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Don Blakeney
Professional Background
Don Blakeney is a well-respected professional in urban planning and community development, with a wealth of experience that spans various leadership roles in significant organizations. Currently serving as the Executive Director at The U District Partnership, Don is instrumental in enhancing the vitality of the University District in Seattle through innovative strategies focused on economic development, community engagement, and urban revitalization. His robust career path is characterized by a strong commitment to advocacy and community improvement, which has shaped various urban landscapes in Washington State.
Prior to his current role, Don exemplified his leadership capabilities as the Vice President of Advocacy and Economic Development at the Downtown Seattle Association. In this position, he played a key role in implementing programs aimed at fostering economic growth and enhancing the overall quality of life in downtown Seattle. His ability to navigate complex urban issues and collaborate effectively with various stakeholders reflects his dedication to public service and community enhancement.
Another significant chapter in Don's career was his tenure as the Executive Director at the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area. Here, he oversaw initiatives that improved commercial vitality and cultural heritage while improving community relations in one of Seattle's most vibrant and historically rich neighborhoods. His experience as a Senior Policy and Planning Analyst at the Times Square Alliance in New York City further solidified his expertise in urban planning, where he contributed to shaping one of the world's most iconic public spaces.
Through various positions, including his earlier roles as a planning intern at the City of Seattle, a marketing associate at Washington Mutual Bank, and his initiative as a Co-Founder and Producer at Darkhouse Theatre, Don has consistently demonstrated a holistic understanding of both urban environments and community dynamics. His campaign management for statewide legislative representation showcases his versatility and commitment to advocacy in the public sector.
Education and Achievements
Don Blakeney's educational background is as impressive as his professional journey. He holds multiple advanced degrees from Columbia University, including a Masters in Public Affairs, a Master of Science in Urban Planning and Architecture, as well as a Master of Public Administration from the prestigious Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation. His studies have equipped him with both theoretical and practical skills crucial for tackling urban challenges from both a planning and administrative perspective.
Don’s undergraduate studies at Whitman College, where he majored in Politics and Theatre, highlight his well-rounded approach to understanding societal dynamics and community storytelling. The combination of his arts education and rigorous political training has fostered his unique ability to engage communities effectively and creatively.
In addition to his formal education, Don is a lifelong learner dedicated to staying at the forefront of urban development trends and best practices. Through attending various workshops, seminars, and conferences, he has continued to enrich his knowledge base and expand his network of professionals in the urban planning field.
Notable Achievements
- Leadership in Urban Development: As Executive Director of The U District Partnership, Don has successfully launched initiatives that maximize the area’s potential for growth while promoting community welfare and inclusivity.
- Advocacy Successes: Don's time at the Downtown Seattle Association allowed him to effectively advocate for policy changes that positively impacted urban life and business operations in downtown Seattle, making it a more attractive place for residents and visitors alike.
- Community Engagement: His experience in the Chinatown-International District has made him a champion for cultural preservation and community empowerment, where he facilitated dialogues between businesses and residents to ensure that community needs were being met.
- Theatrical Contributions: As a Co-Founder of Darkhouse Theatre, Don contributed to the local arts scene, demonstrating his passion for the arts and its role in community engagement and development.
Conclusion
Through his extensive education and rich professional experience, Don Blakeney has emerged as a leader and advocate in urban planning and community development, continuously striving to create thriving, engaged, and sustainable communities.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.