Venture Validator

Venture Validator provides startups with primary research that transforms hundreds of survey responses into curated data from 50-200+ respondents who accurately represent a company's customer population. 

Our insights deliver results that clarify a client's: 
•Ideal Customer Profile
•Top Value Propositions & Customer Objections
•Profit Maximizing Price Point

Director of Research

Market Research Consultant

Alchemist Accelerator

The Alchemist Accelerator is a venture-backed initiative focused on accelerating the development of seed-stage B2B ventures. Backers include GE Ventures, Khosla Ventures, next47 (Siemens), Salesforce, and US Venture Partners among others. 

Funds that have invested in Alchemist companies include Andreessen Horowitz, Felicis Ventures, Founders Fund, Greylock Partners, Redpoint, and True Ventures.

As a Startup Mentor, I hold regular office hours with Alchemist founders who want clarity on their core business opportunity, path to product-market fit and subsequent GTM planning.

Startup Mentor

John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at The University of Iowa

Iowa JPEC's Venture Mentoring Service uses the Team Mentoring methodology licensed from the MIT Venture Mentoring Service (MIT VMS) to link entrepreneurial ventures with experienced mentors. Entrepreneurs meet with a team of volunteer mentors in ongoing, confidential meetings. 

Mentors commit to avoiding conflict of interest and strict confidentiality. The MIT VMS model believes an entrepreneurial venture supported by an objective team of mentors has a greater chance of success.

Venture Mentor

Intention

Primary research & timeless resources for creative professionals who want to eliminate daily distractions.

Chief Researcher

YaizY

While working on a powerhouse team of ex-McKinsey partners, NYU post-grads and several international advisors, I spearheaded the research and development behind YaizY's US outreach in Q1 of 2022. 

The responsibilities of this task included:
•Identifying target states + schools based on key partner criteria 
•Building the lead list of school district leaders
•Piloting the first email outreach to these leaders

The results of this research & pilot included (see photos below):
•>50% higher open rate than the industry average
•>330% higher clickthrough rate than the industry average
•>4 reshares of our key deliverable per each recipient who opened our outbound

Director of Partnerships (US)

Whales English

Over the course of ~3 years with Whales English, I:

•Delivered courseware that retained over 90% of students within associated ESL verticals
•Led webinars that improved methodology and morale among new instructors
•Cultivated intercultural understanding during one of the most tense eras of US-China relations ever

As the courseware and teaching methods mentioned above became widespread, the company raised $30M+ Series B rounds in 2020-2021.

Product Management Consultant

Pitch Genius Co, LLC

Over the course of four months, I directly assisted the Pitch Genius founder in her efforts to help other startups share their best story with potential investors. Our client roster included everything from premium streetwear brands to innovative machine learning startups. 

Typical work included: 

•Mastering the principles of a compelling pitch deck

•Conceptualizing and outlining an attractive storyline based on our client's positioning

•Receiving client feedback and reworking content to optimally articulate their company's vision

Startups associated with my tenure at Pitch Genius have raised over $100M since Q1 of 2019.

Junior Pitch Deck Specialist

Every summer, the UI's John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center admits 20 students into its Startup Accelerator Program for an eight week practicum on Lean LaunchPad methodologies. 

As a member of 2018's cohort, I helped a student startup (Worthy Buck): 

• Research industries, competitors, and potential partners in the nonprofit sector

•  Create copy for the home page & 'About Us' sections of a Worthy Buck subsidiary site (The School Spirit Project)

• Conceptualize promotional materials and slide decks for Worthy Buck pitches to business leaders around the Midwest

Summer Student Accelerator Consultant

ActWorthy

While handling content creation & community development for Actworthy (AW), I:

• Managed all AW social media platforms (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, and Medium)

• Wrote original content for the AW Medium publication

• Conceptualized a video campaign for AW's social strategy on Twitter & Facebook

Some significant metrics from my time at ActWorthy included: 

• 422% growth in page likes & 400% growth in page followers on our Facebook property

• Created AW's most successful tweet with an impression rate 14x higher than its Twitter following

Content Strategy & Community Development Consultant

Iowa City Area Development Group

This position resulted from a slide deck I pitched to ICAD Director, Mark Nolte, on how the MERGE Innovation Space in Iowa City could better engage members of the surrounding community. 

During the subsequent internship, I: 

•Updated ICAD site with most recent demographic & business data on cities around the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids metro

•Wrote a profile on one of the entrepreneurs operating out of the MERGE Innovation Space in Iowa City

•Collaborated with ICAD staff as well as UI students to create and support new programming at the MERGE Innovation Space

Links to the pitch deck that lead to the creation of this opportunity as well as the profile I wrote are included below.

