New York University

University of Delaware

Topcoder unlocks the global workforce's potential through open innovation. My team cultivated strategic relationships with universities, pioneering an innovative collaboration model that empowers organizations to engage in projects and open avenues for new professional opportunities for their programs and students.

* Spearheaded the successful launch of a groundbreaking open innovation platform for universities, establishing connections with prestigious institutions and securing a talent pipeline for key industries.
* Developed and executed a robust partnership strategy resulting in 150+ partnerships, expanding the platform's reach and user acquisition.
Independently built strategic relationships with 38 top-tier universities, securing initial buy-in and paving the way for long-term collaboration on transformative open innovation initiatives.
* Conducted comprehensive market research to identify and prioritize high-value partnerships within higher-ed, industry, and the technology/innovation sectors, aligning with company objectives to drive strategic growth of our open innovation platform.
* Initiated high-impact outreach strategies, establishing relationships with key university decision-makers to accelerate partnership formation and streamline decision processes.
* Collaborated with cross-functional teams (product, sales, marketing) to tailor open innovation messaging for the university audience, ensuring consistent and effective communication.

Topcoder

University Partnerships Lead

Co-founded Fig Learning to address the lack of scalable, tailored learning solutions for SMBs. Designed a unique offering integrating a top-tier LMS with curated content, empowering businesses to strategically address employee development needs and achieve their growth objectives.

* Co-founded and bootstrapped Fig Learning, building a client base through proactive outreach and relationship development.
* Led strategic growth initiatives, achieving 10X revenue growth and exceeding profitability goals within the first year of operation.
* Developed targeted digital outreach campaigns to attract high-potential clients, facilitating relationship-building and lead generation.
* Built scalable sales & marketing infrastructure, including tech stack selection, implementation and best practices. This resulted in $1M bookings within 16 months, fueling rapid revenue growth.
* Established key performance indicators (conversion rate, lead generation metrics), driving team alignment and streamlining processes to reduce sales cycles by an average of 45 days.
* Performed market analysis to identify expansion opportunities, developing and executing successful go-to-market strategies for new segments, increasing revenue by 28%.
* Developed targeted digital outreach campaigns, driving lead generation and fueling revenue growth for the company.

Fig Learning

VP Operations

OpenSesame envisions a world where accessible training propels everyone toward their purpose. Our mission was to assist companies in cultivating the world's most productive and admired workforces. I developed the premium partnership programs with TED and Harvard Business Publishing.

* Managed premium partnerships with TED and Harvard, expanding their reach, revenue, and driving new product offerings within the corporate learning space.
* Exceeded sales targets by 15-25% YoY through strategic account development, including upsells and cross-sells, alongside targeted new client acquisition.
* Consulted with resellers and clients on enhancing value proposition, messaging, and segmentation, driving revenue growth and brand visibility.
* Achieved a 20%+ increase in partner network growth by pioneering data-driven marketing strategies focused on market research, audience segmentation, A/B testing, and sales and marketing intelligence. 
* Executed strategic marketing initiatives for premium partnerships, including co-branded webinars, upsell campaigns, and targeted content strategy, boosting MQLs and closed-won deals.
* Developed persuasive presentations that highlighted the transformative impact of inspiring content, empowering the sales team to close deals more effectively and increase revenue.
* Leveraged Looker for data-driven analysis, refining marketing campaigns for senior-level management. This led to better audience segmentation, targeted outreach, and increased engagement.

OpenSesame

Business Development Lead

Managed cross-functional teams in the Media Studies graduate program, restructuring program service doctrine, setting clear lead & lag measures for service improvement, enhancing customer success & engagement with platforms & programs.  Wrote & implemented policies designed to holistically improve customer experience across a broad range of programs.  Researched & analyzed industry trends, reporting insights to executives & board to drive program strategy and shape strategic planning & development.  Analyzed customer retention & application metrics, creating & instituting improvement strategies.  Structured CRM to better manage interactions with former students & clients.  Developed client success stories for marketing case studies and promotions.  Led orientations and delivered presentations to industry professionals.  

*  Pitched talent to business leaders to grow internship program with advanced placements, resulting in 60% participation increase.  

*  Through cross-departmental collaboration, successfully implemented customer care initiatives including system upgrades and improved resolution processes 

*  Collaborated with analytics & public affairs teams to promote program to burgeoning markets, resulting in 300% increased enrollment and targets regularly exceeding by 20%+.

*  Led trainings and orientations with aims of accelerating new customer acquisition and familiarity with relevant platforms and services

the New School

Director of Services - School of Media

Compiled & analyzed research data on consumer choice, research methodology, planning, advertising and pricing for Journal of Marketing Research. Conducted market research for strategic plan implementation as part of branding initiative.  Compiled benchmarking data on industry best practices into digestible formats for board meetings. 
Oversaw course evaluation process to create an overall picture of teaching performance.

J.J. Grob