Mark Franks Email & Phone Number

San Jose, California, Us

As the new Head of Developer Relations at aiXplain, I am entrusted with our strategic vision for developer engagement. My role encompasses the design and rollout of developer resources and programs, aimed at empowering developers to craft top-tier AI solutions efficiently. I am dedicated to fostering a highly engaged, supportive, and integral developer community, pivotal to aiXplain's future success.

Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gi

In this role, I provide developers with the essential tools, resources, and support they need to build a dynamic ecosystem and foster the emergence of innovative applications. Collaborating closely with the Holochain team, I'm dedicated to driving innovation and shaping the future of decentralized applications. Together, we're paving the way for groundbreaking developments in the tech landscape.The key achievements from this tenure include the following:- Led Holochain's developer relations to enhance awareness, engagement, education, and developer satisfaction, resulting in a stronger, more active developer community.- Nurtured developer community and positioned Holochain as a premier platform for open-source peer-to-peer applications to increase adoption and drive innovation.- Spearheaded global developer engagement efforts to support/empower developers and foster a thriving ecosystem for innovative application development

San Francisco, Ca, Us

Bellevue, Washington, Us

During this tenure, I've organized and led two major hackathons and developer conferences each year, plus 10 developer webinars annually, achieving a 40% year-over-year increase in attendance and consistently high satisfaction ratings. I also hosted a coffee/code program that attracted 40 regular participants, with an average feedback score of 9/10, enhancing community engagement and knowledge sharing.A small selection of the key achievements from this role includes the following:- Established and managed developer relations and successfully liaised with cross-functional teams to achieve highest levels of community engagement, resulting in expanded and more active developer network.- Expanded developer community from 150 to 900 active, engaged members over six years, and achieved a consistent annual growth rate of 35% from 2017 to 2023.- Managed and edited developer blogs and drove 40% year-over-year increase in readership and engagement while contributing to heightened brand visibility and improved developer education.- Designed Developer MVP program to recognize 30 outstanding contributors, leading to over 50 developer blog posts per year and development of several highly impactful and innovative solutions.- Contributed to advancement of careers through MVP program, resulting in several developer promotions and increased professional development.- Encouraged developers to share knowledge by contributing over 50 blog posts, producing more than 20 video how-tos, and averaging over seven talks at conferences annually.

Irvine, Ca, Us

I managed strategic partnerships with Sprint, Apptix, and SilverSky, serving as a trusted advisor and project manager to optimize collaboration and strengthen key business relationships. I successfully executed complex upgrades and resolved critical issues, ensuring high system reliability and performance.Please note the following highlights from this tenure:|- Generated hundreds of millions in annual revenue by successfully managing and supporting Sprint's Exchange and Office365 managed services offerings using Parallels/Odin software.- Mentored peers and delivered presentations on "critical situation management" and "soft skills” to improve team capabilities and incident handling efficiency.- Oversaw two other large accounts providing managed services similar to Sprint, while generating $150M in annual revenue and bolstering company's financial performance.- Achieved consistently high CSAT scores, averaging 4.5 or above on 5-point scale, reflecting exceptional customer satisfaction and service quality.Prior Experience as Technical Account Manager/Application Development Manager, Microsoft Corporation, Sammamish, WA | Technical Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA | Industry Technical Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation | Systems Engineer, Microsoft Corporation, Santa Monica, CA

Redmond, Washington, Us

In my role as a Senior Technical Account Manager, I was directly responsible for:- Strategic ISV Partnerships: Cultivating and expanding Microsoft's relationships with ISVs across key sectors like ERP, Financial Services, and Document/Knowledge Management, focusing on the integration and optimization of Microsoft technologies such as Azure, SQL, and Dynamics 365.- Technical Leadership: Serving as the primary technical advisor, I aligned Microsoft's solutions with ISV business objectives, ensuring technology adoption that bolstered their software capabilities.Solution Implementation: Leading the architecture and implementation phases of Microsoft solutions within ISV environments, guaranteeing scalability and performance.- Lab Operations: Overseeing application compatibility labs and performance benchmarking labs to assure ISV applications achieved optimal functionality and performance on Microsoft platforms.- Customer Success: Providing proactive technical support and regular system assessments to maintain system health, preempt issues, and ensure customer satisfaction.- Knowledge Empowerment: Conducting specialized training sessions for ISV technical teams, enhancing their proficiency with Microsoft technologies for better product development.- Business Development: Identifying and nurturing growth opportunities within ISV accounts, driving both Microsoft's and ISVs' business expansion through strategic technology use.-Influencing Product Evolution: Facilitating a feedback loop from ISVs to Microsoft's product teams, ensuring our offerings evolved in line with real-world needs and market trends.

Redmond, Washington, Us

As a Technical Evangelist at Microsoft, I specialized in promoting the adoption of Microsoft technologies like COM, .NET, and Directory Services among Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) focused on Document/Knowledge Management, Workflow Automation, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). My role was pivotal in illustrating how these technologies could revolutionize data handling, process efficiency, and enterprise integration for ISVs in these industries. Through targeted workshops, technical deep-dives, and strategic partnerships, I demonstrated the practical benefits and integration pathways of Microsoft's solutions.My work extended to fostering a community of developers and ISVs, where I not only advocated for technology adoption but also played a key role in gathering actionable feedback to refine Microsoft's offerings. This engagement was crucial in ensuring that Microsoft's tools met the specific needs of these sectors, thereby enabling ISVs to deliver more robust, scalable, and innovative solutions to their clients, enhancing their market position and operational effectiveness.

Redmond, Washington, Us

Joined Microsoft as a Messaging Specialist, bringing extensive experience from my tenure as a Lotus Notes Developer. In this capacity, I worked hand-in-hand with the Enterprise Sales Team in Southern California, where I played a pivotal role in driving Exchange business growth through technical expertise and sales strategy execution, cultivating and overseeing technical partnerships with major clients such as:- Toyota- Nissan- Northrop Grumman- Lockheed Martin- Amgen- Universal Studios- Pixar- Warner BrothersMy role was crucial in building client confidence and ensuring the smooth execution of projects, significantly boosting the sales team's success.

Bachelor'S Degree, Biology/Biological Sciences, General

Philosophy