Matt Lerner

SYSTM

At SYSTM (formerly Startup Core Strengths), our mission is to help early-stage startups find their big growth levers (and pull them). We've noticed that great startups don't waste time on small stuff, so we  focus everyone on the most impactful work.

Founder & CEO

TransferGo

During my part-time interim role, our team more than doubled the YoY growth rate of acquisitions while lowering CPAs and improving retention and revenue per transaction. I also sourced their full-time VP Growth, and hired 4 other diverse and talented marketers to the team.

Interim VP of Growth

500 Startups

I led 500 Startups operations in London, investing in 35 seed-stage companies including Storemaven, SimplyCook, ZenJob, AirSorted, Popsa, Settled, Lexoo, Thriva, CharlieHR, HonestBrew, Fy and Second Nature. I also set up and ran the "Distro Dojo" growth marketing program for our portfolio companies in London and Berlin, which I was able to staff with a handful of the most extraordinary growth marketers in Europe.

Partner, London

PayPal

I led business-to-business marketing for PayPal UK, and oversaw the SMB/SME merchant business as a general manager.

Director, SMB

Created and lead PayPal’s first website marketing team, including conversion specialists, web analysts, developers, designers and writers. With a $3.5M budget, I oversee all business-facing areas of PayPal.com, driving over 85% of PayPal’s small business acquisition. The team boosted conversion (visitors to signups) in 2011 by 28%, generating an extra $67M over three years.

Director, On-Site Marketing

Built and managed a team of direct marketers who oversaw all marketing to PayPal’s existing small business customer base including activation, cross-sell and retention, generating $30M in incremental revenue.
+ Led pricing in North America.
+ Oversaw all marketing for the PayPal Debit Card, a $60M business, accelerating growth from 7% to 20% YoY in 12 months.
+ Deployed a propensity model targeting our most promising new customers with a high-touch “welcome” experience, boosting their value by 34% vs. control. The program generated an extra $11M in revenue in the first year and $55M over three years.

Group Manager, Merchant Engagement Marketing

Promoted within the same role, grew the team to 18. Developed processes & metrics around go-to-market. Oversaw the launch of many of PayPal’s most popular small business products.

Group Manager, Product Marketing

Built PayPal’s first outbound Product Marketing team. We oversaw all outbound B2B product marketing, launched a dozen major products and features.

Sr. Manager, Product Marketing

+ Originally hired to oversee developer marketing
+ Managed partner marketing through our shopping cart partners including GoDaddy and Yahoo!
+ Ran PayPal’s first consumer engagement campaigns
+ Launched Website Payments Pro, which currently generates over $100M revenue/year.

Marketing Manager

Macromedia

Brought Fireworks MX 2004 to market. The launch exceeded sales forecast by 20%. Planned subsequent release including researching and writing the MRD.

Product Manager

Visited 36 countries, wrote a book, climbed two 18,000 ft. Himalayan peaks, dove some of the world's best reefs, and learned to "think globally."

International Traveller

+ Led the successful development and launch of two products and discontinued a third product without alienating valuable customers.
+ Led demand generation among designers and developers for four of Macromedia’s largest launches including the flagship Dreamweaver product. Sales consistently beat forecasts. Tactics included print advertising, online media, direct mail (Harte Hanks) and email (Digital Impact) campaigns.

Product & Marketing Manager

Elemental Software

Poppe Tyson

Led B2B online marketing programs for clients including Novell Inc., Edward Jones Inc. and IDG.

Assistant Account Executive

Startup growth strategist, Ex PayPal, 500 Startups VC, Founder @ SYSTM

I founded SYSTM to help startups find their big growth levers - the small actions that can have the biggest impact on their growth. We’ve worked with over 200 companies and earned a 96% founder “likely to recommend” score.

Before founding SYSTM, I was the London-based Partner of 500 Startups, an early-stage VC fund, where I built and ran an accelerator seed-stage growth program for our portfolio companies.

Prior to joining 500 Startups, I worked for many years building and managing growth teams for three  startups (two disasters, one exit), and later at PayPal. 

I approach my work first as a general manager and then as a marketer, product manager or both, as needed. My lens is quantitative, but rooted in deep customer insights and testing, and based on fast iteration. I’m always learning, and I really enjoy teaching and helping those around me to learn and improve. Skip to the references below, you'll see that I'm regarded as a thought leader in many areas of business, and an inspiring people manager who reliably delivers ahead of expectations.

The School of Impact

The School of Impact is dedicated to providing venture development, coaching and thought leadership services to individuals and companies looking to make a positive impact. 

