Arta Finance (formerly Arbo Works)

Joined Arta Finance via the acquisition of Money Minx to be part of the founding product team.

Founding Team | Product

Startup Beach

Hosting startup events in San Diego and enabling event hosts to use a matchmaking algorithm to make sure they attendees always come out with at least two new business connections.

Founder

Techstars

Mentor

GPT Hacks

GPT Hacks is my weekly newsletter, where I share tips, resources, and deep dives on how to leverage AI to grow and streamline your business. Over 9,400 startup founders and entrepreneurs get my AI tips, join them 👉 https://www.gpthacks.com/subscribe.

Money Minx

Founded Money Minx to help investors track all of their Investments, Alts, Crypto, and more in one place. Exited to Arta Finance

eCapital Corp.

eCapital is an industry leader in the freight factoring space. We service and help keep thousands of truckings companies stay on the road moving freight that makes our every day lives possible. 
As CIO and Head of Strategic Initiatives I am responsible for all things IT and Technology used by our employees, customers and partners.

CIO and Head of Strategic Initiatives

My team delivers the simplest factoring experience to the transportation industry, from owner operators to large fleets. We do this through the technology and products we build combined with customer-focused service.

Chief Experience Officer (CXO)

Responsible for the product and technology vision, roadmap and development of the company.

VP Product & Technology / CTO

appsplit

- Founded AppSplit: Positioned as one of the earliest crowdfunding platforms, timed to take advantage of the beginnings of the AppStore and Google Play.

- Innovative Mechanism: Created a network for developers to offer discounts, ownership, and rewards to investors interested in app ownership.

- Media Coverage: Featured in leading tech and fintech publications like TechCrunch and The Next Web.

- Successful Exit: Led the company to a successful acquisition by an investment group.

DiamPrice

- Launched DiamPrice: Developed the industry's first mobile app dedicated to the evaluation of loose diamonds, as well as gold, silver, and platinum jewelry.
- Target Audience: Primarily designed for industry professionals seeking accurate, real-time appraisals.
- Market Disruption: Introduced a first-of-its-kind tool that revolutionized the traditional appraisal process, offering a digital solution in a predominantly manual industry.
- Successful Exit: Sold the business to a private equity group.

OneRoof Energy, Inc.

LPL Financial

Managed team of project managers, established project management best practices and lead delivery of large projects.

Assistant Vice President Program Management

Developed test strategies and lead teams of QA engineers on projects.

Lead QA Engineer

Developed requirements and research for products.

Senior Product Analyst

Stuff I am currently focused on:

#1 Bring new financial advisory products to market at Arta Finance. 

#2 Build a startup ecosystem in San Diego via Startup Beach and mentoring for TechStars San Diego & Anywhere. 

#3 Help others with AI via GPT Hacks. 

#4 Help my youngest develop his soccer skills, my second work on her basketball game and my oldest shine like his sax.

#5 Spend more time with my awesome wife doing fun things in San Diego and around the world.

Hussein Yahfoufi

Stoked for two things... and a bonus!

First, my good friend Ryan Berman packed out Barnes & Noble, Inc. last night and sold out his new book Headamentals.

Second, this was the first book signing hosted on Eventship. Excited to see more authors, creators, and communities using the platform for events like this.

And on a personal note, my amazing wife Jessica Yahfoufi is getting close to releasing her new novel. Stay tuned for that launch party! 💃

Founder, Eventship • Helping event hosts grow everywhere • Host of San Diego’s Startup Mixer

What do you get when you have 200 incredible founders, investors and people working hard to help us all grow at the same place and at the same time?

Great connections, business deals, investments, new jobs and a great ol' time. Especially when you also add in our authentic tacos made by hand on site courtesy of Isaac Pollock, CFP® and Robert Goodyear.

See you there!

Emily Kramer's ecosystem strategy in today's Lenny's Newsletter is brilliant, but I have a different take on one point which is worth unpacking.