Community Outreach & Content Strategy Intern

I've crafted copy at an NYC ad agency, built investor presentations for a design firm in West LA, and developed curriculum & partnership efforts at two international EdTech companies. 

Companies associated with my work have raised over $150M across Seed-Series B rounds since 2019. 

At Venture Validator, I use target market research to help pre-seed founders clarify their path to product-market fit. 

The result? Our clients can raise their first investment round from a position of strength. 

Feel free to review the Recommendations section of my LI profile to learn how this work has benefitted past coworkers, collaborators and clients.

Zach Harris

CartStars

CartStars is the most exclusive friendwork for eCommerce’s top 5%—a curated space where leaders build, learn, and scale together.

What Makes CartStars Different
- Invitation-only—membership is earned through participation, not fees.
- Peer-driven—no sales pitches, just trusted advice from industry leaders.
- Curated vendor ecosystem—only partners recommended by members.
- Beyond digital—private platform, local meetups, and executive retreats.

Why It Matters
Great businesses aren’t built alone. CartStars brings together the brightest minds in retail and eCommerce—leaders who are shaping the future and willing to share what they know.

Know a CartStars member? Ask them for an invite.

Founder & CEO

Diversity Plug

Download the FREE diversity plugin to view diversity statistics as you cruise around the Internet. If the data isn't available, tweet companies to join the share to care initiative to publicly disclose their diversity data.

Founder

Inveterate, Inc

 Director Of Partnerships

Gladly

Trusted by hundreds of companies including Crate & Barrel, Ralph Lauren, and Warby Parker, Gladly is the people-centric CX platform that puts customers and agents at the center of every conversation to kickstart and nurture more natural relationships, driving long-term brand loyalty, revenue, and support efficiency.

Based in San Francisco, Gladly was founded in 2014 and is privately backed by industry leaders including Greylock, GGV Capital, NEA, Glynn Capital, FutureFund, and JetBlue Ventures.

Manager, Strategic Partner Program

dotdigital

The dotdigital platform is an omnichannel marketing solution for B2C, B2B, and NFP marketers in the Americas. Import data, build segments and triggers and create relevant marketing campaigns that engage your customers on their favorite channels. Don’t limit yourself to email marketing; personalize your marketing messages across SMS, push notifications, live chat, and social ads.

Speed and ease of use are at the core of what we do, so our omnichannel marketing features can help you reach your goals faster. If you want to increase marketing ROI, boost sales revenue, drive more qualified leads, or boost donor growth – dotdigital is the single-sign-on platform you need.

Sr. Enterprise Account Executive

SAG-AFTRA

Actress

Demandforce

The Demandforce software-as-a-service application is used by thousands of customers to grow revenue, keep clients coming back, and manage operations more effectively. Demandforce connects Demandforce clients to over 100 million consumers via email communications, text messaging, and online services. Demandforce has achieved 26 quarters of over 80% year-over-year quarterly growth and is led by a management team with over a decade of experience developing and delivering web-based applications that drive real, tangible business value. As of February 2016, Demandforce is proud to now be a part of the Internet Brands family.

Senior Account Executive

Yelp

Account Executive

Lion Management Group, Inc.

CEO at CartStars | Cultivating an Empathetic & Resilient Community for eCommerce Leaders

Two years ago, I had a lightbulb moment.

As a newly minted Director of Partnerships, I gathered seven experienced colleagues to get their honest feedback on a tech solution I was evaluating. No agendas. No sales pitches. Just real advice from people who understood my KPIs.

Their insights saved me $40,000 and a year of frustration.

That’s when it hit me:
 In an industry with 8,000+ tech tools and 4x as many agencies, leaders don’t need more noise. They need trusted, agenda-free connections.

That’s why I built CartStars.

CartStars is the exclusive friendwork for eCommerce’s top 5%—a curated, high-trust space where senior brand, retail, and eCommerce leaders ($10M+ revenue) connect with peers to share insights, solve challenges, and build real relationships.

What makes CartStars different?
✅ Invitation-only—membership is earned through contribution.
✅ No sales pitches—just real, peer-driven conversations.
✅ A curated partner ecosystem—only solutions recommended by members.
✅ Digital + in-person—our platform and executive events create real impact.
✅ Your friendwork in your pocket—get answers instantly from trusted peers.

We believe the best executives don’t scale alone. They grow by building relationships with other smart, kind, and engaged leaders—without wasted time, bad deals, or endless sales cycles.