We are committed to supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs through capacity-building, access to best practices, and financial support. 

Learn more: www.theschoolofimpact.com

Founder

Catalyst 2030

Catalyst 2030 is a global movement of social entrepreneurs and social innovators from all sectors who share the common goal of creating innovative, people-centric approaches to attain the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Associate Member

Match AI

Introducing Match AI, our revolutionary AI product designed to enhance human connection and foster healthier relationships while also addressing critical issues such as unconscious bias, depression, and suicide.

In today's world, social media and dating apps have fostered a culture of unhealthy comparison and judgment. Our goal is to transform this "hot or not" mentality by leveraging the power of AI to facilitate meaningful connections.

We recognize the impact of unconscious bias on the way we form relationships, including romantic matches, friendships, and professional connections - particularly for people of color. By using our AI technology, we can reduce the influence of bias and promote more inclusive, diverse relationships.

Our product is designed to help people build stronger, more fulfilling connections with others. 

Current Status: Pre-Seed | R&D | Close Beta Release: July 2023

Emeritus

Serving as a program leader for Wharton's Executive Presence & Influence led by Profs. Cade Massey & Michael Useem.

Program Leader: Wharton Executive Presence & Influence

Opportunity Collaboration

Opportunity Collaboration is a global network of nonprofit leaders, for-profit social entrepreneurs, grant-makers and impact investors engaged in economic justice enterprises, anchored by an annual four-day problem-solving, strategic retreat. We break down the silos of unproductive competition and go beyond the boundaries of conventional poverty alleviation. The network leverages resources, shares innovations, enlists allies, builds coalitions and creates force multipliers.

Fellow

University of Denver - University College

Adjunct Professor of Social Entrepreneurship 

SocialSmith Group

The SocialSmith Group, LLC is a fully integrated impact consulting practice located in Detroit, Michigan. We design and manage the implementation of impact-driven growth strategies. We accelerate growth by transforming big ideas into innovative solutions that unlock your competitive advantage while creating measurable impact.

Managing Director

Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center

Advised on strategy and project management of new national initiative to seed underrepresented fund managers. We were able to place $10M with initiatives like Backstage Capital and others.

Senior Strategy Advisor 

Echoing Green

As one of the world's most recognized fellowship programs, Echoing Green invests $50M annually into high impact social enterprises across 26 countries. Reporting to the President, I was responsible for improving the organization's brand and program strategy by managing our Thought Leadership initiatives. I conducted original research, wrote grant proposals and developed strategies that created earned media and external event engagements.

Senior Advisor - Thought Leadership

Portfolio manager at Echoing Green. Responsible for the tracking, reporting, and growth of the portfolio. Provided hands-on support to fellows in the areas of business development & marketing.  
-24+ ventures (Tech, Education, Human Services, Arts) 
-Managed 200+ Senior Relationships

Portfolio Manager

City of Detroit

USA Olympic Bid Commitee

Life Highlights:

- Once upon a time, I lived abroad for two years, learning about entrepreneurship in India, South America & Africa. I mostly learned how to be a better human.

- Once upon a time, I wanted to be a martial arts actor. I worked for Wesley Snipes, got followed by the mob, and learned martial arts. I gave up on being an actor to pursue social entrepreneurship. Movie Credit: Game of Death 2

Once upon a time, I created the strategy for Echoing Green to become a thought leader in Racial Equity, serving more than 30 countries with a $50M Racial Equity Philanthropic Fund. 

- Once upon a time, Detroit was facing bankruptcy, so I developed a national bid for the first U.S. Olympic Fencing Trial with support from Mayor Bing. We generated $4M in three days, while hosting a youth health fair for 400 local teens and DMC medical students as mentors. 

Hobbies: 
- I teach myself a new skill every few years: so far - the violin (2012), web development (2019), AI product management (2022)

Speaking/Awards:
-TED Speaker | Detroit 
-Top 40 Leader| Michigan Chronicles 
-Crain's Top 20 in their 20s| Crain's Detroit 
-Guest on Good Morning New York
-2x Spirit Of Detroit Awards 
 
Hi, I'm Bobby,

I am a Jamaican curating content around entrepreneurship, tech, and culture. I have spent decades actively engaged in global program management, entrepreneurship, and economic development. I am a catalyst for innovation and organizational change management. 

You can find me drinking coffee/tea and enjoying a good book regularly. 

I share what I read via LinkedIn, so follow me and comment if anything interests you - thanks!

P.S. All posts, comments, and articles are my personal opinion and not the opinion of my clients or employer.

taplio

The Battle

Matt Lerner

Bobby Smith, M.Sc.Ed

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