of law, business, and technology. And I still get excited about helping companies scale without losing their soul (or their compliance posture).Let’s connect—especially if you want to talk startups, strategy, or why legal should always have a seat at the table (and occasionally bring snacks).