DAVE RYAN
Professional Experience
Download PDF version of resume
PROFILE:
Seasoned entrepreneur with over ten years experience running sales, marketing, business development and operations for startup and early-stage technology and publishing companies.
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:
- Highly experienced and effective executive
- Proven ability to raise investment capital
- In depth understanding of how to grow companies from the ground up
- Outstanding ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and staff
- Very energetic, creative thinker and problem solver
- Equally experienced and capable with both creative and analytical sides of sales and marketing
- In depth knowledge of global business expansion tactics and partnerships
- Outstanding oral and written communications skills
SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Consistently exceeded revenue expectations throughout career
- Recruited numerous highly qualified managers and sales staff in multiple locations - all of whom worked as a tightly integrated team
- Managed substantial partnerships that generated more than $5 million in revenue
- Developed numerous sales strategies that contributed to lowering the cost of sales as a percentage of revenue
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
F.A.S.T. Learning, LLC, CEO/COO, August 2004 - present
Recruited by the Board of Directors to significantly increase the revenues and profits of their main product - a reading system aimed at raising achievements of K-12 students. Developed the business plan that showed, with some new investment and creative marketing and sales strategies, revenues could grow to more than $5 million within a few years. Upon board approval, I raised $600,000 of new capital to carry out the plan. This plan is in the process of being implemented and revenues were doubled in 2005 and are ahead of plan in 2006.
Denver Technologies, LLC, President, June, 2000 - July 2004
Founder and President of a Denver-based management consulting company which assists emerging computer technology companies in building effective sales, marketing, and growth strategies. From May, 2002 to June 2003, served as Acting VP of Sales and Business Development for ScheduleSource, Inc, an employee-scheduling software company. Assisted negotiations with a large publically-traded software company for an acquisition offer to buy ScheduleSource in December 2002.
RioLabs, Inc., Vice President of Sales and Business Development, May, 1999 - June, 2000
Responsible for the development and management of RioLabs' direct and indirect sales channels. Instrumental in RioLabs' growth from a two-person "basement idea" to a venture-funded emerging technology company. Assisted in hiring CEO and COO, and development of business plan used for angel- and first-round VC funding.
ALYDAAR Software Corp., Director of Sales, Southwestern U.S. and Latin America, July, 1997 - November, 1998
Managed all sales team efforts for southwestern United States and Latin America for this Y2K bug computer services company. Hired, trained and directed sales staff in Denver, Houston, Charlotte and Sao Paolo, Brazil. Managed partnerships with Latin American affiliates. Assisted senior management in evaluating transition from European partnerships to a wholly-owned London-based subsidiary. Closed over $2 million in new services revenue in 1998.
STREET Technologies, Inc., Director of Sales, Western U.S., October, 1996 - July, 1997
Managed sales and marketing team efforts for the Western United States for this emerging Internet multimedia start-up venture. Assisted in the development of a new marketing and product plan focusing STREET's efforts on the Internet education market.
PLATINUM Technology, Inc., January, 1995 - October, 1996
Director of Sales, Western U.S., January, 1996 - October, 1996
Managed product sales for PLATINUM's Data Management division for the Western United States. Directed outside sales force in initial qualification presentations, software evaluations, and closings. Directed inside sales force in penetrating existing accounts for add-on business.
European Sales Director, January, 1995 - January, 1996
Managed product sales in Europe for PLATINUM's Data Management division while based in London. Directed outside sales forces in initial qualification, presentations, software evaluations, and closings in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland and Benelux countries. Sold $2.8 million in new product revenue. Spoke extensively at international industry conferences and seminars on information warehousing and data management technology.
EDUCATION
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
M.B.A., May, 2002. Concentrations in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management.
Founding member, CU Ambassador Program. Recipient of both the Robert K. Anderson Entrepreneurship Fellowship and the Harry Trueblood Entrepreneurship Fellowship Awards. Awarded 2nd place in Bank One Business Plan competition. Assessed feasibility of new 3D cardiologic imaging business for CU Tech Transfer.
Leadership Denver, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Selected as one of 50 emerging community leaders to participate in the 2000-01 class of a year-long leadership development program sponsored by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
B.A., Economics, 1989
OTHER INVOLVEMENTS
Board Chairman (2005) and current Board Member
The Spot Youth Center, downtown Denver's award-winning, non-profit, drop-in urban youth center. In the last two years while I was Chairman, The Spot purchased a second building, completed a $1.2 million capital campaign, replaced a founding executive director, merged with a local youth homeless shelter (Urban Peak), and doubled the number of GED and A+ Computer Graduates in it's education program. The Spot recently won the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce's "Denver Non-Profit of the Year" for business excellence.
Director
Adventures Within, Inc., a Denver-based non-profit organization that provides outdoor experiences and confidence-building challenges for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). In 2003, Adventures Within sent ten people with MS to Africa for a safari. Three of them continued on and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Founding Partner and former Steering Committee Member
Social Venture Partners, a philanthropy and volunteerism partnership seeking to achieve positive social change using the venture capital approach as a model in the Denver Metro region.
Chairman (2003)
Technology Committee, University of Virginia Young A1umni Council
Class of 1989 Trustee Reunion Giving Committee member.
Director and Investor (2001-2003)
ScheduleSource, Inc., a Colorado-headquartered, leading provider of web-based software for human resource scheduling.
Director (2001-2003)
SpireMedia, Inc., a Denver-based creative web-design and technology development service agency. SpireMedia was recently awarded the Denver Business Journal's "Denver Best-Place To Work" award for a small company (under 50 employees).
INTERESTS
Aviation (commercial and instrument-rated pilot). Outdoor activities including mountaineering, running, telemark skiing, and photography.
Extensive international travel in Europe, Central and Southeast Asia, Central and Latin America, both for business and pleasure.