Christopher Jacob

My name is Chris and I have led business units and the global product, marketing and business development efforts of various technology and SaaS companies including Salesforce, Kleverbeast, GameGround, Adobe (Efficient Frontier), Jive, and Gravity Networks.

I have been involved in these early to mid stage venture backed technology startups, through to high growth and pre-IPO companies, and up to innovative public companies in the Fortune 500 for close to 20 years. I have tasted the relative highs of 3 successful exits and numerous business and product launches, and the failures of companies fire-selling and winding down.

However most of my time these days is spent doing pro-bono work helping;

1. Founders, Entrepreneurs, Startups, and Small Business owners who don't have access to valuable resources like funding, business insights, professional partners, and personal networks get ahead. This is primarily with free coaching, mentoring, and consulting in the areas of startup best practice, building scalable technology, product marketing, growth marketing, social media, advertising, B2B sales and more

2. Young people from middle/high/college students, early/mid career and industry pivoting professionals to disenfranchised members of society like those recently incarcerated be more empowered in the key areas of Personal Finance, Career Coaching, Economic Empowerment, Global Awareness, Professional Development, and Personal Growth

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel extensively across the globe to all continents (sans Antarctica), and 47 states across the US. I have lived long term in my hometown of Melbourne, then Sydney, Boston, and now New York.

I would like to think that I have grown as a leader in technology and business, but I am always learning. I pride myself on bringing a unique passion and empathy to my marketing efforts building brands and bringing new products to market.

I have presented in major forums like SxSW, Dreamforce and SIPA, been covered in publications in Forbes, CBS, The Guardian, Adobe Insights and AdExchanger and has also been a guest lecturer at the University of Maryland MBA Program.

Outside of the professional and community walls I am also a passionate advocate for US Immigration reform, founding the “Live & Work in America” portal and publishing the book “How to Live, Study and Work in America” in 2012. I mentor various entrepreneurs, aspiring Immigrants and youth through programs like MicroMentor, StudentMentor USA and iMentor as well as an organization I founded called The Visa Coach.