Venture Validator

Venture Validator provides startups with primary research that transforms hundreds of survey responses into curated data from 50-200+ respondents who accurately represent a company's customer population. 

Our insights deliver results that clarify a client's: 
•Ideal Customer Profile
•Top Value Propositions & Customer Objections
•Profit Maximizing Price Point

Director of Research

Market Research Consultant

Alchemist Accelerator

The Alchemist Accelerator is a venture-backed initiative focused on accelerating the development of seed-stage B2B ventures. Backers include GE Ventures, Khosla Ventures, next47 (Siemens), Salesforce, and US Venture Partners among others. 

Funds that have invested in Alchemist companies include Andreessen Horowitz, Felicis Ventures, Founders Fund, Greylock Partners, Redpoint, and True Ventures.

As a Startup Mentor, I hold regular office hours with Alchemist founders who want clarity on their core business opportunity, path to product-market fit and subsequent GTM planning.

Startup Mentor

John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at The University of Iowa

Iowa JPEC's Venture Mentoring Service uses the Team Mentoring methodology licensed from the MIT Venture Mentoring Service (MIT VMS) to link entrepreneurial ventures with experienced mentors. Entrepreneurs meet with a team of volunteer mentors in ongoing, confidential meetings. 

Mentors commit to avoiding conflict of interest and strict confidentiality. The MIT VMS model believes an entrepreneurial venture supported by an objective team of mentors has a greater chance of success.

Venture Mentor

Intention

Primary research & timeless resources for creative professionals who want to eliminate daily distractions.

Chief Researcher

YaizY

While working on a powerhouse team of ex-McKinsey partners, NYU post-grads and several international advisors, I spearheaded the research and development behind YaizY's US outreach in Q1 of 2022. 

The responsibilities of this task included:
•Identifying target states + schools based on key partner criteria 
•Building the lead list of school district leaders
•Piloting the first email outreach to these leaders

The results of this research & pilot included (see photos below):
•>50% higher open rate than the industry average
•>330% higher clickthrough rate than the industry average
•>4 reshares of our key deliverable per each recipient who opened our outbound

Director of Partnerships (US)

Whales English

Over the course of ~3 years with Whales English, I:

•Delivered courseware that retained over 90% of students within associated ESL verticals
•Led webinars that improved methodology and morale among new instructors
•Cultivated intercultural understanding during one of the most tense eras of US-China relations ever

As the courseware and teaching methods mentioned above became widespread, the company raised $30M+ Series B rounds in 2020-2021.

Product Management Consultant

Pitch Genius Co, LLC

Over the course of four months, I directly assisted the Pitch Genius founder in her efforts to help other startups share their best story with potential investors. Our client roster included everything from premium streetwear brands to innovative machine learning startups. 

Typical work included: 

•Mastering the principles of a compelling pitch deck

•Conceptualizing and outlining an attractive storyline based on our client's positioning

•Receiving client feedback and reworking content to optimally articulate their company's vision

Startups associated with my tenure at Pitch Genius have raised over $100M since Q1 of 2019.

Junior Pitch Deck Specialist

Every summer, the UI's John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center admits 20 students into its Startup Accelerator Program for an eight week practicum on Lean LaunchPad methodologies. 

As a member of 2018's cohort, I helped a student startup (Worthy Buck): 

• Research industries, competitors, and potential partners in the nonprofit sector

•  Create copy for the home page & 'About Us' sections of a Worthy Buck subsidiary site (The School Spirit Project)

• Conceptualize promotional materials and slide decks for Worthy Buck pitches to business leaders around the Midwest

Summer Student Accelerator Consultant

ActWorthy

While handling content creation & community development for Actworthy (AW), I:

• Managed all AW social media platforms (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, and Medium)

• Wrote original content for the AW Medium publication

• Conceptualized a video campaign for AW's social strategy on Twitter & Facebook

Some significant metrics from my time at ActWorthy included: 

• 422% growth in page likes & 400% growth in page followers on our Facebook property

• Created AW's most successful tweet with an impression rate 14x higher than its Twitter following

Content Strategy & Community Development Consultant

Iowa City Area Development Group

This position resulted from a slide deck I pitched to ICAD Director, Mark Nolte, on how the MERGE Innovation Space in Iowa City could better engage members of the surrounding community. 

