I'm building The Discoverability Company, backing pre-seed founders with Hustle Fund, tinkering, and writing about startup culture.
Philadelphia · [email protected] ·
linkedin
experience 10
2024 → Partner The Discoverability Company
Go-to-market strategy and discoverability that put people and businesses front and center across search, social, and AI. We also run poddisco, which helps podcast creators with discoverability challenges.
Go-to-market strategy and discoverability that put people and businesses front and center across search, social, and AI. We also run poddisco, which helps podcast creators with discoverability challenges.
2024 → Venture Fellow (5th cohort) & Angel Hustle Fund
Completed the 5th Venture Fellow cohort and work with the Angel Squad on supporting hilariously early pre-seed founders.
Completed the 5th Venture Fellow cohort and work with the Angel Squad on supporting hilariously early pre-seed founders.
previous experience 8
2023 → 24 Head of E-Commerce Birthday App
Built the gift marketplace for the leading birthday-calendar app and drove organic growth through SEO and app-store optimization.
Built the gift marketplace for the leading birthday-calendar app and drove organic growth through SEO and app-store optimization.
2017 → 20 Board of Directors Jomboy Media
Helped build the business from a single Twitter account into a leading independent sports-media brand with real revenue and a shop.
Helped build the business from a single Twitter account into a leading independent sports-media brand with real revenue and a shop.
2014 → 20 Founder & CEO Benja Commerce Network
Early mover in shoppable media, with a personalized shopping app, a proprietary ad format, and DTC stores. The company failed and filed for bankruptcy, and I was convicted for misrepresentations I made while fundraising in 2020. I speak and write about the dangers of “fake it ’til you make it” in startup culture.
Early mover in shoppable media, with a personalized shopping app, a proprietary ad format, and DTC stores. The company failed and filed for bankruptcy, and I was convicted for misrepresentations I made while fundraising in 2020. I speak and write about the dangers of “fake it ’til you make it” in startup culture.
2013 → 14 VP Business Development Feathr
First business hire. Built the company’s revenue plan and recruited and led its founding sales team.
First business hire. Built the company’s revenue plan and recruited and led its founding sales team.
2011 → 13 Marketing Director Vermont Spirits Distilling Co.
Led all marketing for the distillery and made it the official spirit of the Vermont Ski Association.
Led all marketing for the distillery and made it the official spirit of the Vermont Ski Association.
2011 → 12 Marketing Specialist Color Labs
Ran campus user acquisition for the Sequoia- and Bain-backed video platform, which Apple acquired in 2012.
Ran campus user acquisition for the Sequoia- and Bain-backed video platform, which Apple acquired in 2012.
2009 → 11 Sales Marketing Manager Microsoft
Drove small-business and education adoption of Windows and Office across the territory as a field sales-marketing manager.
Drove small-business and education adoption of Windows and Office across the territory as a field sales-marketing manager.
2007 → 11 Bachelor’s, Business Administration Vermont State University
President of the Lyndon Student Government Association (2008–2010) and the Lyndon Student Investment Group (2010–2011).
President of the Lyndon Student Government Association (2008–2010) and the Lyndon Student Investment Group (2010–2011).
investing
I write checks into pre-seed companies, and I completed the Hustle Fund Venture Fellowship in its 5th cohort in 2026. I am most useful before there is traction, during the unglamorous part: how you get found and how you turn attention into customers. Portfolio and deal memos live at chapin.vc.
expertise
- Go-to-market strategy and customer acquisition
- Search engine optimization
- AI discoverability and visibility
- Online reputation management
- Early-stage startup scaling