Van Freeman Email & Phone Number

New York City, New York, Us

Mentoring startups in a remote-first environment, I support their strategy, offer firsthand experience, and guide their growth. Since 2006, Techstars has worked with startups across various verticals, from aerospace to finance, logistics, and retail, connecting them to a network of successful mentors and partners. Each year, Techstars chooses over 500 early-stage companies to join one of their 3-month, mentorship-driven accelerators, investing $120K and providing hands-on mentorship and access to the Techstars network for life. Mentoring startups in a remote-first environment, I support their strategy, offer firsthand experience, and guide their growth. Since 2006, Techstars has worked with startups across a range of verticals, from aerospace to finance, logistics, and retail, connecting them to a network of successful mentors and partners. Each year, Techstars chooses over 500 early-stage companies to join one of their 3-month, mentorship-driven accelerators, investing $120K and providing hands-on mentorship and access to the Techstars network for life.

As Principal at QED Solutions, I play a crucial role in aiding my client’s navigation of the complex and ever-changing landscape of industry best-practices, government policy and regulation, with a focus on small business growth, workforce strategy, and economic development.- I am responsible for developing and executing strategies that support regulations and public opinion to help clients' interests. This requires a deep understanding of the political process, as well as a network of relationships with key decision-makers in government, media, and other organizations. - I advise small businesses and Start-ups by developing and implementing strategies to promote their growth. With a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by small businesses, I develop creative solutions to address problems. I have built and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including small business owners, industry associations, government agencies, and other organizations that support small businesses. - I support organizations with designing and implementing effective workforce strategies that align with their business objectives. My deep understanding of the current workforce landscape, including labor market trends, demographics, and emerging technologies, allows me to develop and implement talent management and workforce development strategies that address skills gaps, promote diversity and inclusion, and improve employee retention in an ever-changing marketplace.- I bring years of experience engaging the drivers of economic development, such as industry clusters, innovation ecosystems, infrastructure investment, and workforce development. I work with my clients to develop and implement strategies that leverage these drivers to create new business opportunities, attract and retain high-quality jobs, and promote sustainable growth. I help my clients achieve their policy and business objectives through my leadership, vision, and expertise.

• Lead venture capital strategic advisory committee to address strategic roadmaps and improve growth for early-stage start-ups with minority founders and CEOs.• Recruit and engage limited partners to increase access to working capital for underrepresented minorities.• Develop relationships with CEOs, start-up founders, accelerators, angel investors, innovation hubs and venture capital funds to identify investment opportunities.• Perform due diligence on early-stage companies, app products, SaaS platforms and growth strategies to highlight value propositions.

Washington, Dc, Us

• Led regional strategy development and implementation of the go-to-market plan for partners and stakeholders in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV).➙ Formulated regional customer engagement strategy while establishing objectives and key results (OKRs) to achieve organizational goals.➙ Manage staff of two and define and implement metrics for management by objectives (MBOs).➙ Engage local, regional and national training providers to improve employer engagement opportunities and increase job seeker hiring rates of STARs (trained professionals skilled through alternative routes) with in-demand skills.➙ Support the lead generation and grow customer acquisition by building relationships with enterprise companies and small and medium-sized businesses.➙ Identify and address barriers preventing companies from using skills-based hiring models to increase the talent pipeline for in-demand roles.• Targeting tech employers to drive the launch and promote user adoption of Stellarworx SaaS platform that matches trained STAR professionals with inclusive employers (proprietary skills-based hiring approach to fill in-demand roles).• Developed data-driven enterprise-wide and team decision-making tools and systems to capture workflows and enable future-state optimization of best practices at scale using Salesforce.

Arlington, Va, Us

• Leveraged federal, state and local social policy knowledge to support aerospace/defense workforce councils, committees and working groups to drive best practices development, inform industry leaders and engage influential policymakers.• Represented AIA member companies and developed AIA strategic initiatives around workforce-related issues to promote diversity, equity and inclusion of underserved communities in STEM fields.➙ Served on committees for National Governors’ Association (State Role in National Defense Project) and National Science Foundation (Regional STEM Workforce Needs in the Wake of COVID-19).➙ Represented AIA as principal spokesperson in meetings and conferences.➙ Aligned AIA national workforce and STEM efforts with other industry organizations, government agencies and nongovernment partners, including partnering with Business Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers.• Analyzed government regulations and policy proposal implications for member companies regarding workforce and STEM education issues.➙ Coordinated committee membership’s review and formulation of industry position.➙ Responded to rule-making policies on behalf of member organizations.➙ Developed content to be digestible by members’ executive, HR and government affairs and government agency representatives.

Washington, District Of Columbia, Us

• Directed strategy for HR, legislative affairs, communications, audit, unemployment insurance, special projects (paid family leave and DC Infrastructure Academy) and external affairs.➙ Drove key hiring/training, stakeholder engagement and capital project management ($80 million).➙ Modernized unemployment insurance program (over $150 million in local, state and federal funding per year) with a $40 million grant.➙ Led administrative strategy and day-to-day management of 10 direct reports.➙ Ensured strategy and administrative support for wage theft and adjudication, labor law enforcement, worker safety and universal paid family leave.• Partnered with general counsel to develop universal paid family leave rules and regulations.• Collaborated with senior leadership team to lead projects with considerable cross-business and cross-functional strategy alignment.• Developed thought leadership platforms including public statements, conference presentations and opinion articles for agency director to establish brand and organizational awareness.

Syosset, New York, Us

• Coordinated government relations committees and provided impact briefings on workforce and economic development programs to mid-market companies.• Engaged key association management stakeholders to identify businesses that wanted to increase diversity on their corporate board and institutionalize diversity and inclusion efforts.

Washington, Dc, Us

• Proactively built collaborative relationships to advance agency’s public policy objectives and mission and led congressional outreach with key caucuses, committees, national nonprofits and associations.• Advised senior leadership team on national programming objectives, fiscal approaches and congressional priorities, providing in-depth analytical assessments of relevant public policy issues.• Advocated for minority businesses to improve access to capital opportunities, developed lab-to-market collaborations and increased supply chain diversity.

Washington, Dc, Us

• Directly managed 12-member staff for secretary of commerce, developing organizational strategies and communicating key elements in fast-paced, time-sensitive environment.• Coordinated interdepartmental drafting and clearance process for analysis and development of memoranda, briefing documents and classified material for White House, NSC and NEC.

Chicago, Illinois, Us

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Us

Chicago, Illinois, Us

Zurich, Ch

Mountbatten Programme

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Summer internships from 2001 - 2004.

Doctor Of Law - Jd, Community Development And Corporate Law

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Mathematics

Education record