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Mark Hurlburt
President at Prime Digital Academy
Professional Background
Mark Hurlburt is a visionary leader in the world of web development and interactive marketing, currently serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at The Nerdery, where he has made significant contributions to the company's success. An early advocate for innovative partnerships, Mark recognized the potential of collaborating with agencies to enhance the interactive needs of their clients. This initiative led to the establishment of an agency partner program, which has been pivotal in driving The Nerdery's growth and enhancing its reputation within the industry. The organization has consistently been recognized for its success, earning a spot on the prestigious INC 5000 list for four consecutive years, as well as ranking among the top 20 fastest-growing companies in Minnesota.
Mark is not just focused on business success; he is also a staunch advocate for cultivating a positive company culture. His commitment to building an engaging and supportive working environment led to The Nerdery being awarded the title of the best place to work in the Twin Cities for two consecutive years, as recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Under his leadership, the company flourishes not only in terms of revenue but also in terms of employee satisfaction and retention.
In addition to his executive role, Mark has a rich background in philanthropy and community engagement, which he combines with his professional expertise. He conceptualized and launched The Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge, an inspiring event where volunteer web developers collaborate with non-profits to redesign their websites in a single, intense overnight session. This initiative showcases Mark's dedication to giving back, as, over the first four years, volunteers provided pro bono web development services valued at approximately two million dollars to 66 different organizations.
Prior to his time at The Nerdery, Mark honed his skills in various roles within the tech and non-profit sectors. His diverse experiences include positions as President at Prime Digital Academy, Chief Strategy Officer at The Nerdery, Interactive Designer at Bitwise Logic, and New Media Manager at Scholarship America. Each of these roles has helped shape Mark into the well-rounded professional he is today, equipped with both creative design skills and a deep understanding of strategy and business development.
Education and Achievements
Mark is highly educated, having studied at two prestigious institutions. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Biology and Studio Art from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota—a college renowned for its academic rigor and its commitment to integrating liberal arts and professional careers. Additionally, he pursued further studies in Biology at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. This blend of scientific knowledge and artistic design lays a foundation for Mark's innovative approach to technology and digital marketing.
Mark's academic background not only endows him with a diverse skill set but also reflects his lifelong commitment to learning and growth. His early experiences in biology and art have influenced his approach to web development and interactive media, enabling him to think creatively and analytically.
Community Involvement
Mark's passion for community service is evident through his efforts in initiatives like The Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge. By uniting volunteer developers with non-profits, he has played an integral role in empowering organizations that might not otherwise have access to high-quality web development. This initiative not only provides essential resources to non-profits but also fosters a spirit of collaboration and skill-sharing in the tech community. Mark's leadership in this project demonstrates his belief in the power of technology to make a positive social impact.
Specialties
As an expert in web development and interactive marketing, Mark possesses a unique set of specialties that include web strategy consulting, identity design, and interactive marketing. His comprehensive understanding of the digital landscape allows him to advise clients effectively and develop innovative strategies that meet their specific needs.
Mark's multi-faceted expertise is supported by a robust background that includes both hands-on experience and strategic leadership roles. Whether he is working with non-profits, leading teams at The Nerdery, or engaging with the broader community, Mark Hurlburt consistently seeks to blend creativity with strategy, ultimately driving meaningful results.
Achievements
- Developed and implemented The Nerdery agency partner program, aiding the company's recognition as one of the INC 5000 fastest-growing companies for four consecutive years.
- Led The Nerdery to be voted the best place to work in the Twin Cities for consecutive years by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
- Created The Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge, where volunteers provided $2 million worth of web development services to 66 non-profits.
- Held strategic leadership roles including President at Prime Digital Academy and Chief Strategy Officer at The Nerdery.
- Solid educational foundation with a BA in Biology and Studio Art from Macalester College and additional studies at The University of Queensland.
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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 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.
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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 the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
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.
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