Overview

The Addison Treehouse is a startup resource center and coworking space created by a public/private partnership between the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) and the Town of Addison’s Economic Development Department. I was hired by the DEC’s CEO as the inaugural executive director of the Treehouse with the priority to grow membership and branding.

Responsibilities

Set & own a strategic roadmap for the organization, with a focus on marketing and PR.

• Manage day-to-day operations of 14,000 sq ft space

• Providing quarterly business review on Treehouse stats

• Community building, engagement & management

• Create & own strategic partnerships

• Manage deliverables to diverse external stakeholders

• Cross-organizational leadership & collaboration

• Create & manage programming - including original programming and 3rd party collaborations

Results

• Increased revenue 40% month after month.

• Hosted over 200 events in 12 months.

• Grew from 5 member-companies to about 100 member-companies in less than 12 months.

• Generated 700 hours of mentorship from CxO levels to entrepreneurs in less than 12 months.

• Earned media placement in several reputable outlets, such as the Dallas Business Journal, Dallas Morning News, Addison Magazine, and others.

• Established & maintained strategic partnerships with major organizations such as Microsoft, Mary Kay, IBM, Target, America’s SBDC (Small Business Development Center), KIND Snacks, Baylor University, and others.

1. Create & implement an integrated marketing plan

After “interviewing” the DEC’s CEO and Addison’s Director of Economic Development on the goals for the Treehouse, I laid out an ambitious 3-month development plan, which in essence was an integrated marketing strategy. Key components:

• Quickly establishing regional strategic partnerships

• Digital marketing

  • social media, blogging, SEO, newsletters, videos

• Events

  • creating & executing original programming and events

  • hosting 3rd party events that aligned with our mission & vision

• PR - earned local & national media

2. Establish trust among diverse stakeholders and disparate organizations to create a value-driven community

I focused on highlighting individuals and providing value. Events, partnerships, media placement, perks - every action taken passed through the filter of “how does this provide value & align to the mission?” We became a one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs and startups by providing:

• Direct access to the SBDC (small business administration), Addison’s Economic Development department & an incubator - which were all housed in the Treehouse’s space.

• 1:1 mentorship from & access to journalists, corporate executives, successful founders, and other members.

• Multiple diverse events per week.