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Ryan Stevens

Ryan Stevens

Founder in Ann Arbor, MI, USA

I'm the Founder of Digital Reference. I'm an operations, revenue, and customer experience focused executive. A leader that “values values” with a focus on empathy, integrity, and continuous improvement. I'm experienced in taking a lean approach to scaling revenue from $0 to $50M and building organizations from the ground up to 200+ employees. I'm professionally obsessed with online marketplace strategy, B2B ecosystems, talent development, finding operational efficiencies, and developing passionate value-driven teams.

About Ryan

Verified Professional
Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Founder
Digital Reference

Commitment Experience

30% Employee
20% Advisor
20% Founder
20% Board Member
10% Business Coach

Accomplishments

Nonprofit & 501(c)(3) Incorporation, Leadership, and Strategy

Founding Member, Vice President
Hoos4Commerce
January 2026 - Present

Summary

Key leader in the incorporation and strategic development of Hoos4Commerce, establishing the organization as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and building the foundation for long-term community engagement, alumni connectivity, and institutional impact. Partnered with alumni leadership to define organizational vision, governance structure, and programming strategy to support Black students and alumni across the McIntire ecosystem.

Strategic Advisory for Trust & Safety Ecosystem through Marketplace Risk Advisory Board

Advisory Board Member
Marketplace Risk
January 2024 - Present

Summary

Served as an advisory board member for Marketplace Risk Advisory Board, contributing strategic guidance on trust & safety, marketplace operations, and risk management across digital platforms. Collaborated with industry leaders to shape conversations and best practices around fraud prevention, user trust, and platform integrity.

Strategic Advisory & Community Impact Through UVA McIntire Advisory Board

Board Member
University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce
September 2022 - Present

Summary

Served as an active member of the McIntire Advisory Board, providing strategic guidance to school leadership on student engagement, industry alignment, and alumni-driven programming. Contributed to initiatives that strengthen connections between students, alumni, and employers.

MVP Design for Video-Based Professional Portfolio Platform

Verified
Founder
Digital Reference
January 2026 - February 2026

Summary

Led the MVP design process by communicating a clear product vision and working closely with design and development teams to bring it to life—making key decisions on scope, user journeys, and priorities to ensure alignment and momentum.

Internship Program Management & Development for SaaS Startup

Verified
Founder
Digital Reference
May 2025 - August 2025

Summary

Built and led an internship program at Digital Reference as a creative way to bootstrap the business—expanding operational capacity while providing meaningful, hands-on experience to early-career talent from communities I care deeply about.

SEO & Content Marketing Strategy for B2B Software Reputation Platform

Advisor
Subscribed
April 2025 - July 2025

Summary

Advised the Founder and leadership team at Subscribed on building a content marketing and SEO strategy aligned to their B2B marketplace model, delivering a structured playbook to support demand generation, and go-to-market execution.

Founder Coaching & Workshop Facilitation for Early-Stage Entrepreneurs

Business Coach & Facilitator
Milestone Growth Capital Institute
April 2025

Summary

Served as a consultant and workshop facilitator with Milestone Growth Capital Institute, working directly with early-stage founders to help them transition from operator to CEO. Designed and led structured sessions focused on product-market fit, financial fundamentals, and building scalable business systems.

Revitalizing a Global Media Platform Through Technology and Infrastructure

Verified
CEO
Influencer Marketing Hub
November 2024 - March 2025

Summary

Served as CEO of Influencer Marketing Hub, leading a strategic revitalization of the business by modernizing its technology stack, improving content infrastructure, and positioning the platform for long-term scalable growth. Focused on introducing best-in-class tools and systems to enhance performance, user experience, and operational efficiency.

Vice President of Operations For B2B Services Marketplace

VP of Operations
Clutch
January 2022 - January 2024

Summary

Served as Vice President of Operations during a transformational stage of company growth, overseeing operational infrastructure across revenue operations, customer support, CRM administration, marketing and sales automation, BPO management, and business development. Helped scale the organization from $35M to $45M in revenue while navigating constrained budgets, organizational restructuring, private equity expansion, and executive leadership transition. Known for building scalable operational systems, driving cross-functional alignment, and introducing AI-enabled efficiencies across core busine

Organizational Change & Crisis Management for B2B Marketplace Business

Verified
Head of Operations
Clutch
August 2018 - December 2022

Summary

Led business operations and organizational change through first-round private equity funding, BPO partner integration, COVID-19, The Black Lives Matter movement, and sharp revenue impacts due to the War in Ukraine.

