Building startups

You are not short on effort.

You are short on signal.

The usual cycle is dashboards, debates, and interviews that start at zero.

Roadmaps wobble. Messaging stalls. Confidence dips.

There is a calmer way. Start with what your market already says in public.

Turn open-web signals into patterns you can brief the team with.

Pair that with a simple monthly view of how competitors and language shift so decisions stop feeling like a guess.

That’s where I come in.

I run TrendLoom’s Market Radar, a high-touch insight system that gives Seed–Series A teams a continuous, structured read on customers, category, and competitors.

It uses only ethical, public data and an academically grounded framework that combines statistics, ML, and LLMs.

Interviews are not replaced. They are sharpened so you walk in with better hypotheses and leave with decisions you can defend.

I have advised 100+ founders on GTM, messaging, and discovery, and built Zaqlick from my Kellogg-WHU EMBA research into AI-assisted personas. I treat AI as an engine inside a method, not a magic trick.

I help with

• Open-web signals turned into clear patterns
• Competitive intelligence that tracks what changed vs last month
• Product discovery that starts deeper, not from zero
• Messaging that uses real customer language
• Decision protection for roadmap and GTM

Results

• Teams align faster because debates shift from opinions to signals
• Interviews get sharper, messaging tightens, and weak bets are dropped
• Leaders report a steadier sense of “what’s happening now” month to month

There are a few ways to work together:

Start with a 15-minute Signal Check. Bring one question. I will tell you if strong signals exist, what they suggest, and the next best move. If you want deeper support, we roll into Market Radar.

DM me the word “SIGNAL” to see if you are a fit and which path makes sense.

Elena Tsemirava

Bushel Plus

International Sales Manager

Collaborating with a highly skilled team of professionals, I manage the international sales division, spearhead global business development, support growth goals, and oversee a robust international distribution network. 

Designing and deploying non-market company planning and strategy, I establish relationships with Canadian and foreign government entities in the countries of operation. 

I have accomplished these notable outcomes:

➤ Producing over 1,000% EU distributor revenue growth in 18 months, I conceptualized, developed, and executed key account sales and marketing strategies.

➤ I fostered 200% export revenue increases in the first year by launching a robust digital campaign in high-potential markets and leveraging existing relationships and referrals with the Canadian Trade Commissioner.

➤ Secured negotiations on a multi-million-dollar investment from a leading Silicon Valley VC after I applied to a Canadian Technology Accelerator, landing top ten status among 400+ applicants. I secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in exporter grants by articulating the company’s value proposition and outlining the Canadian export development benefits.

➤ I consistently increase export sales by 30% YOY by managing relationships with key accounts, implementing training programs for distributors' staff, and building robust account-based marketing plans.

➤ Driving market entry, enhancing product offerings to 35 nations, and establishing distribution networks in 15 global locations, I exceeded business growth expectations and laid the foundation for sustainable future growth. 

Leading the team in developing and integrating lean methodology and booking over two million dollars in sales in 2023 was professionally and personally rewarding. I look forward to the next steps in the business growth journey of Bushel Plus, one of the fastest-growing Canadian ag-tech startups! 

#tech #cleantech #globalbusiness #startup #sustainability #agtech #internationalsales

Head of Global Business Development

In this role, I collaborated with a highly skilled team to develop go-to-market roadmaps for new export markets. I established partnerships, pricing and discount structures, and customized marketing strategies for each international market.

I achieved these business goals:

➤ I slashed 30% from freight costs by reengineering and integrating optimal shipping approaches, creating a strategy of consolidating ocean shipments and negotiating favourable contract terms and volume discounts with multiple freight services providers.

➤ Forging relationships with key distributors in Germany, South Africa, and Latvia, I enhanced competitive pricing and marketing plans for global markets. 

➤ I conducted massive market research, identified potential partners, studied competitor pricing, and developed a pricing model for the company’s distributors in these new markets. 

#tech #GlobalBusiness #startup #agtech#internationalsales #globalmarketing

Advisor, Global Business Development

ProTELEC Systems 

Overseeing a multi-million dollar annual operating budget, I directed branch operations and built and supervised a team of 15, including subcontractors. I managed multi-million dollars in key commercial accounts and dealer sales.

I am proud of these milestones that the team and I accomplished: 

➤ I achieved a 17% boost in 12-month recurring revenue by growing accounts by 8%. After the company sold the residential part of the business, I re-established relationships with each commercial and monitored account, revisited contracts, and reviewed pricing and partnership conditions. 

➤ Realizing a $15 million M&A transaction by controlling all aspects of financial performance, management, and non-profitability of the residential business, alongside with the leadership team, I developed a cost/revenue breakdown and assisted top management in the corporate decision to sell the residential portion of the company. 

➤ I reduced operating costs by hundreds of thousands of dollars (20%) and created a more optimized workflow process by consolidating suppliers, eliminating unnecessary steps, cutting unviable operations costs, streamlining, and digitalizing branch operations. 

