Drew Chapin
  • @chapin
  • I’m Drew Chapin, an early-stage startup growth and business development specialist who is the Head of Commerce at a stealth startup and an online discovery consultant based in New York City.

I was the Head of E-Commerce at the leading birthday calendar app, Birthday.App, which helps tens of thousands of people become that friend who never forgets a birthday. I was tasked with building its gift market place, sourcing key relationships. I also worked to lead organic growth efforts with an emphasis on search engine and app store optimization.

From its inception in 2017 until the end of 2020, I was the founding business director on the Board of Directors at Jomboy Media, a new-media group which has become the leading independent sports media brand in the United States.

In 2014, I founded Benja, an early-mover in shoppable media advertising. We built an interactive ad network, a collection of e-commerce stores, and a personalized shopping mobile app. I was hands-on in all aspects of business development including ideation, project management for the development of multiple technical projects, partnership sourcing and negotiation, and operations. I was named to the 2017  100 People to Watch in Blockchain in recognition of our effort to converting our ad network into a blockchain project and I wrote a book about the experience. Benja ultimately failed, filing for bankruptcy in late 2020, and I regularly speak about the dangers of "fake it 'til you make it" in startup culture.


Prior to that, I:

  • Was the first business hire at Feathr, where I built the initial sales plan, revenue model, and go-to-market strategy.
  • Executed marketing campaigns for the Color Labs live video-streaming service on college campuses and tourism locations in New England. Color was acquired by Apple.
  • Lead sales and marketing efforts at Vermont Spirits Distilling Co., an award-winning distillery in Quechee, Vermont.
  • Worked at Microsoft around the launch of Windows 7 and Office 2010, executing marketing campaigns on college campuses around New England.

I have a Bachelors in Business Administration from Vermont State University where I was president of the student body for two terms and was a founding member of the Lyndon Student Investment Group. Additionally, I volunteer my time with animal-related non-profits.

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Resume

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Aug 2023 - Aug 2024

Head of E-Commerce, Birthday App

Apr 2017 - Dec 2020

Business Director, Jomboy Media

Jul 2014 - Nov 2020

Chief Executive Officer, Benja Commerce Network

Jul 2013 - Jul 2014

VP of Business Development, Feathr