During the subsequent internship, I: 

•Updated ICAD site with most recent demographic & business data on cities around the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids metro

•Wrote a profile on one of the entrepreneurs operating out of the MERGE Innovation Space in Iowa City

•Collaborated with ICAD staff as well as UI students to create and support new programming at the MERGE Innovation Space

Links to the pitch deck that lead to the creation of this opportunity as well as the profile I wrote are included below.

Community Outreach & Content Strategy Intern

I've crafted copy at an NYC ad agency, built investor presentations for a design firm in West LA, and developed curriculum & partnership efforts at two international EdTech companies. 

Companies associated with my work have raised over $150M across Seed-Series B rounds since 2019. 

At Venture Validator, I use target market research to help pre-seed founders clarify their path to product-market fit. 

The result? Our clients can raise their first investment round from a position of strength. 

Feel free to review the Recommendations section of my LI profile to learn how this work has benefitted past coworkers, collaborators and clients.

Zach Harris

The Lodestone Group 

Founded in 2018 by Zack Martin, The Lodestone Group specializes in building ROI-driven (and award-winning) sales, marketing, and service solutions for small and medium-sized businesses in the United States, Canada, and Europe. We are passionate about the trust we build as a Salesforce Partner and uncompromising in the work we do!

Chief Salesforce Magician

Johnny Morris'​ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium

Worked with a world-class team to introduce the importance of conservation to brilliant young minds that will change the world, by implementing the world's #1 CRM and Marketing Automation technology and an innovative K-12-embedded strategy. Additionally designed and implemented Service Cloud to serve millions of guests.

Within the JM Foundation, Johnny Morris' Wonders of Wildlife has been named multiple times as the nation's best aquarium and conservation attraction. Sister properties Dogwood Canyon Nature Park and Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum have also received national accolades. These attractions see millions of families annually, exposing us all to the beatiful gift of the natural world and its species.

Salesforce Consultant / Education Dev Director

America's Incredible Pizza Company

Provides analysis and sets sales strategy and training processes for a $60mm family entertainment franchise group. Territory includes markets in Tennesee, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Vice President of Sales

Handled all aspects of our Salesforce platform from reporting and analytics, securities and permissions, workflows, strategic use of process builder to automate business processes, validation rules to maintain data integrity, continuity strategy, nomenclature systemization, duplication management, architecture of opportunity pipeline and sales process strategy with key performance indicator mapping, dashboards, collaborative engagement, custom field and formula field creation, ....if you can dream it I can make it happen. If I can't, I know the most honest people with the best prices to outsource it to. Keen understanding of how to turn a business demand into a technologically oriented solution.

Salesforce Administrator

Evaluation and assessment of a multimillion dollar call center with a primary focus  in maximizing revenue opportunities and labor efficiency. Promoted to Jr. VP of Sales where this position was merged.

Strategy Consultant

If you are asking yourself how to plan the ULTIMATE group event experience, just call me. You wouldn't believe all the things we can do, at an unbelievably competitive price.

Director of Group Experiences

Provides oversight for a multimillion dollar group sales organization spanning 6 markets. Springfield and St. Louis Missouri, Tulsa Oklahoma, Memphis Tennessee, San Antonio Texas, and Warr Acres/Oklahoma City Oklahoma

Senior Director of Group Sales

Fun sells itself. I just broker the transaction! 

I would love to speak with you about group events ranging from 10 people to 1000+. With an enormous amount of games and attractions, including indoor go-karts and laser tag,we are a 43,000 square foot powerhouse of entertainment for all group types. We have references from nearly every industry and organization type you could think of because we execute our group events with precision and passion. We are highly competitive, and eager to win your business! Please call, email, or drop by to discuss what options we have for your particular event.

