{"$schema":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jsonresume/resume-schema/v1.0.0/schema.json","basics":{"name":"Mike Rowan","label":"7x Founder","image":"https://saywise-production-profilepicturestoragebucket-kbfooccc.s3.amazonaws.com/profile-pictures/7f721060-861c-4beb-91b8-6d2c9006d4cf/linkedin-1784120985387.png","summary":"7x Founder, 3 exits, early vp @ SendGrid responsible for Product R&D (product studio/lab) through our IPO & acquisition by Twilio (~3B). I've launched & operated 4 very different product studios, including Techstars Studio where I served as Chief Product Officer. Back in the day I'd been a co-founder of an ISP and multiple infrastructure security companies.","location":{"city":"Stonington, ME, United States"},"profiles":[{"network":"LinkedIn","username":"itsmikerowan","url":"https://linkedin.com/in/itsmikerowan"}]},"meta":{"canonical":"https://saywise.com/mike","version":"v1.0.0","lastModified":"2026-07-15T13:09:49.210Z"},"x_saywise":{"handle":"mike","slug":null,"isPrimary":true,"pronouns":null,"availability":null,"oneLiner":"7x Founder, 3 exits, early vp @ SendGrid responsible for Product R&D (product studio/lab) through our IPO & acquisition by Twilio (~3B). I've launched & operated 4 very different product studios, including Techstars Studio where I served as Chief Product Officer. Back in the day I'd been a co-founder of an ISP and multiple infrastructure security companies.","profileUrl":"https://saywise.com/mike","markdownUrl":"https://saywise.com/mike/profile.md","pdfUrl":"https://saywise.com/mike/resume.pdf"},"work":[{"name":"Shepherd AI","position":"Chief Technology Officer","startDate":"2026-01-01","summary":"Shepherd is the hybrid law firm for startups. We combine AI-powered technology with experienced attorneys to deliver faster, more transparent, fixed priced legal services for early-stage startups and small businesses. To learn more, please go to https://www.yourshepherd.ai."},{"name":"Rowan Perspective","position":"Founder & Principal","startDate":"2025-07-01","summary":"Infrastructure perspective from 30 years of building at scale. I help founders and investors see what they're missing, look around corners, and remove roadblocks. Background: - Built one of the early ISPs (1994) - SendGrid: Early team → IPO → Twilio acquisition - Founding team at GeoTrust → VeriSign/Symantec acquisition - 7 companies founded, multiple exits - Operated across startups, public companies, and venture studios What I Do: I bring infrastructure and operational perspective to help you see opportunities, anticipate what breaks, and scale from 1 → 3 → 10+. I help you lead by identifying and removing roadblocks—strategic and operational. I provide perspective through quick sessions, deep engagements, or ongoing partnerships—depending on what you need. Tech founders: Deep on infrastructure and operations. Non-tech founders: Technical bridge + operational guidance. Investors: Portfolio-wide perspective. → mikerowan.com"},{"name":"The Baldwin Group","position":"Digital Product Strategy & Innovation","startDate":"2025-01-01","endDate":"2025-06-01","summary":"Led digital product strategy and innovation initiatives focused on improving enterprise sales operations. Work included: • Designing AI-enabled tools and workflows to improve advisor effectiveness • Driving operational efficiency across sales platforms and internal systems • Partnering with business and technology leaders to move from concept to execution"},{"name":"PEF Community","position":"Member","startDate":"2023-01-01","summary":"A global community of post-exit founders supporting each other on life's endless journey to find purpose, fulfillment, and meaning."},{"name":"Parambil","position":"Advisor","location":"New York, United States","startDate":"2022-12-01","summary":"Parambil is an Al-powered knowledge platform built for tort law. Products on market include automatic case validation, medical chronologies, complaints, fact sheets and more..."},{"name":"Get Structure","position":"Co-founder & CEO","startDate":"2021-01-01","endDate":"2023-10-01","summary":"Operations as a service for venture-backed founders. The operational & financial visibility needed to be a data-driven decision maker. We take care the business & financial operations so founders can lead their business more effectively. - Accounting & Bookkeeping - Corporate Setup & Entity Compliance - Planning & Budgets - Financial Performance Reviews - Financial & Data Room Organization - Mentor Support & Guidance"},{"name":"Techstars","position":"Chief Product Officer","startDate":"2018-01-01","endDate":"2020-01-01","summary":"Chief Product Officer responsible for product strategy, execution, and operating discipline across Techstars’ product studio venture initiatives. Primary responsibilities: • Product strategy, roadmap, and execution across studio platform and programs • Building scalable product and operating systems supporting founders and teams • Partnering with leadership, operators, investors, and studios to drive clarity and execution This work operated at portfolio scale, balancing platform needs, founder experience, and operational discipline. Additional roles @ Techstars: • Entrepreneur in Residence (2019–2020), guiding founders w/operational & product support • Mentor (2016 - ongoing), providing guidance to early-stage companies across cohorts"},{"name":"SendGrid","position":"VP Product, SendGrid Labs (Product Studio)","startDate":"2011-01-01","endDate":"2018-01-01","summary":"IPO (SEND) in 2017 & later Acquired by Twilio (TWLO) Founded and led SendGrid Labs, an internal