Fidelity Investments

Working across the brokerage organization to improve the associate digital experience through the thoughtful implementation of AI tools.

Director, Product Management, Associate Digital Experience

Jammify

Jammify is revolutionizing how musical artists interact with their fans, and how fans experience their favorite music.

Advisor

Partnership Leaders

Partnership Leaders is the industry association for Partnership / Channel / Alliances / Business Development leaders.

Member

MassChallenge

Immersed in the dynamic ecosystem of MassChallenge, a global leader in acceleration programs, I am dedicated to forging strategic partnerships that tackle pressing challenges. My role revolves around pinpointing inventive solutions to complex issues within the music industry and recognizing high-impact product opportunities poised for disruption. Additionally, I provide invaluable mentorship and consultation to nascent startups, harnessing my expertise to guide their early-stage growth and development.

Technology Innovator in Residence

GH Strategic

Consult with organizational clients on effective go to market and brand positioning strategy guiding them through the process of defining and polishing their purpose in their product,  resisting commoditization, and enjoying outsize profit margins. The team includes George Howard, one of Newsweek's "America's Greatest Disruptors" co-founder of ACME Innovation and Tunecore.

Principal Consultant

Sparrow Live

Strategically led a $12M technology startup specializing in streaming Platform as a Service (PaaS) for the music industry, emphasizing the cultivation of key partnerships. Crafted and executed effective product strategies while orchestrating end-to-end product delivery within the organization.

Key Achievements:

Achieved 600% month-over-month growth.

Collaboratively developed and iterated product that witnessed organic and rapid growth, with a low customer acquisition cost of $0.79, translating into an average lifetime value exceeding $100.

Distilled user behavior data into actionable insights, shaping product enhancements and customization to user preferences.

Conducted comprehensive market research to stay abreast of the competitive landscape and industry trends, informing strategic decision-making.

Notable B2B clients include the National Health Service (UK), the Federal Reserve Bank, Harpoon Brewing, and Hudson Valley Property Group.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Francis Rogers, Tenor

Advanced expertise in the technical and entrepreneurial facets pivotal to thriving in the performing arts, with a distinct focus on forging strategic partnerships. My approach involves immediate performance adjustments guided by real-time audience feedback, dedicated to crafting an unparalleled audience experience. Furthermore, I strategically cultivated performance opportunities through targeted marketing and astute business development tactics.

Key Highlights:

Delivered solo performances to captivated audiences at renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, and the Metropolitan Opera, as well as high-profile sporting events like the NBA Finals and Monday Night Football. These performances reached international televised audiences exceeding 19 million viewers.

Thrived in high-pressure environments, consistently adapting to real-time feedback. Years of experience performing lead roles honed my ability to maintain precision and accuracy under pressure.

Garnered a substantial global following through a multifaceted approach encompassing social media engagement, live performances, and strategic networking endeavors.

My career has been underscored by a strategic mindset, ensuring every performance opportunity is maximized through effective partnerships and a relentless commitment to audience satisfaction.

Classical Tenor

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Spearheaded strategic development of the organization's fundraising initiatives, with a distinct focus on forging and nurturing key partnerships.

Spearheaded comprehensive donor research efforts to identify optimal funding opportunities and messaging strategies.

Achieved an extraordinary increase of over 1,000% in annual giving within my portfolio.

Successfully orchestrated the 'Tanglewood Forever' campaign, surpassing the ambitious $64M target by raising $70M in funds.

Formulated innovative organizational strategies for the annual fund, leadership annual fund, and major gifts, introducing novel programming to drive engagement.

Effectively managed a diverse portfolio of more than 150 Major Gifts prospects, actively engaging and collaborating with the BSO Board of Trustees.

Throughout my career, I have consistently demonstrated an aptitude for strategic partnership cultivation and a commitment to exceeding fundraising objectives.

