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Roman Gaus
Co-Founder & CEO - Non-Exec Board Member - Digital Innovator Banking & Insurance Ecosystems - Green Finance - Shared Equity Home Ownership
Professional Background
Roman Gaus is a dynamic entrepreneur and seasoned business leader with over a decade of experience in launching and scaling brands across various sectors including consumer goods, industrial technology, agrifood, and fintech. His extensive career journey is marked by both successful ventures and valuable lessons learned from what he describes as 'successful failures.' Roman's deep understanding of the start-up ecosystem, bolstered by his involvement as a board member for several organizations, allows him to share insights and knowledge with aspiring entrepreneurs.
Currently focused on the future of banking and insurance ecosystems alongside innovative green finance projects, Roman is passionate about sustainable business practices. He dedicates a part of his time to working on 'Zukunft Erneuerbar,' emphasizing the importance of eco-friendly finance solutions. His role as a Non-Executive Board Member at Kraftwerk1 showcases his commitment to financial governance, operational controls, and strategic input for mission-driven organizations.
With a wealth of experience advising start-ups and structuring investment funds, Roman's expertise spans the realms of venture capital and start-up finance. He has coached and mentored numerous entrepreneurs, helping them navigate the often challenging environment of tech start-ups. His ability to advise effectively stems from having co-founded and led successful businesses, giving him first-hand insights into the nuances of launching and scaling operations.
Education and Achievements
Roman Gaus possesses a strong educational background that complements his professional accomplishments. His academic credentials include:
- Certified Environmental, Social, and Governance Analyst (EFFAS CESGA) from the Deutsche Vereinigung für Finanzanalyse und Asset Management, reflecting his commitment to sustainable and responsible investing.
- M.A. in Finance, Accounting and Controlling from the prestigious Universität St. Gallen, which is renowned for its rigorous academic standards.
- Participated in MBA Exchange Semesters in Entrepreneurship at Babson College and High-Tech Marketing at Tel Aviv University, further enhancing his entrepreneurial skills and marketing acumen.
- Completed a certificate in Innovation of Products and Services: MIT's Approach to Design Thinking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, underscoring his dedication to innovation in business practices.
- Earned a CAS in Energie in der Gebäubeerneuerung from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, focusing on home energy solutions and sustainable building practices.
In addition to his education, Roman has held numerous influential positions throughout his career. He served as the President at White Frame Ventures LLC, leading initiatives in venture creation and investment. His prior roles include chairing the finance committee and serving as a board member at Bau- und Wohngenossenschaft Kraftwerk1, which is a housing and building cooperative committed to sustainability.
Roman’s experience as a co-founder and board member at Freya Savings AG and being a member of the board of directors at Renzo Balboa AG highlights his active participation in the financial sector and his dedication to improving access to savings and investment options for individuals. He has also played strategic roles, such as being a strategic advisor at Climate-KIC, where he contributed to climate innovation.
He held a significant position leading the investment program at Kickstart Innovation, illustrating his capability to foster and scale innovative start-ups effectively. Furthermore, Roman took charge of Fund Development for the Swiss Future Fund at Reichmuth & Co Privatbankiers, demonstrating his expertise in managing investment fund development and diversification.
Before his high-level roles, he garnered substantial experience as the Founder and CEO of UrbanFarmers AG, a company known for its pioneering urban farming solutions. His leadership extended to other notable companies where he held the position of President & General Manager at the Franke Group, illustrating his proficiency in large-scale operational management. Roman's professional journey also includes roles at major corporations like Novartis and Procter & Gamble, where he excelled in brand management.
Achievements
Roman Gaus is recognized as a leader not only for his operational and strategic achievements but also for his ability to inspire and guide others in the entrepreneurial landscape. His advocacy for green finance signifies his commitment to a sustainable future, aligning well with current global trends towards responsible investing and corporate social responsibility.
His certification as an EFFAS ESG Analyst highlights his proficiency in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, a vital aspect for investors and corporations alike. As he constantly seeks to innovate within the banking and insurance ecosystems, Roman is positioning himself to play a significant role in shaping the future of finance while prioritizing sustainability.
Roman's success in mentoring emerging leaders in tech startups and his hands-on experience with venture capital and fund structure signify his unique position as a knowledge bearer and an influential figure in the startup community. His proactive approach to nurturing talent showcases his belief in creating lasting impacts on both individuals and industries.
In conclusion, Roman Gaus embodies the spirit of entrepreneurship through his extensive involvement in various sectors, rigorous educational background, and passion for responsible investing. His commitment to coaching the next generation of entrepreneurs ensures that his legacy will continue to inspire innovative thinkers for years to come.
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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.
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.
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.
Clay isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Clay instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Clay is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Clay can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Clay is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
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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