product studio focused on Product R&D (Horizon 2 & 3) in/validating next generation products for our customers to love and value. - Multi-channel marketing automation, workflows, APIs and applications - Data replication & transformation APIs and applications - Cloud-based load testing platform for APIs and applications - IOT device deployment and messaging framework - Email Advertising platform and APIs for multichannel display ad campaigns - DSP / CDP design, architecture & integrations"},{"name":"Self-employed","position":"Founder / Operator — Product Studios","startDate":"2010-01-01","endDate":"2020-01-01","summary":"Built and operated multiple product studio ventures spanning infrastructure, developer tools, and early-stage incubation. Studios included: • Stray Labs (acquired by SendGrid) — a developer & infrastructure focused studio building tools and systems-oriented products prior to SendGrid. • Joy Labs — a venture-focused studio enabling design and development of new software products and early-stage initiatives. • Hive Hatch — an early-stage investment and venture participation effort focused on structured ideation and founder support. Across these efforts: • Led product strategy and 0→1 execution across multiple concurrent initiatives • Conducted diligence and participated in early-stage opportunities • Allocated capital and operating resources across portfolio bets • Owned financial operations, P&L management, and performance visibility • Built repeatable discovery, delivery, and operating systems • Operated both as hands-on product leader and strategic decision-maker"},{"name":"Stray Labs","position":"Founder & CEO","location":"Providence County, Rhode Island, United States","startDate":"2010-01-01","endDate":"2011-01-01","summary":"Acquired by SendGrid. A product studio for developer tools/services."},{"name":"RatePoint, Inc","position":"Co-founder & CTO","startDate":"2006-09-01","endDate":"2011-01-01","summary":"RatePoint, founded with other former GeoTrust co-founders to help small businesses collect, manage and promote consumer driven reviews & feedback. Operators of local business email and survey platforms to support local business growth Designed and operated reputation api/knowledge graph for local businesses Designed & Powered API first likeness & recommendation engine for SaaS integration"},{"name":"GeoTrust","position":"Head of Product and R&D (founding team)","startDate":"2000-01-01","endDate":"2006-01-01","summary":"Acquired by VeriSign/Symantec (2006) Digital Certificate Provider (SSL, TLS, S/MIME) Inventor of domain validated SSL certificates. Committee of EV SSL Standards Builder & operators of Anti-Phishing API’s and Services Platform (major browsers integrated) Operators of ubiquitous Certificate Authority platform Operators of managed PKI, S/MIME services for fortune 100 companies"},{"name":"mVPN / mPKI","position":"Co-founder & CTO","startDate":"1999-01-01","endDate":"2001-01-01","summary":"Acquired by GeoTrust Managed PKI / Digital Certificate & Signing Platform Software Code Signing Services Platform First ubiquitous Certificate Authority platform VPN & S/MIME management platform (Secure Email) Digital Certificate Provider (SSL, TLS, S/MIME)"},{"name":"Netsense AS","position":"Co-founder & CTO","startDate":"1994-01-01","endDate":"1999-10-01","summary":"Internet Service Provider (ISP) - Operated from 1.5 POP (others had ~6) - Local dialup & business connections - Frame relay and network mgmt for State - DNS management services for large cos and providers Competed with AOL @ 25/mo for unlimited Web & Application Development Infrastructure design and build out (telco pots through digital)"},{"name":"American Power Conversion (APC)","position":"Data / Network Platform Engineer","location":"United States","startDate":"1991-02-01","endDate":"1997-02-01","summary":"Designed & built (engineered & product) data collection, monitoring, and reporting infrastructure for ISO standard / compliance."},{"name":"United States Army Reserve","position":"Army","startDate":"1990-01-01","endDate":"1998-01-01"}],"skills":[{"name":"Healthcare"},{"name":"Health tech"},{"name":"Product Innovation"},{"name":"Operations Management"},{"name":"Product Management"},{"name":"Entrepreneurship"},{"name":"Software Development"},{"name":"Software Engineering"},{"name":"Public Key Cryptography"},{"name":"Coaching & Mentoring"},{"name":"Start-ups"},{"name":"Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)"},{"name":"ERP Software"},{"name":"ERP Implementations"},{"name":"Oracle Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Cloud"},{"name":"Microsoft Dynamics ERP"},{"name":"Manufacturing Process Improvement"},{"name":"Manufacturing"},{"name":"Lean Manufacturing"},{"name":"Manufacturing Engineering"},{"name":"Team Leadership"},{"name":"Strategy"},{"name":"Leadership"},{"name":"Management"},{"name":"Process Optimization (Manufacturing)"},{"name":"Manufacturing Operations Management"},{"name":"Transport Layer Security (TLS)"},{"name":"Crypto"},{"name":"Blockchain"},{"name":"SaaS"},{"name":"Enterprise Software"},{"name":"Ruby on Rails"},{"name":"Java"},{"name":"Ruby"},{"name":"Apache"},{"name":"Git"},{"name":"REST"},{"name":"Software as a Service (SaaS)"},{"name":"Digital Certificates"},{"name":"Cryptography"},{"name":"Leadership Development"},{"name":"Cross-functional Team Leadership"},{"name":"Business Strategy"},{"name":"Business Development"},{"name":"Financial Reporting"},{"name":"Accounting"},{"name":"Financial Analysis"},{"name":"Financial Accounting"},{"name":"Financial Operations"},{"name":"Corporate Venture Capital"}]}