Head of Studios

Are you an expert and motivated self-starter who is passionate about building businesses? Do you enjoy working with seed stage startups? If so, imagine a career where you deliver breakthrough impact, scale innovation and open new pathways to growth as part of a community that works at CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA insurer, in our Mountain View, CA office.

As the Head of Accelerator working on the Venture Capital team, you will build a hybrid model that blends the standard methodologies of accelerators, incubators and studios. You will select specific seed stage startups to engage with to help grow both the startup and CSAA IG. You will have the opportunity to program manage, drive impact, and growth; using CSAA IG’s resources in areas such as insurtech, autonomous vehicle / connected car, analytics and artificial intelligence, IoT – Connected Home, and applications of blockchain.

A typical day includes:

• Identifying startups and entrepreneurs in relevant focus areas using a design thinking approach to develop a process of growing and building startups
• Assisting entrepreneurs in business strategy and drive engagement with CSAA IG internal partners
• Dove tail this process with the Innovation Team within CSAA IG. This position requires broad eye for business and startup ecosystem credibility to effectively nurture relationships in the start-up ecosystem.

As a valued member of our community, you will:

• Work with Innovation and Venture Capital teams to identify the right accelerator opportunities, achievements, metrics and critical metrics.
• Collaboratively build a successful and repeatable accelerator model.
• Program manage daily operations of the accelerator and ensure startups are on track to meet achievements
• Actively, and continuously, build great relationships with a pipeline of seed stage startups to understand their priorities, share accelerator vision, and discuss opportunities for collaboration.
• Develop diligence plans on seed stage startups, drive the diligence process, write investment recommendations and presentations as necessary.
• Collaborate with entrepreneurs to understand their business challenges and opportunities.
• Build and maintain a network of high caliber Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIR). Collaborate with EIRs to guide entrepreneurs in building their products/ GTM roadmaps.
• Assist in aligning entrepreneurs’ roadmaps to address CSAA IG’s challenges.
• Evangelize CSAA IG externally and demonstrate thought leadership; contribute significantly to CSAA IG startup ecosystem events.
• Represent CSAA IG at external events, conferences, Silicon Valley meetups, forums, etc.
• Cultivate collaborative relationships within the CSAA IG / AAA ecosystem.
• Recommend operational and financial metrics and help monitor accelerator portfolio.
• Maintain a pulse on market developments and the startup ecosystem.
• May include people management.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong operating experience building early-stage businesses.
• Bring existing high quality, senior relationships in the startup ecosystem in Silicon Valley.
• Use your relationship management, communication, and interpersonal skills at all levels within or outside CSAA IG.
• Recruit high quality entrepreneurs, working with the Venture Capital and Innovation teams
• Serve as a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs and startup teams by providing thoughtful and strategic level guidance, coaching, and critique in service of delivering long-term viable companies and building long-term growth.
• Thorough understanding of the startup and venture capital environment with trusted relationships across the ecosystem.
• Curious with an open-mind for disruptive technology trends, products and business models, across multiple different domains and areas.
• Create compelling presentations, write (narrative prose and slides), evangelize, influence, negotiate, and able to think quickly on your feet.
• Trusted executive presence, maturity and discretion.
• Collaborative working style, adaptable and flexible.
• Comfortable with juggling multiple projects concurrently

Experience

• Network in community

  • Accelerators / Studios / Labs

  • Early stage investors (angels and VCs)

  • Universities and other potential partnerships

• Understanding of various accelerator/incubation/studios/labs models
  • Have a vision and point of view on how Avanta Ventures’ Studios can be differentiated
  • Articulate the what, why and how

• Design thinking approach
  • Program design and development
  • Execution (in a structured, 1:many yet customized approach)

• Evangelism
  • Generate and source deal flow
  • Curate events
  • Speak and represent Avanta Ventures (and CSAA IG)

Qualifications

Required:

• MBA from prestigious school or equivalent work experience
• 10+ years of relevant high-tech industry experience
• 10+ years’ experience in startup ecosystem, or in a corporate ventures & Accelerator setting
• 3 – 5 years’ experience with people responsibility in a VC backed startup

Preferred:

• BS in engineering/technical disciplines
• Experience in the insurance industry
• Experience in Design Thinking and Agile methodologies
• Additional experience in corporate strategy, strategy consulting, or investment banking with a focus on technology, is a plus

Be part of a community that works

At CSAA Insurance Group, we take pride in our values-based culture. Helping our employees lead enriched lives and satisfying careers is how we work. Our employees appreciate the integrity and inclusion that is evident throughout our everyday interactions. We respect the diverse range of perspectives, backgrounds and cultures of our teams, and join together when it comes to helping our members, community or one another.

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, our community also works in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey and Oklahoma. Learn more about us at CSAA-Insurance.aaa.com/careers

Let’s work together

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

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