At age 15 he developed a passion for punk rock music after attending a concert by X at the Reseda Country Club.
[8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Posen founded Hopeless Records in 1993 in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles after filming a music video with the punk rock band Guttermouth.
[15] He used $1,000 in savings and a self-help book on starting a record label to begin the business, which later signed bands such as The Wonder Years, Yellowcard, Avenged Sevenfold, Thrice, The Used, Taking Back Sunday, and All Time Low.
In 1999 Posen started Sub City Records, which has raised over $2.5 million for non-profit organizations, including groups that support blindness research, mental health, and suicide prevention.
As part of his quest to create awareness for suicide prevention, Posen founded the Take Action Tour.