Major Gifts Officer

Campaign for Catholic Schools

Proficiently curated and cultivated a diverse portfolio comprising 200 prospects, skillfully soliciting gifts of up to $250,000, with a keen eye toward nurturing strategic partnerships.

Pioneered the establishment of a committee comprising influential business leaders, driving an impressive 64% growth in the leadership annual giving society.

Effectively concluded an impactful $11M capital campaign, orchestrating the transformation of a low-income school in Dorchester, MA through strategic partnerships.

Strategically devised and executed a comprehensive annual giving campaign, encompassing direct mail initiatives and personalized solicitation efforts.

Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to the art of relationship building and fostering strategic alliances that drive meaningful impact.

Senior Development Officer

Development Officer - Director of the Annual Fund

College of the Holy Cross

Expertly orchestrated and oversaw the annual giving initiatives for twenty-three distinct classes, demonstrating a knack for forging strategic alliances.


Spearheaded the successful 15th and 55th reunion giving programs, strategically coordinating volunteer efforts and personally engaging top prospects.

Took the helm of the Holy Cross Fund reporting technology, solicitation calendar, and matching gift and pledge reminder programs, showcasing a commitment to streamlined and impactful partnerships.

Throughout my career, I have excelled in building collaborative relationships and driving strategic partnership initiatives that yield significant results.

Assistant Director, The Holy Cross Fund

With a rich history spanning over a decade in the music industry, I bring a wealth of experience as a dedicated innovator, fundraiser, and researcher, all geared towards pioneering collaborative solutions to intricate challenges.

My current role as a Technology Innovator in Residence at MassChallenge, a global leader in accelerator programs, involves a relentless pursuit of disruptive product opportunities, providing guidance to emerging startups, and orchestrating in-depth market analysis within the dynamic realm of music.

Previously, I held the esteemed position of Co-Founder and CEO at Sparrow Live, a thriving technology startup valued at $12M, specializing in Web3 streaming Platform as a Service (PaaS) for the music industry. My tenure at Sparrow Live epitomized visionary leadership, where I charted the course for effective product strategies, meticulously oversaw end-to-end product lifecycle, and masterfully managed daily operations. This spanned from product development and investor engagement to production, enterprise-level sales, marketing, and top-notch customer service.

Under my guidance, Sparrow Live achieved remarkable feats, witnessing a staggering 600% month-over-month user base growth in the inaugural year, translating to a monthly revenue stream of $10,000. Additionally, our venture secured an impressive $300,000 in independent pre-seed round funding within a mere three months. Furthering our innovative strides, I brokered a pivotal partnership enabling the delivery of content and concerts to the Decentraland Metaverse, an Ethereum blockchain-powered virtual reality platform. My multifaceted skill set, honed through fundraising, rigorous research, effective teaching, and a deep-rooted passion for music, was instrumental in realizing these accomplishments.

Francis Rogers

Purposely Social

Purposely Social enables deeper relationships IRL by taking the work and anxiety out of social planning. Our product uses your availability and interests to sync schedules with friends, create customized social plans, and meet new people, all at your own pace. It’s the first product that allows you to visualize your social health, while guiding you towards the right balance of activities for your mental well-being. Our goal is to measurably counteract the global health impacts of the loneliness epidemic, by making it fun and easy to connect with your friends, family, and community every day.

Founder, CEO

The PASS Project

There's never been more data about what makes people deeply happy and healthy in modern society. There's also never been more data about just how crippling of the worldwide mental health crisis is today. The PASS Project was founded as a non-profit by two women who use data to build happier, healthier communities IRL.

Co-Founder

Gooruglobal

Gooru Global is creating the go-to marketplace for parents interested in products that can help raise the next million leaders. Our first offering is Gooru Mirror, the first universal stroller mirror created to improve human bonds, increase human intelligence and contribute to the healthy development of nearly all children, including our most vulnerable.

Startup Advisor

Tapple

Tapple is an interactive data capture platform for offline marketing campaigns. We help marketers engage, analyze and grow their audience in the real world.