You don't get tired of events the same way you do as flooded email inboxes if the events are done right. The problem isn’t too many events, it’s too many of the wrong ones.

With over one thousand events behind me, I can tell you what makes a great event and how events are actually a growth node in your ecosystem flywheel not something people get tired from.

1. Events have to be from trusted hosts (think innovation hubs, accelerators, community leaders, founders, etc).

2. The right people have to be at the event, the attendee list must be curated and focused on the right groups for that event.

3. Sponsors of the event must be true ecosystem partners, not just logos on a wall. e.g. Isaac Pollock, CFP® is the taco guy for my mixer, not just our banker. He is part of the community and cares about it.

4. The event must be designed for connection, not attendance. This is what Neal Bloom🎩, Jonah Peake 🐺 and I talked about in our LinkedIn Live last week. It's also the reason why Eventship invests heavily in our matchmaking AI.

When you get those right, events aren’t fatiguing or tiring. They’re energizing. They are the ecosystem.

When you attend the right event, meet the right person, and the right sponsor supports it, that event becomes a node that strengthens the whole network.

Hussein Yahfoufi’s North County Startup Mixer — every month keeps getting better and better. 😎

Thank you to this month’s sponsors!!!
Isaac Pollock, CFP® 
Kimberly Drozdoff 
Emily D. 
Tyler Hastings 

See you next month 😎

Skullcandy Inc.

- Proactively asked by CEO to temporarily assist brand before their biggest product launch in 20+ year history. Seven-month project. 
- Developed and led media outreach strategy. Hands-on effort for select Tier-A high-profile media in the consumer tech, general interest, and tastemaker spaces. 
- Coordinated efforts with affiliate marketing and e-commerce teams on PR efforts to enhance media appeal. Presented best practices to ensure optimal success.
- Oversaw external agency event, and PR partners to ensure event and product launch success.
- Managed Remedy Communications PR team to handle post-launch needs after high-profile NYC media / creator / influencer and brand partner event.
- Developed cross-functional strategy engaging with influencers, creators, and journalists in advance of cornerstone launches.
- Drafted press releases for new product launches and global ambassador partnerships.
- Regular direct communication with CEO and leadership team.

Interim Director of Public Relations (PR)

Remedy Public Relations

Select Brand Experience: 686 apparel, Skullcandy audio, JLab audio, SIMA (Surf Industry Members Association) Nixon, K2 Ski & Snowboard, SPY+ eyewear, CNTRL+ bladder health, Santa Cruz Skateboards, SPYDER (ski & lifestyle apparel) OLEU (performance), Hi-Tec footwear, SIMPLE Mobile (acquired),  Chums, Purra Performance (anti-microbial technologies), Homebridge mortgage, Unbiased.com (finance), LEUS towels (yoga, golf, surf), PowerDot med-tech (acquired), Pabst, Great Frontier Holdings, Various wine, spirits & ready to drink cocktail brands (RTD), Yamaha (through a partnership w/ Spec PR). Developed plans targeting traditional sports media, tastemaker outlets, environmental, content creators, influencers, mainstream outlets, & DEI champions.

Based in San Diego, I oversee & help execute public relations (PR), social media, earned media, affiliate, & other marketing programs for our clients.

Experience ranges from leaders in the financial sector to tech startups, notables in the active-outdoor space, general consumer goods, & brands looking to target influential tastemakers. 

Two decades of practical PR experience. Still being active in the trenches allows me the insight needed to develop campaigns that resonate and work. Well adept at brand strategy, team leadership, marketing, creative problem solving, and rapid and data-driven decision making. 

I regularly contribute to the PR industry trade media on new trends in public relations. Currently a volunteer mentor for the Techstars accelerator program.

Highly collaborative, I have strong experience creating or managing programs to guide brand perception, event activations, third-party brand & vendor relationships, influencer / content creator programs, social media, crisis communications, digital efforts, advertising, media events, team mentorship, and a 360-degree strategy design approach. Well adept at brand strategy, team leadership, marketing, creative problem solving, & rapid and data-driven decision making.

