About

Get Trajectory is a business book series and set of programs designed by Dave Parker to help both Startup and Small/Local businesses create free cashflow and grow profitable topline sales and marketing.

• Trajectory: Startup
• Trajectory: Scaleup
• Trajectory: Services

Dave Parker

Dave Parker is an 5X founder, entrepreneur and professional board member for Tech growth companies. His 20+ year career has highlighted his ability to innovate new ideas and scale products and companies in the US and Internationally. He is a frequent speaker at University and Community events. He also volunteers as the Lead Coordinator of Seattle’s Startup Week and part of the Seattle Startup Community.

Dave joined Code Fellows as CEO in June of 2015. Code Fellows is an immersive, in-person code school offering job-ready web and mobile software development training. The company has a > 90% placement rate of grads with a starting salary of over $70K. Code Fellows is part of the emerging “boot camp” market that helps bridge the gap not currently filled by four-year degree Computer Science programs. When he started with Code Fellows <20% of the program applicants were accepted into the training. The curriculum didn’t address those who didn’t have access to this type of programming. By launching a new curriculum, he significantly increased admissions and gained the Veterans Administration Approval as the only Coding Program in Washington State. He also launched a “Pay it Forward” scholarship program, funding >$600,000 in funds for women, underserved minorities and veterans as part of a personal mission on diversity.

Dave was fortunate to join a “movement in progress” while at Startup Weekend, a program that helps founders launch their dream companies in 54 hours. From 2013-2015 he served as Senior VP Programs & People for UP Global ­ the merged parent company of Startup Weekend/Startup America. In 2014, the UP Global team held over 1,250 events in 120 countries and 640 cities worldwide with over 74,000 attendees.

During his time at UP Global, he launched two new programs:

• Startup Next – a six-week pre-accelerator program that helped early stage founders transition from Startup Weekend to funded early stage companies in over 20 cities worldwide.
• Startup Week – launched in six cities in the first year with over 50,000 attendees and grew to 74+ cities worldwide in the third year.

The non-profit company was sold to Techstars in June 2015. This non-profit to for-profit was the unique experience of Dave’s nine transactions – six sell side and three buyside deals. He served on the Board of the non-profit in the distribution of final grants.

In addition to his home town of Seattle where’s he’s a highly ranked mentor for Techstars, 9Mile Labs and Founder Institute, Dave has mentored for accelerator programs from Brazil to Moldova, Budapest to Singapore. He’s a frequent blogger on Startup topics through DKParker.com.

Dave has been a startup founder in software development, enterprise IT and professional services, software distribution and tech hardware. Companies have included License Online (sold to SNX), and Bundled.com (sold in 2012). Board Member roles have included Classmates.com (sold to UNTD), Digital Marketing (sold in 2004) and Cauldron Solutions (sold in 2006).

His career has spanned both product and service industries, selling tangible and intangible technology products and professional services. An Alumnus of the University of Washington, Dave has been recognized by the World Technology Network for Innovation in the Software Industry and Forbes “Best of the Web.” He was Entrepreneur in Residence at Mitsui & Company IT Investment Group in Cupertino, CA, a $250M venture fund. The fund made 14 investments in the first 18 months of operation.

Dave is a professional Board Member for two NW mid­market companies, six startup companies and an Advisory Board Member for dozens of early-stage tech companies. His role with these companies is to provide governance, go-to-market strategy and growth advisory in preparation for fundraising and exit strategies.

He has over 10 years of experience doing business in Japan and five in China bringing technology to Asia and others back to the US.