President

With initial funding and our MVP in place, I joined Tapple full time as the CMO in the summer of 2019. That fall we were recognized by BostInno as a "50 on Fire" early stage winner and voted Founder's Pitch Live Winner in late 2019. Tapple was featured by Martech Today in March 2020 for our successful shift from live activations to virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tapple also saw features in the Boston Business Journal and Built in Boston for creating the COVID-19 Touchless Health Screener solution in order to support safe re-entry to the workplace. 

As the world re-opened in December 2019, Tapple was featured in AdAge as a data and analytics tool to gather 1st party data and consumer insights from physical world engagement.

Chief Marketing Officer

While working with the Co-Founder of Tapple on a media project, I became intrigued with vision for the company, and the power of physical to digital interaction. I initially came on board part-time during product testing, driving all new business outreach for our initial SaaS product release, client acquisition, brand positioning, and PR.

Vice President Of Business Development

KKP & ASCEND Media

A move to Boston triggered the itch to blend my creative and client-centered skill set to start my own business. I founded and grew of one of Boston's most profitable media companies from scratch for over a decade. 

We were internationally recognized for technical excellence and awarded by Boston's WGBH in 2016 and 2017. I was a frequent industry keynote speaker at prominent national conventions, including INSPIRE and WPPI, and was lucky enough to work with groups like the Boston Red Sox and Match Charter Schools.

Mount Sinai Medical Center

I've always loved three things: psychology, communication, and people. Acquiring a Masters Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders provided me with the ability to focus on PEOPLE, driving highly impactful change for patients with acute neurological impairments. My role consisted of evaluation and treatment of patients with aphasia, dysphasia, dysphonia, apraxia, and memory impairments at one of the best hospitals in the world.

Director, Speech-Pathologist

ML Rogers Agency

In a post-9/11 world, I joined a boutique agency called The Wolf Group in Manhattan, working on a more intimate level with mid cap brands. One day we were told to pick up our computers and walk out. We walked down Park Avenue to a new office and a new company, ML Rogers Agency. A real-life Jerry McGuire moment, minus the fish (please do not suggest I was the fish). 

I developed grass roots research project to aid in consumer intelligence for The Scotts Company. Insights were integrated into creative strategy for TV, print, and radio campaign. Managed brand strategy, media production and daily finances for the The Scotts Company account.

Senior Account Executive

J. Walter Thompson Worldwide

My first job out of college, this experience is what solidified my love of creating deep, meaningful brands. The training programs at J. Walter gave me instant polish and working on brands like Merrill Lynch and Domino's Pizza through aggressive TV, radio and print campaigns taught me the importance of accuracy and efficiency.

Founder | CEO | Using data to build happier, healthier communities IRL | AI Adventurist | Startup Advisor | National Media Keynote Speaker | Happiness Warrior 🌈

👉🏻 For over 20 years, Karen has been a catalyst for change across the healthcare, marketing, media, and technology sectors, fueled by 3 core values: innovation, connection, and compassion.

🎯 Communications SME --> After nearly a decade of marketing and PR communication experience with global brands like Rolex, Domino’s Pizza, and Merrill Lynch, Karen earned a MS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College, and subsequently spent 7 years specializing in leveraging her communication skills to institute innovative treatment for adults with acquired neurological impairments at Mount Sinai and Lahey hospital.

🎯 Media Founder: --> Karen’s creative itch drew her out of healthcare, launching her first solo media venture. Karen built one of Boston's most profitable agencies from the ground up, with clients like the Boston Red Sox and Match Charter Schools. She grew this business to 7-figures in under 3 years and received two voter-choice awards by Boston’s WGBH in 2016 and 2017.

🎯 Martech Startup Leader: --> In 2019, Karen accepted a position as the Chief Marketing Officer for marketing technology startup, Tapple. Karen launched the initial QR-driven SaaS product and lead sales and marketing efforts, and was awarded by BostInno as one of Boston’s “50 on Fire” startups, with features in AdAge, Boston Business Journal, and MarTech Today. She was promoted to President in 2021, and played a pivotal role in crafting and executing the company's vision, mission, and strategic direction. Karen led Tapple’s Seed fundraising efforts, ensuring the company not only survived, but thrived during the Covid-19 pandemic.

