📈John Barnes

Pendleton Street Advisors is a financial advisory firm to business owners. Founded in 2013, the firm’s areas of expertise are valuation consulting, succession planning, personal financial planning, mergers and acquisitions advice, and investment management. We specialize in helping our clients work through make-or-break financial issues in their company that have spillover effects into their personal finances.

President & CEO

John Barnes

Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business

In a brand new role reporting into both Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Fuqua's Career Management Center, I'm serving as the primary owner and strategist toward dual objectives: 
1) managing and nurturing Fuqua's educational innovation and entrepreneurship programs, and:
2) envisioning and building career support infrastructure for Duke MBAs interested in high-growth startups, venture capital, and private equity.

Director of MBA Entrepreneurship Programs and Startup Recruiting

Mobility Leadership Advisors

Mobility Leadership Advisors empowers impactful mobility leaders with the support they need to achieve their goals. It’s too easy to get lost in the minutia of regulation, the potential of technology, or the practicalities of project financing. Those factors are important, but not as important as ensuring that the people involved in transformative mobility projects are equipped to do so.

𝗪𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀:

✶ Coaching for individual leaders
✶ Advisement for advocacy groups
✶ Organizational strategy
✶ Alignment of complex mobility projects
✶ Fresh external perspectives

➢  Impacting communities at scale by helping leaders in mission-driven fields be as effective as possible.
➢  Subscribe to my weekly newsletter – 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙂𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚 – where I share knowledge on leadership. 
➢  Authored an e-book – 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣-𝘿𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙋𝙤𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩 – published and available for purchase.

Founder | Advisor | CEO

Joshua P. Cohen

I help people find the way forward in their careers, either within their current role or in a new role. 
 
Life can suck if you’re stuck in your own head. That’s why you need someone that you can talk to, to process things, to force you to articulate what’s rattling around in your brain.
 
If you have a trusted friend, family member, or colleague in your life that can serve this role, then you may not need me. But if you don’t or if you want another perspective, I can help.
 
I approach my coaching practice a little differently than most. Instead of meeting in a formal environment, we move together while we talk. I’ve found that walking and talking helps facilitate openness in conversations and stimulates our brains in ways that a traditional environment does not.
 
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵:
 
✶ Career changes
✶ Personal effectiveness within organizations
✶ Leadership development
✶ Organizational development
 
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁: https://joshuapcohen.com/
 
𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲:
 
➸ We must accept the control we have over our lives, while acknowledging forces beyond our control.
➸ We need a compelling vision for our future selves that we should share with others.
➸ We should seek to give back when successful AND when struggling.
➸ Being curious is a great way to avoid boredom, conflict, and roadblocks.
➸ Leadership matters and that nothing replaces clear direction, values, and decisiveness.
➸ That 𝑬𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 is a powerful concept.
 
𝗠𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:
 
Ari Weinzweig
Sanyin Siang
Greg McKeown
Shawn Achor
Jes Averhart
Clayton Christensen
Nick Tasler
Nilofer Merchant
Liz Gilbert
Marshall Goldsmith
Jocko Willink
Alexander Hamilton (as drawn by Lin-Manuel Miranda)
Eric Hannan
Brené Brown
James Clear
Cal Newport

Career and Executive Coach

TransLoc

Mobility is an essential component for the vibrant, equitable, and sustainable cities of our future. To build this future, we need to do more than invest in technology. We need to invest in the people who will make the hard decisions around transportation, land use, housing, economic development, and other aspects of urban life. 

🎙️  Created the podcast to promote industry thought leadership and indirectly influence transportation policy. I hosted conversations with leaders who are imagining and implementing change to make our communities better.

𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁: https://go.transloc.com/the-movement-podcast

➢  Produced and hosted 153 consecutive weekly episodes that stimulated brand engagement (38,000 listens and 12,000 hours listened) and shaped industry conversation around equitable access to mobility.
  ➙  Generated 10 blog posts, 12 speaking opportunities, and 17 sales and partnership leads.
➢  Extended the reach of the podcast by integrating resulting themes into the 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘜𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯 framework to share insights in a different format.
➢  Created two “special episodes” weaving together first-person experience, interviews, and voice-over narration highlighting local transit topics in Charlotte and Pittsburgh.
➢  Explored diverse viewpoints on transportation by intentionally selecting co-hosts and guests from underrepresented groups to share the platform and ensure an inclusive voice.

