Founder's Therapy: Sales, Marketing & Sanity Checks
​🚀 If Sales and Marketing Aren’t Talking, You’re Flatlining
​Being a founder is exhilarating - but it’s also exhausting. You’re expected to be the salesperson, the marketer, the strategist, and now, the AI expert. Founder Therapy is a candid, interactive event designed to help you cut through the noise, sharpen your approach, and feel supported in the process.
​Marketing campaigns, cold emails, and scattered spreadsheets aren’t enough to drive consistent revenue growth. Without a strong sales ethos—the credibility, trust, and authenticity that turns prospects into loyal customers—your efforts risk falling flat. Join us for an interactive panel where we get real about aligning sales and marketing, building momentum, and using CRM systems as the flywheel connector that transforms leads into long-term customers.
​We’ll cover practical strategies to unify teams, automate processes, and make customer data work harder — all while creating a sustainable engine for growth.
​Panelists
​Damien Brown — CEO, Ghostwood Consulting LLC
​With over 12 years of experience in the digital media industry, Damien Brown is a passionate and versatile product manager specializing in SEO, analytics, and content strategy. He has now launched Ghostwood Consulting, and uses his experience in SEO and growth strategists to partner with organizations of all sizes—from venture-backed startups to private equity portfolios—to deliver measurable, sustainable results. Previously, Damien held senior roles at Khan Academy, Scribd, and Hotwire, where he built and scaled SEO, analytics, and product marketing systems that turned technical innovation into tangible business impact. His leadership has spanned launching the world’s first AI tutor, reversing multi-year traffic declines, and developing machine-learning–driven growth frameworks adopted across product and engineering teams. Known for combining technical depth with strategic clarity, Damien helps companies build resilient growth engines that connect product, marketing, and user experience to long-term success. Originally from Australia, he now calls the Bay Area home.
​Terri Denver — CEO, 1st Hound Consulting
​Terri Denver is a seasoned sales and revenue leader with global experience driving growth across B2B SaaS, technology, and services industries. She has scaled sales organizations from startups to billion-dollar acquisitions, building high-performing teams and delivering predictable, profitable revenue growth. As a Fractional Chief Revenue Officer, she partners with companies to accelerate performance, implement scalable processes, and develop top-tier sales talent. Trained in methodologies such as MEDDPICC, Sandler, and Challenger—and with Executive Leadership credentials from Berkeley Haas—Terri leads with authenticity, collaboration, and a focus on people, process, and performance. Originally from the UK, she relocated to the Bay Area in 2005 to lead global sales at TiVo.
​Ron Erd — Advisor & Consultant, Unlocking Growth
​Ron Erd is a growth executive and five-time CEO with extensive leadership experience across climate tech, hedge funds, private equity, utilities, and startups. He partners with founders and executives to build high-performing teams, design go-to-market and growth strategies, and transform uncertainty into revenue opportunities. Ron is passionate about scaling organizations, developing leadership capacity, and driving measurable business results through hands-on strategic execution.
​Noman Ahmad — Managing Partner, MochaDesigns
​Noman Ahmad is a digital marketing and business development expert with a track record of building pipelines, driving revenue, and growing market share. With experience spanning product management, consumer electronics, and startups, he helps companies develop go-to-market strategies, optimize marketing campaigns, and scale effectively. Noman thrives on turning concepts into impactful products and measurable business growth.
​Moderator:
​Katie Whitcraft — Founder, ScaleSpark
​Katie is the Co-Founder of ScaleSpark, helping businesses scale smarter and faster by turning operational chaos into clarity. With over 15 years of experience, she has led major turnarounds, scaled budgets, and built operational infrastructure that lasts. She also advises nonprofit organizations including Bay Area Creative (BAC) and empowers teams to thrive.
​🔑 What You’ll Take Away:
​The importance of sales ethos - learn how credibility, trust, and authenticity in your sales approach can dramatically improve conversion, build long-term relationships, and turn customers into promoters.
​Strategies to unify data, create real-time insights, and improve conversion rates.
​How to turn satisfied customers into promoters, fueling growth without friction.
​How to use your CRM as the flywheel connector for seamless collaboration between sales, marketing, and customer success.
​Tactics to automate lead nurturing and customer engagement without losing personalization.
​👥 Who Should Attend:
​Sales and Marketing Professionals looking to align teams.
​Business Operations and Strategy Leaders aiming for scalable growth.
​Founders and Startup Teams focused on customer-driven momentum.
​✨ Hosted by AlchemistX, Japan Innovation Campus and ScaleSpark - Founder’s Therapy is where tactical growth meets candid conversation — because scaling a company takes more than just a strategy; it takes resilience, community, and the right tools.
AlchemistX is the external innovation arm of Alchemist Accelerator, partnering with industry leaders and governments to support top entrepreneurs and bring innovation to Silicon Valley.
JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) drives Japan’s global startup ecosystem through programs like GSAP, connecting Japanese innovators with international markets and partners.
ScaleSpark helps businesses turn operational chaos into clarity, aligning teams, automating processes, and enabling data-driven growth.
DISCLAIMER:
​By registering for this event, you consent to the sharing of your contact information with the event organizer, JETRO, and JIC, for administrative and communication purposes. Your information will be handled in accordance with our privacy policy. Additionally, you also agree that JETRO, JIC, and all affiliated organizations reserve the right to take photos and video recordings during the event. These may be used for promotional purposes, including social media, websites, and other marketing channels. If you have any questions or concerns about the use of your contact information and/or do not wish to be photographed or recorded, please inform the event staff upon arrival and contact us at [email protected]. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.