🎯 Industry Influencer --> Karen is a prominent voice in the marketing technology industry, with credits in multiple publications on disrupting the digital marketing industry. She is regularly featured as a keynote speaker at events like Startup Boston, and is a frequent guest on industry podcasts, most recently Integrate and Ignite, and The Human Voice.

🎯 Startup Advisor --> Karen actively contributes to the development of the entrepreneur ecosystem. She believes deeply in sharing her knowledge and expertise with early-stage companies in an effort to support the next generation of innovation.

🎯 AI Innovator --> Most recently, Karen's passion for AI led her to revamp her public school district's after-school program by founding grass roots movement, Parents for After School Solutions (PASS). PASS expanded access to K-5 after school care by 50%, solving a decade old problem for working parents in Wayland, MA.

Karen Kelly 🌈

"We're all developers now."


Last week, the CEO of rising AI prototyping tool said this to a room full of women at Launch by Lunch 🍕 who have never coded a thing, yet who are all building their own MVP right now.

For decades, there was a massive wall between "the business" and "engineering." If you were a non-engineer with an idea, you had to wait for someone else to build it. And if you were an engineer, you were told to go sit in the back with code. This wall never helped anyone. 

So what is a developer defined as now? Do they need a CS degree? A few certificates? 

Do they need to have built something that more than 1000 people use? More than a 1,000,000?

Thankfully, no one needs to spend four years memorizing standard libraries or wrestling with semicolons to bring an idea to life anymore. You just need:

● Focus
● A deep understanding of the problem
● The ability to articulate the solution
● Unrelenting tenacity <--- (has always been and will always be the most important trait)

Suddenly, the marketing manager automating workflows with Zapier is a developer. 

The founder prototyping an MVP with Base44 is a developer. 

The product manager writing python scripts with the help of ChatGPT is a developer.

Does this mean traditional Software Engineering is dead? Absolutely not. We still need architects for scalability, security, and complex infrastructure.

But the power to build? 

That has finally been democratized.

If you have an idea, you no longer have an excuse. We are all citizen developers...if we want to be.

This is why I love watching women like Ariel Galipeau Alison Campbell Rachael Lowell Jamie Christensen Elizabeth McWhorter burn down the traditional playbook and build a new one.

What shall we call these new CTO's? No code CTO's? aiCTO's? 

I'm putting all my chips in on these builders in 2026.

I think you should too.

#ai #nocode #launchbylunch

I have met so many outstanding founders working on parent pain points in the last few weeks. As a founder who had to chose between parenthood and my job a few years ago, every conversation I have around this is profoundly personal. 

👏  Ariel Galipeau solving problems around motherhood's mental load with Confidante
👏  Lindsey Whiteley creating a wayfinder for the summer camp signup blitz with CampNexxus
👏 John Slocum creating email --> calendar solutions for ALLLL the kid things with TLDR Parents
👏 Caren Cioffi making any to do anywhere instantly appear on your calendar with Agenda Hero
👏  Heather Jankins to make co-parenting the workload a reality with Beaver
👏  Sophie Bruce using AI to anticipate, automate, and delegate household tasks at MOLO App

The question is what are we as parents willing to pay for our sanity? 
For a better relationship with our spouse? 
To have a reliable friend circle? 
To not resent having kids?

There's so much to be gained from the grind these founders are putting in, and I can't wait to see these solutions bloom. 

Who else is working in the parent space that I missed in Boston??

#parentproblems #startups #keepghoing

Lovable I have really tried to keep loving you. But you keep rejecting me.


We taught all our accelerators on Lovable. I have a massive soft spot for these guys.

But I've never seen a meteoric rise and fall of performance like this, all within the last 6 months.

