### **hi πŸ‘‹ it’s lindsay and james** We founded SWIM to help early-stage tech companies get their sh*t together. If you choose SWIM, you’ll work directly with one or both of us. We occasionally pull in trusted partners, but you’ll always sign off on that first. Wanna know more? πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡πŸ‘‡ ### **meet lindsay** - #### πŸ€“ professional stuff Lindsay is a creative at heart, but loves a tidy biz and thrives on continuous learning, so she has carved her niche as a generalist. Lindsay has [13+ years of experience](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayagonzalez/) leading companies from startups through high-growth stages and beyond, taking a systems-driven and people-first approach. As a 3X founding member of successful tech companies and a 2X employee #1, she has handheld some of the most visionary leaders through countless difficult decisions. She played a key role in growing [Zeta Global](https://zetaglobal.com/) to over 1,000 employees by leveraging data-driven cloud technology that took them to a recent IPO at a 1.27b valuation. In 2017, after more than a year at sea working on medical aid and oceanic research projects, Lindsay helped to found and grow [EarthToday](https://earthtoday.com/), a Netherlands-based mass-scale nature protection engine. She also helped produce [this Weather Channel documentary](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9820546/) and [this Discovery docuseries](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13410602/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) about the Arctic ice melt in the Northwest Passage. In 2020, Lindsay led [Playground](https://playgroundapp.com/) through a successful $2.3M raise, then joined as COO to launch a scaling web 3 social platform. For Lindsay, it’s all about building technology that allows more of our differences to create more joy and less tragedy. She does that by growing for-purpose companies with impactful technology, starting with building strong teams poised to accelerate in strategic markets. - #### πŸŽ‰ fun stuff Lindsay lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and their daughter. πŸ΄β€β˜ οΈ She spent more than a year at sea on a (good) pirate-like ship. πŸ‹ πŸ§‘β€πŸš€ She has swum with astronauts and humpback whales. At the same time. 🚐 She once spent a summer retrofitting an old bus whilst crisscrossing the US. πŸ”₯ She recently retired from her 8-year BM run as a 5X camp lead. 🀿 She scubas, loves trampoline parks, and never gave up on snow blades (short skis). 🎨 Sometimes she makes art. 🌈 She loves bold color combos (can you tell?) ### **meet james** - #### πŸ€“ professional stuff James has [17+ years of leadership experience](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfreid) spanning facilities and real estate, people operations, recruiting, IT and accounting, professional services, and food and beverage. He has led operations for [Primer AI](https://primer.ai/) since 2016, playing a key role in building a groundbreaking machine learning business. James helped close Series B funding in 2018 and continues to expand and scale the company. James then led operations for Lightform, an SF-based hardware company building hardware that transforms spaces and experiences using projection mapping. Following the success of his own business, Zeal Wine Imports, James played a valuable role in guiding several other entrepreneurs by providing insights across operational viability, risk management, and scalability, including Berkeley Research Group and Kiwi Landing Pad. - #### πŸŽ‰ fun stuff πŸŠπŸ»β€β™‚οΈ James swims year round in Lake Wakatipu without a wetsuit (46Β°F in winter). πŸš£β€β™€οΈ He represented New Zealand Universities in rowing. 🐾 He loves his beautiful Bernese Mountain dog named George. πŸ‘―β€β™€οΈ He’s the proud father of two girls, Elise and Sonja, ages 6 & 7, and husband to his wife, Becca. πŸŒ‰ James is NZ-born, but lived in San Francisco Bay Area for 18 years. 🌈 He may or may not find Lindsay’s website color choices wildly offensive, but he’s too kind to comment either way, so, here we are.