RC

Ryan Carlson

President at Chainguard

Austin, Texas

Invests in

  • Min Investment:

    $5,000.00
  • Max Investment:

    $50,000.00
  • Target Investment:

    $25,000.00

Skills

Strategy
Product Management
Product Marketing
Semiconductors
Business Development
Start-ups
Go-to-market Strategy
CRM
Management
Venture Capital
Leadership
SaaS
Cross-functional Team Leadership
Product Development
Entrepreneurship
Enterprise Software
Competitive Analysis
Strategic Partnerships
Program Management
Marketing

Work Experience

  • President

    2023

    I help lead the Go to Market function at Chainguard - building a sales, marketing, and customer success team that brings our world class product and technology to every customer.

  • Partner

    2019

    I’m an angel Investor that is empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs with advice and personal capital. Along with a seasoned group of C- and SVP-level executives, I typically invest in early-stage technology companies led by brilliant, passionate, and visionary founders. See some of the founders we have backed here: https://theoperatornetwork.com/portfolio/

2022 - 2024

  • Advisor to CEO and to the VP of Marketing

    2022 - 2024

  • Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Wiz

    2022 - 2022

    I helped build out marketing at Wiz until we found someone better to lead the team.

2011 - 2022

  • EVP and head of OktaX

    2021 - 2022

    Helped create OktaX, which worked with founders inside Okta to build new startups for whatever is next.

  • Chief Marketing Officer

    2016 - 2021

    I led the marketing team at Okta through IPO and well beyond.

  • VP, Marketing

    2015 - 2016

  • VP, Product Marketing

    2011 - 2015

    I built the product marketing team at Okta.

2009 - 2011

  • Sr. Director, Product Management

    2009 - 2011

    Redwood Systems was a venture backed company transforming energy efficient commercial lighting. Joined at Series A, pre-revenue. Shipped first product, managed initial trial customers, won deals at Google, Facebook and other key facilities. Backed by Battery Ventures, USVP, and Index Ventures. Acquired by Commscope.

Sproost, Inc.

2008 - 2011

  • CEO, co-founder

    2008 - 2011

    Boot-strapped online expert recommendation system for interior design. I started a tech company with my wife; the company did not make it but we did.

2003 - 2008

  • Director of Product Planning

    2007 - 2008

    Product planning / strategy for Virtex high end FPGA product line.

  • Director of Marketing

    2003 - 2007

    Led the strategic and product marketing team responsible for the high-speed serial I/O technology used on all Xilinx FPGAs.

Velio Communications

2000 - 2003

  • Sr. Product Line Manager

    2000 - 2003

    Fabless semiconductor company backed by Sequoia, Redpoint, and IVP (acquired by LSI Logic in 2003). I managed Marketing and Applications teams.

Mojam.com, Inc.

1999 - 2000

  • President

    1999 - 2000

    Started Mojam.com (via spin-off from parent company) and managed to get to profitability but not scale. Mojam.com acquired in 2007 (long after I was gone).

  • Product Marketing Manager

    1996 - 1999