➤ I assisted the branch in acquiring and maintaining ULC listing and COR certification, a high safety level, allowing bidding on tenders over $100,000. 

➤ I drove a 30% annual revenue increase by directly participating in the tender bidding of governmental and private clients and building relationships with local government entities entering new industries. 

➤ Saving hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, I optimized stock levels through proactive collaboration with domestic/overseas suppliers and effective inventory planning.

Experiencing all aspects of branch management, I fostered my business development and leadership skills to prepare me for executive-level business development and leadership roles.

#cybersecurity #tech #security #agtech #salesmanagement #teamleadership

Branch Manager (Calgary)

Leading revenue-strengthening activities, I administered a marketing and sales budget of nearly half a million dollars and drove North American client acquisition. We oversaw key dealers and accounts, landing millions of dollars in sales.

Managing a team of three professional associates, I drove these initiatives:

➤ Delivering a multi-million dollar US/Canada operation and a 15% reduction in product costs, I screened over 100 potential overseas suppliers and coordinated and implemented new procurement strategies.

➤ I championed 15% revenue growth in nine months and an expansion in territory coverage by effectively organizing the activities of two sales representatives and increasing trade show attendance by 230%. 

The team and I earned exceptional performance and contribution recognition from senior leadership. I gleaned valuable insights into business operations, which served me well in my next role as branch manager.


#cybersecurity #tech #security #salesmanagement #keyaccountsmanagement

Sales Manager

Accountable for a budget of hundreds of thousands of dollars, I served as the division accounts manager. Collaborating with a team of professionals, I devised and implemented strategies to increase the number of dealers and sales in North America. Our efforts positioned the company to secure a larger share in a rapidly expanding market.

I accomplished these noteworthy achievements:

➤ Collaborating with the R&D department, I generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit by launching a new product line.

➤ Nurturing a 30% first-year increase in Canadian and US sales growth, garnering hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales within two years, I reviewed existing accounts, fostered relationships with high-potential partners, terminated agreements with low performers, and created marketing plans to attract potential applicants.

➤ I devised and implemented a comprehensive training program for dealer staff and end-users by attending tech trade shows to meet prospective dealers face-to-face. 

➤ Gaining a 300% increase in dealers with a 0% attrition rate in two years, I identified products in high demand and those to discontinue, overseeing a dealer program and partner accounts portfolio in support of long-term success and continuous improvement.

My experiences as an account manager prepared me for the expanded responsibilities of my next role as a sales manager.

#cybersecurity #tech #security #dealermanagement #salesmanagement #territorydevelopment

Dealer Accounts Manager

Rostselmash

Rostselmash is a world Top-5 agri-tech manufacturer with 13,000+ employees, factories across 13 countries and currently exporting to 40+ countries with $1B+ in revenue.

Administering an annual budget of hundreds of thousands of dollars, I managed global accounts for the European Union, implementing tactics to grow the top and bottom lines and increase dealers. I conducted in-person meetings with top foreign officials, including the presidents of Kenya and Romania and the ambassador of Switzerland in Russia. 

In this role, I collaborated across functions to achieve these goals:

➤ Obtained a multi-million dollar (20%) first-year sales growth and supported a subsequent 20% YOY territory growth.

➤ Attained new dealer accounts after projecting a new market entry strategy to pursue EU territory expansion and drove the successful establishment of a local Hungarian branch, streamlining the company’s operations and attracting more dealers. 

➤ Generated multi-million dollars in total department sales by identifying the right partners through exhibition fairs to create a new company image in the EU market

I was recognized for executing the first sales within the German and French markets, Europe's most competitive ag-tech markets. The success in this role inspired me to continue my professional pursuits in business development.

#tech #internationalbusiness #manufacturing #salesmanagement

Business Development Manager (International Sales, EU)

Building strong, mutually beneficial relationships is one of the keys to success throughout my career. I’m interested in exchanging ideas and information to serve my organization and customers better. Perhaps we can collaborate and share informal networking advice, guidance, and contacts across all facets of international business development, sales management, North American market insights, market entry, business transformation, strategic negotiation, and key account oversight.

Topics of interest include how to maximize revenue and business development success by establishing key partnerships, setting and driving stretch sales goals, leading effective marketing initiatives, and driving continuous improvement across operations in large matrix organizations and global startups; achieve business performance excellence by monitoring market entry, leveraging supportive resources, and establishing results-focused objectives and timetables. 

Projects we can discuss: serving as a trusted collaborator and stakeholder to management teams, potential customers, international business contacts, government entities, and team members; inspiring others to identify untapped opportunities and develop innovative solutions by building and leading high-performing global teams and multi-disciplinary groups; leveraging adaptive leadership methodologies to motivate individuals and teams to realize aggressive goals and objectives; consistently delivers successful outcomes during times of crisis and uncertainty within the most challenging environments.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly via LinkedIn mail or send me an email at victorvpod@outlook.com.

taplio

The Battle

Elena Tsemirava

Victor Podkholyuzin, MBA

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