Phillip Hedayatnia

Co-founded startup currently in stealth mode to make hiring more meritocratic.

Estimated Launch: Fall 2017

• Co-founded GoForge, a DevOps automation and cloud computing company. Grew GoForge team to 10+ developers working simultaneously in Palo Alto, CA (our headquarters) and Cleveland, OH, and grew the GoForge userbase to several thousand.
• Founded and grew sub-project Cleverbot.io (Artificial Intelligence learning API and framework) used by hundreds of thousands of developers

• Co-taught an intensive course on entrepreneurial and design thinking in education to educators from across the country held with Steve Blank, Stanford University's Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship.
• Taught methods of determining product-market fit, messaging/marketing, testing, validation, and digital strategy.
• Teachers in attendance ranged from college professors at UC Berkeley, The New School and Minerva Schools at KGI, to high school teachers at Gunn High School, The Harker School, and Battleground Academy.

• Led two website redesigns, developed a volunteer registration system with Nationbuilder integration, and developed a gamified supporter management system to encourage supporter engagement on social media and drive up store sales.
• Worked with existing social and digital media teams to coordinate redesigns.

• Provided strategy analysis and copy work for design of Kasich 4 US website
• Co-developed social media strategy for the campaign, including "Captains for Kasich" initiative to boost social shares

• Founded cloud web server, marketing, design and market research company
• Developed system to use UX testing data to predict the effectiveness of design using algorithms

Became a Fellow of the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship in early 2017 to assist LILIE with building academic and co-curricular programs at Rice University and fostering a community around entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation.

• Developed business and marketing strategy for a new branch of an existing debate summer institute, the National Symposium for Debate.
• Developed business and marketing strategy for a new branch of an existing debate summer institute, the National Symposium for Debate.
• Wrote lecture series based on current research into the neuroscience/psychology of creativity and communication in conjunction with researchers and university professors.

Recipient of the Trustees’ Scholarship, a full tuition merit scholarship.

Led team working with the Houston Urban Debate League to develop a new mentoring initiative and build curriculum resources to teach debate to students from inner-city schools

Led team of 7 students in accordance with Design Thinking principles

Produced human-centered design work for two projects with Design for America’s Rice chapter, one working with Breakthrough Houston to develop a new short-term classroom assessment method for soft skills, and one working with the Hermann Park Conservancy to develop a new set of park kiosks designed to maximize visitor engagement and social media sharing

After founding my first company at Startup Weekend Cleveland 2013, I took several roles as a mentor/startup advisor at subsequent Startup Weekend, Cleveland GiveCamp, and Cleveland State University Startup Vikes events through my role at the Shaker LaunchHouse entrepreneurial accelerator.

Stayed on as an advisor to JEI Apparel and Vexum Supply, two teen-led fashion brands from Cleveland, and helped them raise capital.

Co-organized Startup Weekend Cleveland 2015 and 2017.