Vice President / Managing Director - Public Relations (PR) & Earned Media

Fractional CMO

In addition to my work with Remedy PR, I have started taking on select fractional CMO / public relations opportunities. Twenty-five years developing, managing, and implementing campaigns for global blue-chip brands, startups, challengers, and licensed entities looking to regain brand awareness & shine. Frequently featured in the marketing and PR trades, listed as a thought leader by prestigious industry publications and resources such as PR Newswire, Prezly, and the Public Relations Society of New York City. 

I can provide strategic leadership in the PR and marketing world, execute short and long-range plans, and build an internal team to help a brand achieve the needed exposure to attract investors and customers.

Areas of expertise:
+ Identify low-hanging fruit in your asset base to convert into PR and marketing stories 
+ Message development to resonate with journalists and customers
+ Short and long-term strategy development to drive public and investor awareness
+ Earned media in all forms, including digital PR, broadcast, print, blogs, and influencers / content creators 
+ Thought leadership and speaking campaigns
+ Affiliate program launch and growth
+ Momentum building PR strategies for startup brands
+ Brand management
+ Influencer / content creator / celebrity engagement
+Reputation and perception management
+ Brand collaborations and licensing
+ Data-developed and data-driven PR and marketing executions
+ Content marketing
+ Podcast relations
+ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
+ Crisis PR / communications (and preventative strategies)
+ Internal team / employee communications
+ Marketing budget development and management
+ Go-To-Market strategy (GTM strategy)

Brand experience includes:
- Startups of all types, as well as global leaders and challenger brands
- Consumer tech
- Active / outdoor lifestyle (snow, yoga, footwear, apparel)
- Healthcare / health-tech
- B2B
- Real estate
- Finance 
- CPG – soft drinks, beer (craft & macro), wine, kombucha

Fractional CMO / Public Relations 

Techstars Anywhere Remote Accelerator

Mentor in the Techstars Anywhere remote accelerator program.

- Provide guidance to early-stage startups on developing and executing thought leadership campaigns, public relations, earned media strategies, brand collaborations, and securing speaking opportunities
- Mentor emerging brands and founders to help them achieve rapid success in their endeavors
- Collaborate with brand leaders to refine their investor pitches
- Serve as a sounding board and confidante for passionate individuals on their entrepreneurship journey, allowing me to flex and strengthen my creative and analytical skill sets in a way I normally may not with my "day job"
- Areas of focus include SaaS, fintech, artificial intelligence (AI), B2B, automotive, supply chain, construction, and augmented reality (AR)

Business Mentor

- Techstars San Diego powered by San Diego State University
- Mentoring up-and-coming brands and founders to help them achieve rapid success in their endeavors
- Acting as a sounding board and confidante for passionate individuals on their entrepreneurship journey allows me to flex and strengthen my creative and analytical skill sets in a way I normally may not with my "day job"

Group Y

Hand-selected for the role of Public Relations Expert for Group Y's industry resource portal.

Expert Source - Public Relations (PR)

Box Pro Magazine

http://boxpromag.com/author/bill-byrne/

I contribute a regular marketing column to the leading magazine for CrossFit coaches and high intensity interval training gym owners.

Thought Leader / Content Creator (Public Relations Focus)

BRND TV 

Founding instructor and brand expert in BRND TV's public relations and marketing category.

Provide insight and advice on how to best leverage PR tactics and strategies for small and mid-sized brands.