References

Reference by:
Joseph Valerio
Joseph Valerio
Intern supervised by professional

Reference for Ryan's work at:

Digital Reference
Reference by:
Mac Perlinski
Mac Perlinski
Founder
Agency Partner

Reference for Ryan's work at:

Meant 4
Reference by:
Anson Ye
Anson Ye
Direct Report

Reference for Ryan's work at:

Digital Reference
Reference by:
Ethan Lutz
Ethan Lutz
Team Member

Reference for Ryan's work at:

Clutch.co
Reference by:
Oresti Dine
Oresti Dine
UX Researcher & Designer
Direct Report

Reference for Ryan's work at:

Digital Reference

Experience

Hoos4Commerce

Business Operations

Key leader in the incorporation and strategic development of Hoos4Commerce, establishing the organization as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and building the foundation for long-term community engagement, alumni connectivity, and institutional impact. Partnered with alumni leadership to define organizational vision, governance structure, and programming strategy to support Black students and alumni across the McIntire ecosystem.

Marketplace Risk

Business Operations

Served as an advisory board member for Marketplace Risk Advisory Board, contributing strategic guidance on trust & safety, marketplace operations, and risk management across digital platforms. Collaborated with industry leaders to shape conversations and best practices around fraud prevention, user trust, and platform integrity.

University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce

Corporate Strategy

Served as an active member of the McIntire Advisory Board, providing strategic guidance to school leadership on student engagement, industry alignment, and alumni-driven programming. Contributed to initiatives that strengthen connections between students, alumni, and employers.

Digital Reference

Product Strategy

Led the MVP design process by communicating a clear product vision and working closely with design and development teams to bring it to life—making key decisions on scope, user journeys, and priorities to ensure alignment and momentum.

Digital Reference

People Operations

Built and led an internship program at Digital Reference as a creative way to bootstrap the business—expanding operational capacity while providing meaningful, hands-on experience to early-career talent from communities I care deeply about.

Subscribed

Corporate Strategy

Advised the Founder and leadership team at Subscribed on building a content marketing and SEO strategy aligned to their B2B marketplace model, delivering a structured playbook to support demand generation, and go-to-market execution.

Milestone Growth Capital Institute

Business Operations

Served as a consultant and workshop facilitator with Milestone Growth Capital Institute, working directly with early-stage founders to help them transition from operator to CEO. Designed and led structured sessions focused on product-market fit, financial fundamentals, and building scalable business systems.

Influencer Marketing Hub

Corporate Strategy

Served as CEO of Influencer Marketing Hub, leading a strategic revitalization of the business by modernizing its technology stack, improving content infrastructure, and positioning the platform for long-term scalable growth. Focused on introducing best-in-class tools and systems to enhance performance, user experience, and operational efficiency.

Clutch

Global Operations

Served as Vice President of Operations during a transformational stage of company growth, overseeing operational infrastructure across revenue operations, customer support, CRM administration, marketing and sales automation, BPO management, and business development. Helped scale the organization from $35M to $45M in revenue while navigating constrained budgets, organizational restructuring, private equity expansion, and executive leadership transition. Known for building scalable operational systems, driving cross-functional alignment, and introducing AI-enabled efficiencies across core busine

Clutch

Business Operations

Led business operations and organizational change through first-round private equity funding, BPO partner integration, COVID-19, The Black Lives Matter movement, and sharp revenue impacts due to the War in Ukraine.

Skills

Change Management Organizational Development Crisis Management Business Continuity Planning Post-Investment Operations Cross-Functional Leadership B2B Marketplace Strategy SEO & Organic Growth Strategy Go-to-Market Alignment Demand Generation Strategy Founder Advisory Leadership Advisory User Experience Thinking Product Strategy MVP Development Decision-Making & Prioritization Vision Communication Bootstrapping Strategy Talent Development Program Development Program Management Intern Management Talent Pipeline Strategy Business Operations Revenue Operations Organization Change Management Operational Scaling BPO Management Platform Modernization Technology Implementation SEO & Content Infrastructure Digital Media Strategy Operational Leadership Trust & Safety Strategy Marketplace Operations Risk Management Industry Advisory Fraud Prevention Strategic Advisory Stakeholder Engagement Higher Education Collaboration Community Building Alumni Relations Nonprofit Formation 501(c)(3) Incorporation Organizational Strategy Vision Setting Governance Development Founder Coaching Workshop Facilitation Startup Strategy Product-Market Fit Validation Financial Modeling (CAC/LTV) Curriculum Development