Host, The Movement Podcast

Advanced from first non-technical employee at bootstrapped startup to senior leader of VC-backed company acquired by Fortune 15 company (Ford Motor Company). Thrived under TransLōc’s vision to build a better world by powering the freedom of movement for all.

In my role as National Director of Policy, I took a different tack than most in similar policy roles. Instead of proposing or advocating for specific policy changes that might benefit our company or industry, I was interested in something more fundamental: when faced with an industry that is rapidly changing, how do the best leaders effect change?

To accomplish this, I talked with elected officials, transit administrators, and other stakeholders to better understand two things:

1️⃣  How the best leaders effect change in their communities, especially in transportation and mobility
2️⃣  How the best teams work together to effect change in their communities, especially in transportation and mobility

Explore the conversations to learn more:

𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀: https://go.transloc.com/the-movement-podcast
𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀: https://blog.transloc.com/blog/author/josh-cohen
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: https://go.transloc.com/leadership_upside_down

➢  Engaged and advocated for the transportation industry through 150+ interviews with senior executives, public officials, and entrepreneurs, and through 100+ presentations, keynotes, and panels at industry conferences.

➢  Formalized a “Policy Fellowship” program to include employees from various teams on policy work and provide integrated representation across the organization.

National Director of Policy

Transitioned to focus solely on Strategy and Partnerships leveraging deep internal product and industry knowledge. 

I was responsible for communicating TransLōc’s strategy internally and developing external partners to help us achieve that strategy. During this time, I created an industry-first partnership with Uber to connect public transit with Uber and identified early customers of new products that cemented TransLōc’s role as the leading transit software technology provider.

➢  Negotiated industry-first partnership with Uber that conveyed market dominance to investors and resulted in high-profile media coverage (Fortune, The Verge, Reuters) and a $6M raise from venture capital (VC).

➢  Empowered the Microtransit implementation team with decision-making rights to enable quick action to win contracts, implement solutions, cement first-mover status, and define the market.

➢  Analyzed prior year sales outcomes to determine success criteria and provided insights to sales team that supported best practices for closing deals and maintaining growth.

➢  Stepped-in to provide sales mentorship during a period of team turnover; cultivated a Business Development Representative into a successful Account Executive who later became a sales manager.

➢  Extended existing customer relationships to beta test and provide feedback on new on-demand product in exchange for reduced cost access to the solution.

➢  Spearheaded a complex customer solution renewal to retain monthly recurring revenue; bolstered investor confidence during fundraising and learnings supported sales team future effectiveness.

➢  Forged relationship with pre-eminent mobility VC firm that yielded over $3M in investments, a key board member, and exposure to Ford Motor Company (future acquirer).

➢  Expanded market access into municipal transit by recruiting an industry insider that helped shape product market fit and facilitated introductions to new clients.

Director, Strategy and Partnerships

Started as employee #5 and was solely responsible for revenue generation and new customer acquisition through 2012, securing deals exceeding $10M in gross cumulative value; after 2012 I built out a sales team to accelerate growth.

➢  Expanded client base from 5 to 120 customers and boosted revenue from $500K to $4M annually over 7 years.

➢  Maintained 100% customer retention by ensuring customer-product fit and superior customer service.

➢  Reduced procurement overhead and sales cycle time by 75% by partnering with contracted bus service companies to bundle our solution with their sales effectively outsourcing the bid and procurement process.

➢  Introduced “Transit Talks” to educate new employees on the transit industry and increase customer commitment by inviting customers to share their industry insights and expertise with our team.

➢  Devised a strategic sales solution to win a major transit system contract by convincing it to split its RFP (hardware and software) to enable TransLōc’s ability to win the software component.

➢  Collaborated with internal engineering team to integrate prospects’ existing hardware with our software to overcome resistance to buying and create broader market opportunities.

➢  Overcame a prospect’s resistance through persistent engagement over 5 years and creating a win-win scenario for the university’s Transportation Director.

Director, Business Development

Domo Life

Domo Life was a startup providing outsourced services for residential real estate agents so they could focus on the highest value and best use of their time: showing houses, meeting new clients, and prospecting. I was recruited by an owner to provide stable leadership and management for the business. 

