JS

Joel Susal

CEO and Co-Founder, InSummary

San Francisco, California

Invests in

Stages:

  • Min Investment:

    $100,000.00
  • Max Investment:

    $5,000,000.00
  • Target Investment:

    $1,500,000.00

Education

Work Experience

  • CEO and Co-Founder

    2022

  • Advisor

    2024

  • Investor

    2022

2022 - 2023

  • Advisor

    2022 - 2023

2020 - 2022

  • Head of Product, AI and Platform

    2020 - 2022

    I led Rev's AI business, which includes the world's most accurate ASR (automated speech recognition) engine and the Rev AI API (for building applications), both of which power the world's top speech-to-text applications. Rev's English ASR has been independently shown to be highest in accuracy and lowest in bias across ethnicity, gender, and country of origin (i.e., accent). The Rev AI API powers the world's most discerning voice applications like Loom, Axon, Descript, Bloomberg, HireVue, and many others. Rev's ASR is also used to provide an initial transcript to tens of thousands of Revvers who power Rev's Human Transcription service for global leaders in the media, education, research, legal, and finance industries.

2018 - 2020

  • Staff Product Manager, Ecosystems

    2018 - 2020

    I led Checkr's Ecosystem and Enterprise Product Management (5 PMs) team, focused on expanding Checkr’s API-first Background Check offering from on-demand customers into more traditional high-volume hiring businesses in Staffing, Retail, Foodservice, and Logistics. I oversaw Checkr’s Dashboard experience, Monetization, Identity and Access Management, and personally led our full integration strategy – including integration infrastructure for external parties and internally-built integrations – as well as the Checkr Connect Marketplace, which enables feature breadth, speed to market, and integrated support with partners who service our customers’ diverse needs. Notable accomplishments: – Initiated Checkr's Enterprise business with ~$10M ACV – Decreased time-to-market for new “screenings” by 80% – Quadrupled revenue from self-service integrations (100% YoY growth for 2 years) – Increased Checkr-built integrations by 4x without growing team

2011 - 2017

  • Director, Virtual and Augmented Reality

    2014 - 2017

    Identified, launched, and led Dolby’s Virtual & Augmented Reality business, nurturing a ground-breaking start-up-like environment, securing a $10M investment from CEO and the Board of Directors, and extending Dolby’s flagship audio experience to the 360-video market. Built and led an accomplished team of three product managers, contractors, and dotted-line team of 30+ product and field-application engineers. Select Accomplishments: — Honored at Sundance Film Festival and Emmy Awards for Dolby Atmos for VR technology—securing acceptance and presentation of two pieces at the 2016 Film Festival, with one of those pieces, Collisions, winning an Emmy in 2017 for “Outstanding New Approaches: Documentary.” — Expanded Dolby Atmos spatial audio creation tools footprint by 500%—while reducing support and training costs, adapting tools for VR content creators, introducing first-time online forums and tutorials, and executing a Trojan horse strategy that enabled entry into the service provider market. — Led the contract and business negotiations with Jaunt VR to adopt and integrate Dolby Digital Plus, introducing a revolutionary new application-based software distribution model. — Fostered relationships and product trials with a number of high-profile sports franchises, including NFL, NBA, and UEFA, and concert venues across U.S., UK, and China, leading the roll-out of Dolby Atmos into the live VR space. — Recruited, mentored, and cultivated a team of product managers and engineers, introducing top talent and diversity into the personnel profile. — Recognized as a thought leader in the VR space, earning invitations to speak at industry conferences and events, and an interview by the Voices of VR podcast in association with Road to VR. — Managed the transition of VR/AR business, assets, and talent to Live Atmos team—following a strategic decision to focus on short-term revenue, partnering cross-functionally to identify interesting new roles for employees.

  • Senior Product Manager, Product Manager

    2011 - 2014

    Reinvented Dolby’s mobile product offering, and drove +$20M in annual revenue growth, leading the development and launch of two generations of Dolby Digital Plus for mobile, and spearheading a lasting multi-generational and cross-product strategic partnership with Amazon. Select Accomplishments: — Secured Amazon as a strategic partner and a showcase for Dolby’s end-to-end value chain, earning high praise from Jeff Bezos (as well as consumers) as audio was the key feature promoted at the Kindle Fire HD launch in 2012—and remains in the Kindle Fire lineup today, as well as in the Amazon Echo family. — Directed product roadmap go/no-go decisions, eliminating features and products to achieve better outcomes, and leading to the development and launch of Dolby Atmos for mobile—before it was launched to the living room. — Built a team of inspired and motivated individuals, excited to build the best products in the world, partnering with cross-functional leaders to recruit, hire, and manage talent—earning a favorable reputation across engineering, sales, support, and with customers. — Led the integration of Dolby technologies onto the Qualcomm platform, acting as the product management lead to deliver benefits, such as easing the sales channel, reducing integration costs, and providing confidence to customers.

Speak.MD, Inc.

2010 - 2011

  • Founder, CEO

    2010 - 2011

    Conceived of and led Speak.MD—after negotiating a contract to obtain exclusive access to the CloudTalk platform in healthcare—to deliver asynchronous voice and text messaging to the hospital environment—thereby reducing medical errors and improving patient outcomes. Pulled back on launch of company for family reasons. Select Accomplishments: — Developed and pitched a business case to investors to fulfill first prototype and customer of Speak.MD, collaborating with investors, medical luminaries, and IT technical experts to refine and develop product concept. — Successfully negotiated an angel funding term sheet with investor.

CloudTalk

2009 - 2011

  • Founding Member & Director of Product Management

    2009 - 2011

    One of three co-founders who developed the concept and introduced an asynchronous voice messaging product to market. Partnered in the delivery of presentations to investors, and at industry events to acquire funding. Select Accomplishments: — Partnered with CEO, investors, and executive leaders to conceptualize, build, and implement CloudTalk company vision, defining and developing a mobile application with voice messaging features (many of which are used in today’s iOS messaging app). — Defined a product line that addressed the new company vision, leading product development activities across local and overseas development teams.

2006 - 2009

  • API Product Manager, iSite PACS

    2006 - 2009

    Developed the industry-leading iSite PACS (picture archiving and communication system) ecosystem and API, and established it as a competitive differentiator, playing a key leadership role in winning new customers, and achieving $100M in revenue growth. Led the strategy, product specification, market requirements, and direction of iSite PACS, and its best-of- breed, open, standards-based API. Retained and grew ecosystem of third-party data integrators following the $280M acquisition of web-based PACS provider, Stentor. Select Accomplishments: — Defined, implemented, and led quarterly release processes and cadence, driving cross-functional collaboration to ensure timely and quality releases of this complex product. — Drove execution of four new product introductions (NPIs) annually—for core product, API add-ons, and third-party additions to the price book, developing and implementing training and rollout for all customer touch points.