This is why Stephan Smith and I are building the Low Code Cookbook. We rate and rank AI tools, and can stay on top of the wave, company by company, no matter where it goes. 

So YOU can stay on top of the wave. 🌊

This week, we're getting a live demo from Shanea Leven at Empromptu.ai, which not only uses natural language to code your app, but can also plug into LEGACY CODE.

Whataaattt??? That's right. Old code made new again, with AI. ✨

Another one we're testing this week is WeWeb - has anyone used them? 

I'm looking forward to digging in. Will share our ratings when they're done.

#lowcodecookbook #ai #nocode

Our path to PMF hasn't been a straight one. And it still isn't. But I'll tell you what has become clear:

1. Changes are coming. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do, the world is shifting in major ways. Do you want to do it alone?
 
- Millions of founders building alone in silos 
- Folks currently working a corporate job, who may become fractional
- Thousands of mid-level mangers who are trying to read the tea leaves of AI 

2. There are a bajillion (with a b) solutions for no code/low code right now. We are actually drowning in them, yet, they are so hard to find. 

- Which one is REALLY no code? 
- Which one can I easily add to a vibe coded app? 
- Which one gives me tons of value but will take FOREVER to get set up?

All of these data points have forced us to think BIGGER:

What is Launch by Lunch 🍕? 

⭐️ It's a community of give-first folks who are building the future of entrepreneurship through community. 

And our hearts and minds are completely in it.

🤫 Here's a sneak peek of the Low Code Cookbook scoring legend - or in other words - how we rate and rank low code products. 📈

It's your guide to choosing the right no code tools, right now. Going live on Wednesday 🔥

#nocode #ai #lowcode #bostonsbest #launchbylunch #startup

18 months ago I would have killed to build the vision in my head myself. I spent an unmentionable amount of money on 2 dev teams that both ultimately failed me. I was held hostage by my inability to do just 1 of the dozen skills it takes to build a successful company. 

So much of that experience is why Launch by Lunch 🍕 exists. Like my LinkedIn profile reads, I truly believe that I am meant to help free founders to build without being traditional coders - to make mistakes, learn, achieve, and most importantly, execute on their vision, founded in their own expertise.

Today, we’re opening applications for our 11th Vibe Coding Basics cohort that starts next week. We say that you’ll have a working app in four weeks…but the truth is you’ll have a working app at the end of our first class. 💫

This is the first time we’re offering applicants:

​→ Weekly live sessions where you'll build and go live with an app in just 4 weeks
​→  1 year subscription to our community & support ($600 value)
​​→  2, 60 minute 1:1 calls with Karen and Stephan Smith ($1200 value)
​​→  Group access to $2400 worth of expert time over 4 weeks
​
💸 Total value: $4,200
​
😵‍💫 Developer costs you'll skip: $20 - $30K??
​
🙏🏻 Price for this offer: Just $1,200

📅 Kick off class: Thursday, 11/20, at 1pm EST (Thursdays, 1 - 2PPM, Dates: 11/20, 12/4, 12/11 and 12/18.)

When you run the numbers…this is a no-brainer if you’re motivated and ready to execute. We’re accepting 10 applicants for this cohort. 

See the link in comments to apply. Want to chat with us first? DM me and we'll set up time.

#vibecode #ai #nocode #accelerator

Tired of AI noise? Us too. That's why we built the Low Code Cookbook. We tear AI products apart, rate them on how fast you get to "wow" and if it's REALLY for non-technical folks or not 🧐 and even do our own Hot Takes 🔥 on each product.

Want to know where I think Gamma sizzles and slumps?

Head to lowcodecookbook.com.

Got a product you want listed? 

Apply through the link in comments. We'd love to see it!

#nocode #ai #vibecode #gamma

taplio

The Battle

Francis Rogers

Karen Kelly 🌈

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The Battle

Francis Rogers

Karen Kelly 🌈

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Karen Kelly 🌈's LinkedIn Performance

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