JH

Justin Hong

Ordergroove | The Asian American Athlete Podcast | Advisor & Investor

San Francisco Bay Area

Invests in

Stages:

  • Min Investment:

    $5,000.00
  • Max Investment:

    $50,000.00
  • Target Investment:

    $25,000.00

Work Experience

  • Enterprise Partnerships

    2023

    Ordergroove powers subscriptions and recurring revenue for eCommerce brands. At Ordergroove, I'm helping to build the Ordergroove partner program and agency partner ecosystem.

  • Podcast Creator & Host

    2022

    The Asian American Athlete podcast celebrates Asian American athletes - and empowers the next generation of Asian American athletes to reach the college & professional levels with stories, education, and guidance.

  • Angel Investor

    2021

    I've dabbled with some angel investing, particularly in the areas of eCommerce technology, consumer goods, and marketplaces. Examples of companies I've invested in include Alt, AngelList, Badaboom, Buffalo Market, Ellevest, Hemster, kencko, Mighty Health, MUD\WTR, and Voyage Foods.

  • Founder

    2015

    Dapper & Done (DapperAndDone.com) is an eCommerce business that provides travel-related grooming products for men.

2017 - 2023

  • Chair / Talent & Professional Development Lead of Asian Employee Resource Group

    2021 - 2023

    While part of the leadership team for Shopify's Asian ERG, I helped to empower Asian employees, partners, and merchants through advocacy, mentorship, and connection.

  • Senior Partner Manager - North America, Agency Program

    2021 - 2023

    I built & managed West Coast agency partnerships, and I also led the development of Shopify's enterprise agency partner ecosystem for the US West region; the types of partners in this ecosystem include design & development agencies, branding & creative agencies, and eCommerce consultancies. I also built out a new partner category within Shopify's partner ecosystem.

  • Partnerships Lead - New Partner Groups, Shopify Plus

    2019 - 2020

    My team and I incubated new partner groups by building partner management structures around them. Partner types we incubated include consultants, integration partners, and digital marketing agencies.

  • Partnerships Lead - North America West, Shopify Plus

    2017 - 2019

    I oversaw agency partner relationships, growth, and strategy for the North America West region for Shopify Plus, a platform that makes commerce better for high-growth, high-volume merchants.

  • Channel Partnerships Manager - Shopify Plus

    2017 - 2017

    I worked directly with Shopify Plus agency partners on the West Coast, including pipeline activity, co-marketing initiatives, etc. I also helped recruit new agency partners to the Shopify Plus Partner Program.

2022 - 2023

  • Venture Partner

    2022 - 2023

    Republic gives people the power to invest in the future they believe in by providing access to start-up, real estate, crypto, and video game investment opportunities. Focused on creating a diverse, sustainable, and connected world, Republic and its affiliates have facilitated over $500 million in investments from over one million global community members. With a global team in six countries, Republic is backed by Galaxy Digital, The Motley Fool, Binance, Naspers, AngelList, and more. Republic Venture Partners collaborate across the start-up ecosystem to support founders and their ideas. If you are a start-up looking to raise capital from the crowd, please feel free to reach out to me :)

2021 - 2022

  • Angel Squad Member

    2021 - 2022

    Hustle Fund is building an amazing community of angel investors: https://www.hustlefund.vc/angelsquad

2014 - 2017

  • Head of Corporate Development

    2016 - 2017

    In February 2016, I transitioned to my new role as the Head of Corporate Development for the company. Areas that were under my domain included acquisition pipeline activities, acquisition integration, geographic expansion, partnerships, and a variety of financial responsibilities. In 2016, I helped Wpromote acquire Texas-based Standing Dog (70+ person team with offices in Dallas and Houston) and expand to San Francisco.

  • Business Development Executive

    2014 - 2016

    After the Wpromote acquisition of Highly Relevant, I stayed on board as a Business Development Executive. In this role, I looked to grow existing relationships and also establish new, quality partnerships with companies that offer services that complement Wpromote's Internet marketing services. In addition, I helped to establish the overall infrastructure of the company's strategic partnerships, including partner tracking and marketing collateral. In 2015, I helped Wpromote execute two asset (client portfolio) acquisitions, which included gathering due diligence materials, helping with legal documentation and deal structure, and facilitating the integration of clients to our team.

  • Managing Partner | Chief Operating Officer

    2009 - 2014

    I managed business operations for Highly Relevant, a bootstrapped Internet marketing company, from its first year in business to acquisition in April 2014 by Wpromote. My 4+ years with Highly Relevant has been the most tremendous business experience thus far in my career. Not only did I gain a lot of experience with running and growing a business, I also learned a great deal about leadership and the importance of communication and managing people. It was an amazing ride going from just surviving to sustainability to being acquired by Wpromote - and a lot of other experiences in between. As entrepreneurs are familiar with, I had a variety of roles and responsibilities ranging from management to business operations to business development to controlling the company cash flow and finances. Highlights include driving the company vision, mission, and core values; cultivating a unique and vibrant company culture; devising and tracking annual and quarterly company goals, key initatives, and key metrics; overseeing the day-to-day operations; incorporating systems, process, and software to streamline operations; and hiring and leading over 20 team members. Select clients include Apartment People, HUMAN Healthy Vending, LAVO, Lucky Strike Entertainment, Marquee, ScoreBig, and TAO.

  • Co-Founder

    2012 - 2013

    Highly Relevant Brands was formerly Highly Relevant's portfolio of web properties. Properties that were under our management included ConcertTickets.com and FixieBikes.com.