CartStars is invite-only. If you know a member, ask them to invite you.

🔗 Learn more at CartStars.com

Debbie Kemunto Pearce

We’re finally out.


For almost three years, CartStars felt like one long sprint inside a burning building.
 
Build the thing.
Fix the thing.
Hope it holds long enough to build the next thing.

Chaotic. Ridiculous…Beautiful.
The kind of pace only founders understand.

But somewhere along the way, the rhythm changed.

For the first time, we’re ahead.
Preparing with intention.
Planning next year… in the year before it. (Who am I? 🤣)

I used to watch our members plan Black Friday in February and think,
What is this life? Teach me your peaceful ways!

But the truth is, this feels right.

Because when the fires quiet down, you finally see the things that matter.

The people you want to build with.
The standards you refuse to lower.
The future you can shape on purpose, not by accident.

And that’s where this next decision came from.
Depth over breadth.
Two partners per category.
Chosen by the CartStars, not by us.
Chosen because the humans behind the work are good to work with.

That’s our North Star for 2026.
 
What’s yours?

#CartStars #retail #ecommerce #partnerships #growth #thoughtleadership

Founder, CartStars | Building the room where top retail and eCommerce minds grow together.

No one owes you anything.


Not their time.
Not their trust.
Not their belief in what you’re building.

I learned that early.

Maybe that’s why the last three years have meant so much to me.

Because the only reason CartStars works,
is that the best service providers in this industry decided to give us something they didn’t have to:
Their partnership.
Their excellence.
And their reputation… long before we had one of our own.

Every partner who has ever worked with us was recommended by our members.
Which means before they ever worked with CartStars, they worked with you.
They earned your trust first.
We simply inherited it.
And I don’t take that lightly.

So today I just want to say thank you.

To every team that showed up for our members, solved real problems, and made this ecosystem better.

So here’s to the partners who have been part of this journey,
past, present, and now officially, 2026.

85SIXTY, AB Tasty, Absolute Web, adMixt, AthenaHQ, Bark-Ai, BTR Media, CommerceNext, Flexport, Friendbuy, Instant, Intelligems, Keynes Digital, Kimonix, Klaviyo, KODIF, LettrLabs, Loop, Loop Subscriptions, ShipHero, Nishe, Nostra, Oceans Talent, Opensend, OrderProtection.com, Passport, Poplar/ Share Local Media, Power Digital Marketing, Redo, Retention.com, Rise.ai, Rivo, SARAL - The Influencer OS, SiteVibes, Skio, Stay AI, Stord, & the rest in the comments!

We see you.
We appreciate you.
And CartStars is better because of you.

If you’re reading this and you’ve worked with any of them,
tag them below.
They deserve it.

#CartStars #retail #ecommerce #trust #partnerships

Everyone talks about scale as if it guarantees impact.


It doesn’t.

A partner once walked into a four-person dinner convinced it was a failure.
One of those four became a seven-figure customer.

Value wasn’t in the size of the room. 
It was in the quality of the conversation.

That is why CartStars prioritizes depth over density: two partners per category, recommendation-first, members who are referred and vetted. 

Real outcomes don’t need crowds.

Thought I'd accompany this post with pictures from the loveliest shop and sip at Cuyana - a day as thoughtful as the people in it.

Grateful to Max Lishansky and his team for hosting, and our partners Flexport and Attentive for making it possible!


#CartStars #retail #ecommerce #partnerships #shopandsip #thoughtleadership

You can’t buy this.


“So what’s the difference between a sponsorship and a partnership at CartStars?”

I get why they ask.

From the outside, the difference looks cosmetic.
A nicer word.
A softer label.

But I’ve never liked soft labels.

A sponsorship is transactional.
You pay. You get visibility. Your logo shows up somewhere it wasn’t yesterday.
Fair enough.

But a partnership is different.
A partnership is work.
An agreement to grow together.

Our partners show up for our members.
We show up for their teams.
Both sides bring something the other can’t.

That is why we are so strict about who becomes a partner here.
You are not buying a list.
You are entering an ecosystem.

If you are here only to take, you will hate it.
If you are here to give, you will feel at home.

Because you don’t get anywhere good by taking without giving.
Not in this industry. Not in this community.

And for CartStars, “partner” is not a nicer word for sponsor.
It’s a promise.

You bring your best work.
We bring our best people.

And when both sides grow from that,
It doesn’t need to be defined. It's felt.

#CartStars #retail #ecommerce #partnership #thoughtleadership #growth

Speed over space. 


If something didn’t click quickly,
I assumed it was wrong.
Or I was.