Event Sales Manager

Centrium Enterprises

At Centrium we believe that partnerships are a central component to the prosperity of any business. Partnerships exist between employers and employees, investors, customers, and vendors. Without a solid and mutually fulfilling model of partnership across each of these areas, even the most brilliant business platform can fail.
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Partnering with Centrium allows you to jump-start your growth. We demonstrate this by taking on the labor intensive and time consuming tasks that are required to get your business to the next level.  It is all too common today for small and medium sized businesses to be struggling in an effort to simply sustain. We believe all businesses should have more time to innovate, grow, and evolve. We can achieve this goal together, through the principles of partnership.
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Working with Centrium has been a great move for businesses all across the country. With that in mind, we encourage you to ask yourself if you could use a consultative approach to planning the future of your business. We look forward to hearing from you.

Owner

TeleChoice

Managed all operations of a leading national marketing company specializing in B2B appointment setting. Developed, maintained, and expanded a well respected brand in the janitorial and facility services industry. Boosted company revenue by 300% in 14 months, and earned a reputation of prestige with regard to quality lead generation and marketing in the janitorial services sector. Engaged in meaningful client relationships and cultivated long-lived partnerships with Master Franchise executives and business owners across the country.

There is a certain stigma when it comes to outsourcing appointment setting, and it exists for good reason. I am proud to have been a central part in the development of a firm that can truly be trusted for quality appointments. Quit prospecting and call TeleChoice.

Director of Operations

Source Technology Group

Worked directly with suppliers and end users to offer the most cost-effective solutions for orders placed by state and federal government procurement officers. Migrated divisions to oversee our sister company, TeleChoice, LLC.

Vendor Relations/Purchasing/Customer Relations

MTek, Inc

Provided a cost-effective solution for MTek Inc, a telesales company, as a non-attorney in the field of corporate contracts mediation. Worked solely to enforce billable contracts across the country using experience in the fields of agency and contract law. Specialties would be the legal doctrines surrounding principle/agent/3rd party liability (vicarious liability) issues; pursuant to agency law, authority doctrines such as the legal doctrine of promissory estoppel, the respondeat superior doctrine, and select information relative to negligent retention/employer liability.

Director of Customer Relations - Legal Advisory Liaison

City of Ozark

Summer job - Basic Data Entry/Database Transition

Administrative Assistant

The Lodestone Group exists to simplify decision-making for our Clients by leveraging the best of technology and the brightest of minds. 

A little about me:

I enjoy the communication of ideas, learning by leading, and the synergy of partnerships. I have a strong passion for start-ups, and for the rare large enterprises that have start-up philosophy deeply embedded in their DNA. 

My biggest hobbies are kayaking, hiking, camping, and fooling around with the guitar and piano.

I am always interested in building lasting connections with my colleagues and clients, so please don't hesitate to reach out. I think we should all strive to function as resources for one another in the interest of mutual advancement. 
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Specialties (AKA Keywords to help you find me!): Salesforce Administration, Salesforce Implementation, Salesforce Consulting, Salesforce Development, Integrations, Business Process Automation, Business Analytics, Leadership, Leadership Development Contract law, Agency law (Respondeat Superior and Promissory Estoppel) select UCC legislation, astute familiarity with FDCPA and TCPA compliance regulations, FCC familiarity relative to advertising/marketing, etc. Supply Chain Infrastructure, Purchasing, Vendor Relations, Client/Business Development, Maximizing Workflow Efficiency, Maximizing Profit Margins, Lean operating, Lead generation, Recruiting/Retention, Script creation, Dispute resolution/Conflict mediation, Sales, Cradle-to-Grave Marketing, Event Management, Event Planning, Event Sales/Group Sales, Relationship building

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Zach Harris

Zack M.

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