Arte Merritt

Summary

Arte is a strategic partnership, marketing, business development, and product executive. He was the CEO/founder of two venture backed SaaS startups, which he led to be leaders in their respective spaces, both in crowded fields. He sold his first startup to Nokia and received multiple acquisition offers for the second. Arte is a thought-leader in conversational AI, generative AI, chatbots, voice assistants, and analytics and has published over 70+ articles and spoken at global conferences on the topics. He has extensive operations experience as a CEO and executive board member.

Relevant Experience

Founder, GTM/Partnerships at Reconify

2023-Present
  • Launched SaaS analytics and optimization platform for Generative AI
  • Negotiating partnerships with GSIs/SIs
  • Launched platform offering in AWS Marketplace
  • Generating growth through partnerships, content marketing, community building, and outbound business development

Global Partnership Leader for Conversational AI at AWS

2021-2022
  • Created and launched global Conversational AI partnership program leveraging AWS AI/ML services to deliver hiqh quality, highly effective chatbot, voice assistant, and IVR solutions for enterprise customers
  • Created AWS Conversational AI Competency to differentiate top partners
  • Defined program, go-to-market strategy, co-selling motions, and overall business plan
  • Led all marketing, business development, field sales enablement, and partner management for program
  • Recruited Global SI and ISV partners
  • Achieved over 400% launched-wins goal
  • Evangelized AWS and partners as an industry speaker at global conferences and through thought-leadership content
  • Won Amazon Leadership Principle award for “Invent and Simplify”

CEO, Co-founder at Dashbot

2016-2020
  • Co-founded SaaS analytics platform for conversational AI interfaces, chatbots, and voice assistants, including Alexa, Facebook Messenger, Google Assistant, IVR, SMS
  • Set overall product vision and go-to-market strategy, positioning company as a thought-leader
  • Led GTM strategy, business development, sales, and strategic partnerships to acquire 20,000 customers, generating over 90 billion messages
  • Partnered with Global SIs, SIs, ISVs, and Cloud Service Providers (AWS, Google GCP)
  • Negotiated contracts with fortune 500 enterprises
  • Grew revenue to ~$1M ARR
    • Increased revenues in midst of Covid-19 – setting company on pace for 100% annual growth
    • Closed largest deal in company history during global pandemic
  • Organized annual “SuperBot” conference featuring industry thought leaders from around the world
  • Published 50 articles on conversational AI interfaces & data insights
  • Industry speaker at MWC, SXSW, VentureBeat
  • Managed P&L
  • Ran M&A process that resulted in six acquisition offers
  • Raised $6.2M in venture funding

Senior Director, Emerging Tech at Turner Broadcasting

2011-2013
  • Corporate Development: identified, researched, and evaluated startups for partner, investment, and acquisition opportunities
  • Co-launched Turner's "Media Camp" Accelerator program for media startups
    • Two portfolio companies acquired; one raised $14M
  • Evangelized mobile technologies and best practices within Turner

Founder, CEO / President at Motally

2008-2010
  • Founded SaaS mobile analytics platform
  • Led successful acquisition to Nokia
  • Set overall product vision and go-to-market strategy
  • Led product management, marketing, business development, and partnerships - growing to be a leader in the space
  • Managed P&L
  • Raised $2M in venture funding

Other Experiences

  • Product Manager, Yahoo! Mobile, 2005-2007
  • Product Manager, 3mg Inc, 2000-2003, 2005
  • Sales Engineer, Vettro, 2004
  • Senior / Lead Technologist, Viant, 1998-2000
  • Consultant, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 1997-1998
  • Internet Developer, RandomHouse Publishing, 1996-1997

Volunteer

  • Investor, VoiceFlow, 2021-Present
  • Investor, Dashbot, 2017-2021
  • Mentor, Orange Fab Accelerator, 2013-2018
  • Mentor, MIT Venture Mentoring Service, 2015-2018
  • Mentor, NYU AI NexusLab, 2017-2018
  • Investor, Advisor, SnapUp (acquired by Ipsy), 2014-2016
  • Director, Mobile Monday Silicon Valley, 2011-2013
  • Co-Founder, Mobile Monday Momentum Accelerator, 2013
  • Chairman, MIT Wireless Forum, 2001-2003
  • Entrepreneur Committee, MIT Club of Boston, 2001-2003
  • VP Communications, MIT Club of New York, 1997-1999

Patents

  • US Patent 8,180,376 for Mobile Analytics Tracking and Reporting
  • US Patent 8,620,315 for Multi-tiered anti-abuse registration for a mobile device user
  • US Patent 6,341,779 for Mathematical Card and Dice Game

Awards

  • 2022 AWS "Invent & Simplify" Leadership Principle Award Winner (AWS)
  • 2019 Voicebot Top Technologist in Voice (Dashbot)
  • 2018 Gartner Cool Vendor in AI for Conversational Platforms (Dashbot)
  • 2018 MIT AI Idol Winner (Dashbot)
  • 2011 Telecom Council Spiffy Edison Award for Most Innovative Startup (Motally)
  • 2010 Mobile Ecosystem Forum Meffy Winner for Business Intelligence (Motally)
  • 2009 Amazon AWS Startup Challenge Finalist (Motally)

Skills

  • Generative AI
  • Conversational AI, chatbots, voice assistants
  • Big data, analytics
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Marketing, Product Marketing
  • Business Development, Sales
  • Product Management
  • Public Speaking
  • P&L responsibility
  • Managing cross-functional teams
  • Startup operations
  • Reporting to executive board

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

B.S. Management Sciences