Instructor / Educator On PR Strategy

BBPR

Marketing consultant for: Rome SDS (snowboarding), eesa clothing (layering), IPATH (eco-friendly footwear & apparel), Vapor Studio (industrial design), Bern Unlimited (head protection), Maku Home Furnishings, Ritual (men's grooming), project BLUE (Surfrider environmental initiative), "Deathbowl to Downtown" (Mountain Dew funded skateboard documentary), Bubba Golf (professional golfer Bubba Watson's clothing line launch), Lexus, Foster Grant (Gargoyles, Anarchy Eyewear), Monster Energy, A.D.D. Marketing, Primo Island Lager, in addition to contract work for agencies dealing in technology, automotive, console games, healthcare, and other consumer products   

Media strategist for PR/marketing/social media consultancy.  We help emerging and established brands communicate through channels that matter. 

- Independent PR and social media consultant.
- Handled thought leadership initiatives, editorial placements, social media activations, trade show efforts, and other PR-adjacent activities.
- Curated a wide and enviable list of trusted media contacts, ranging from business trade media to tastemaker websites such as HypeBeast and CoolHunting.

Public Relations/Social Media Consultant

SMS.ac

Director of PR for for what was billed as a "mobile social network," which in layperson's terms, would be MySpace with a mobile phone component.

I learned a lot about the industry, and received a very in depth crash-course (I think they call them "sprints" now ;-) ) on the good and the bad with startup tech culture. 

I resigned after six months to pursue other opportunities when I decided I did not feel the product was not going to meet expectations.

Director of Public Relations

I've been called a PR expert by others. What I will claim is that I am very successful in helping brands you've heard of get featured in the media that matters to them.

Award-winning public relations strategies that make headlines. Frequently asked to speak & write about the latest strategies & tactics.

We named the agency Remedy because so much in the PR industry is broken but easily fixed if approached from the right direction.

We help our partners punch well above their weight class in media exposure. From national morning shows to trade media & micro-influencers, we help our partners consistently & authentically get in front of the right audience.

The long version:
PR / communications consultant who has worked for both billion-dollar household brands & start-ups. Known for generating significant editorial & social media exposure, regardless of budget or brand cachet.

Twenty-five years of experience developing & executing PR programs for mainstream, b2b & specific lifestyle-focused brands. Since I'm regularly on the phone with the media, I know what's realistic when we're developing programs for clients.

Areas of results include:
* consumer products & CPG
* diversity, equity, & inclusion (EDI)
* real estate / banking / luxury homes / mortgage
* action sports / outdoor / lifestyle (surfing, yoga, hiking, ski / snowboarding, skateboarding
* environmental / green programs 
* beverage brands (craft beer, supplements, hard kombucha)
* wellness & fitness tech
* footwear
* home furnishings 
* automotive
* B2B, SaaS
* eyewear
* mobile & consumer tech
* health care (tech, surgery & trends)

Brands I've worked with: 
Skullcandy
Burton Snowboards
AskTuring AI
Nixon watches & bags
JLab Audio
SPY eyewear & goggles
Procter & Gamble
Oleu sun shirts
House of Marley
LEUS towels 
JuJube Bags
PowerDot / Therabody recovery fitness products
K2 
Great Frontier Holdings
Kaenon eyewear
Monster Energy
Duracell
Unbiased Financial Services
Pabst
Old Spice 
3M
Homebridge mortgage
Rome Snowboards
REMN mortgage 
Ridgemont Outfitters hiking
Maku Furniture
SIMPLE Mobile
Wave Soda 
Intel
Surfrider
Leus towels
LG Electronics
Quiksilver
Ipath / Timberland footwear
Mountain Dew
Techstars
Local Roots hard kombucha
Bern helmets
Outpost.com
Santa Cruz Skateboards

Specialties: Public relations (PR / media relations), social media strategy & execution, digital PR, influencer strategies, media outreach,  program development, youth marketing, viral marketing, blogger engagement, content management, event activations, content creators, crisis communications, brand & vendor collaborations

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Hussein Yahfoufi

BILL Byrne -- Remedy Public Relations

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The Battle

Hussein Yahfoufi

BILL Byrne -- Remedy Public Relations

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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);}Hussein Yahfoufi's LinkedIn Performance

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