Wound down organization due to combination of product-market fit, lack of funding, and macroeconomic factors impacting housing spending.

➢  Developed a financial pro forma to understand and manage future investment and revenue needs.

➢  Earned trust and commitment from team of 10 employees I led by listening and showing appreciation.

➢  Increased revenue 20% through 100s of prospect and client visits and introduction of new product offerings.

Chief Executive Officer

NC Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC)

Assigned to assist two startup companies in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina: TransLoc and Asklepios Biopharmaceutical.  Assisted TransLoc with sales and Asklepios with business plan development.

Intern - Business Consultant

Turnkey Sports

Secured employment at the executive search and consulting firm serving collegiate and professional sports organizations by cold calling the owner and presenting my honors thesis on public financing of major league baseball stadiums. 

➢  Managed 33 C-level and executive searches generating $560K in revenue – a 100% increase – establishing the firm as a leader in sports executive recruiting; success enabled future acquisition of the firm.

➢  Built a complex spreadsheet to model revenue from tickets, concessions, merchandising, and sponsorships for a proposed NBA arena.

➢  Impacted $50M investment decision to make football stadium improvements at the University of Maryland through revenue analysis and comparative market research.

➢  Envisioned and instituted the TeamBuilder Alliance to increase diversity, inclusive hiring, and access to careers for minorities in the professional sports industry through career forums and diversity training for teams.

Progressive roles concluding with Vice President

UNC General Alumni Association

➢  Spearheaded the creation and launch of the Young Alumni Program; created engagement opportunities to build lasting relationships and long-term involvement with the university.
  ➙  Planned and staffed 25+ career development, educational, travel, and adventure programs for over 40,000 young alumni, managing an annual budget of $54K.

➢  Advised senior class leadership to ensure focus on important milestones of the senior class gift campaign and selecting a commencement speaker.

➢  Expanded the impact of the association’s career coach by creating a program to take her to Carolina Clubs where she could meet and assist a greater number of young alumni.

Coordinator of Young Alumni Programs

Joined the non-profit membership organization to serve UNC alumni and sustain alumni engagement at my alma mater.

➢  Processed $1M worth of registrations for on-campus continuing education and global travel programs; prepared materials and staffed on-campus continuing education programs; and supported alumni events.

➢  Primary point of contact for alumni participating in programs; ensured satisfaction to sustain engagement.

Programs Assistant

I operate at the intersection of People + Critical Needs + Information Synthesis and I am committed to working with mission-driven organizations to create positive community impact.

Having worked in multiple startups, I consider myself a business athlete with the ability to fill new and emerging roles to get the team and organization to their shared destination. I’m energized by the challenges associated with growth and the unknown – my 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 are my curiosity, enthusiasm, and ability to connect the dots between disparate information and help people and organizations realize their full potential.

Coaching and mentoring hold a valued place in my heart. I’ve devoted myself personally and professionally to helping others achieve their greatness. My work developing the mental, physical, and spiritual capabilities of our youth is driven by my faith that they will positively impact the world they will inherit from us. I enjoy working with professionals and leaders to develop their unique abilities to positively impact their families, workplaces, and communities.

When I’m in, I’m all in. There isn’t halfway with me. If I sound like the kind of person that you would like to work with 1:1 in a coaching capacity or as a leader in your organization, I’d love to talk to you. Connect or message me directly. Or, if you want to get some of my thoughts on a regular basis, sign up for my weekly newsletter: https://leadershipgiveandtake.substack.com/

𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀:

♦ Leadership & Management
♦ Mentoring & Executive Coaching
♦ Employee Development & Growth
♦ Commitment to Diversity
♦ Professional Communication & Writing
♦ Podcast Hosting & Production
♦ Strategic Partnerships
♦ Revenue Generation
♦ Startups & Entrepreneurship
♦ Market Strategy & Access
♦ Public Speaking & Advocacy
♦ Meeting & Event Facilitation
♦ Curiosity & Personal Growth
♦ Collaboration
♦ Stakeholder Engagement
♦ Program Development

𝗜 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁:
📧 joshuapcohen@gmail.com

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Josh Cohen

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