So I’d look at people who welcomed a slow start and feel almost envious.
They got time.
Time to build processes.
Time to make mistakes without an audience.
Time to breathe before they had to prove anything.

But CartStars never gave me that.
It felt like a long, quiet hallway.
No hockey stick.
No “we blew up overnight” story to tell on a podcast.

At first, I thought that meant we were behind.
But now, the view from the climb feels different. 

Like The Pillars of the Earth.
Ken Follett spent ten years on that book.
ten years tracing every stone,
every choice,
every consequence.

A world built slowly enough that the foundation actually holds.

It’s the kind of story you can’t speed through,
because it wasn’t written that way.

CartStars unfolded the same way.
Carved into place, not rushed into existence.

That’s why I’m grateful we did not get everything we wanted quickly.

You can engineer speed.
But you can’t fake depth.
And depth is what we’re here for.
So I plan to take my time.

Because overnight success is a fallacy.

#CartStars #retail #ecommerce #growth #journey #thoughtleadership

Can we fight about it?


When Justin texts you with:
“Hey… what about a boxing match for charity?”

You know something that sounds unhinged,
is about to make perfect sense.

Raising $1,000,000 for charity, 
across clean water, emergency medical care, and cancer research.
That kind of purpose has a way of settling everything into place.

So here we are.
Eight exhibition matches.
Sixteen brave (or slightly unhinged) eCommerce leaders.
Five hundred people in the audience.

All of us trying to do something that looks a little impossible.
And therefore all the more worth it.

I’m part of the donations and boxers team alongside
Anas Hoque at Klaviyo and Bradley Johnston at Opensend.

And yes…
I may or may not be stepping into the ring myself.
You’ll have to show up to find out.

Huge thanks to the incredible group making this real:
Justin Silver (our fearless Chair),
Ben Walter, Emmanuel Kamau, Alexander Lazoff,
Jess Cervellon, Bryce Alsten, Lauren Sawyer ☀️,
Ian Korer, Grace Nicklas,
Bill Murphy, and Josh Garellek!

See you in Vegas on March 24th at The Space.
Let’s make this count. 🥊


#retail #ecommerce #charity #fightforcharity #shoptalk #shoptalk2026

I said yes.


To new ideas.
New experiments.
A few questionable decisions I’m still pretending were strategic.

Eventually, the team started saying I was “subscribing” to everything.
And honestly… fair.
My credit card has been through character development this year. 😬

But when our members started nominating their picks for the 2026 CartStars partnerships in the subscription category,
something unusual happened.
No noise.
No debate.
No fourteen-way tie.
(If you’ve been in eCom long enough, you know that alone is a miracle.)

So if you lean in closely,
I’ll tell you what I’m subscribing to next year:
Skio and Loop Subscriptions!

Chosen by members who don’t just plug into a stack.
They stay in it. 
With skin in the game.
And receipts in their dashboards.

So…yes, I’ve said yes to a lot this year.
But this is the subscription I’d sign twice!
Everything else can stay on free trial 😏


#CartStars #retail #ecommerce #partnerships #subscription

Bobby Reger, MBA has been building.


Quietly. Consistently. Exceptionally.

So it felt right to bring this one back.

Whether he’s shaping campaigns, driving B2B growth, or lifting the CartStars community one conversation at a time,
 Bobby shows up with the same thing every day:

Care.

Here’s to Bobby.
A builder in every sense of the word.

"Is this actually a fit for our brand?"


When Bobby Reger, MBA VP of eCommerce at Camco said something along those lines during a call where we were all swapping our favorite AI tools, the energy shifted.

You see, most people play contrarian for the effect.
To sound sharp. To stir debate. To stand out.

But Bobby wasn’t trying to impress anyone.
He was doing what he always does, slowing the conversation down just enough to ask the harder, more useful question.

We were on a CartStars knowledge exchange talking through tools, exploring where AI is showing up in our workflows, and what’s feeling promising. 

Then Bobby said something like:
“Are we doing this just to do it? Or does it actually fit the business? Is this a long-term value driver or just a short-term hack?”

That stuck.

Because copying tools without the muscle or strategic fit is a waste of time. What works for one company can completely flop for another.

And that’s what’s different about Bobby.
He doesn’t challenge the room to be clever.
He challenges it to be clear. To be honest about what's actually going to work.

That’s leadership.
Not chasing hype.
Chasing clarity.

Know any other leaders in retail or eCommerce who challenge the status quo not for attention, but because they see things differently?

I’d love to hear who comes to mind.

taplio

The Battle

Zach Harris

Debbie Kemunto Pearce

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The Battle

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