About Me
It’s pronounced “Gauch” [gowCH]
I have worked as a startup fractional Chief Operating Officer for more than four years. A former tech attorney with 20+ years of experience, I’ve worked in progressive business roles across functions at startups from pre-revenue to $100M+. Along the way I have contributed to dozens of new products and ventures in tech and across industries. I take a profoundly customer- and problem-centered perspective, helping to build enduring new companies.
A long-time resident of New York City and then Boston, today, I live in Toronto and Michigan.
Companies, Clients and Investors
I have worked on businesses that have created new categories and shaped their industries, and I am dedicated to building organizations with real impact on the lives of their employees and customers. Post-law, I worked in progressive roles in business development, finance, sales, marketing and product for and with companies and startups, including 1 Hotel (Starwood Capital Group), Amazon, Axiom, Bose, IBM, Internet Appliance Network, Microsoft, Spartan, Staples, Synervoz and Virgin.
I joined my first executive leadership team in 2009. I have worked on new ventures backed by investors such as 500 Startups, Benchmark Capital, EMC (now Dell EMC), Hearst Ventures and Union Square Ventures’ Fred Wilson.
Startup Community Contributions
I write my own blog and have contributed to the Harvard-based Forum for Growth & Innovation. I developed and teach a customer insights workshop presented at organizations such as the DMZ (Toronto), MassChallenge and Techstars. I am an advisor and mentor to organizations like High Alpha Innovation. The quality of my work and my commitment to customers and teammates has been recognized by awards and further opportunities to serve my community, including an invitation from Harvard University’s Divinity School to join 20 innovative Boston leaders as a Boston Community Leaders Fellow.
Legal Background
Earlier in my career, I worked as an attorney at Morrison & Foerster, where I advised eCommerce, SaaS and software businesses, and Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where I collaborated with investment banks and private-equity firms on corporate finance transactions and mergers and acquisitions.
Summary of Top Skills and Experience
Growth
Sales
Customer Insights
Product
Marketing
Operations
Go-to-market and business ops
Financial Management
Hiring and People Management
Legal Management
Education
New York University School of Law, JD, 1986
Cambridge University (Peterhouse College), M.Phil., International Relations, 1993
Cornell University, B.A., History, 1990