Alex Priest
🧳

Alex Priest

Exploring something new. in Austin, TX, He/him

Exploring new ideas for how people travel.

2 years ago

About

I’m an operations, strategy, and marketing leader with 12+ years of experience building and growing disruptive startups. As the 35th employee at Uber, I was fortunate to witness firsthand what it’s like to grow a company from an idea to a verb. And I was privileged to help lead the team at Wheel Health through exponential growth as the pandemic forced the world to reevaluate how we get the care we need.

I’m also a dad, husband, reader, traveler, cyclist, photographer, musician, and nerd. I love collaborating on interesting problems, tinkering with new tech, working with my hands, and scribbling in the margins of books from my ever-expanding antilibrary.

Today, I’m exploring new ideas and opportunities as I walk the fine line between showing up for my growing family and making my mark on the world. Above all, I’m doing my best to intentionally architect a meaningful, interesting life.

My family and I live in Austin, TX.

Contact

LinkedIn
Twitter
Threads

Work Experience

2021 — 2022
Austin, TX

Key strategic partner to the CEO. Supported fundraising (Series B and C), organizational growth (4x to >200 employees in one year), executive recruiting (CMO, CCO, CTO, CPO, and various VPs), and led corporate strategy and planning.

2021 — 2022
Austin, TX

Interim CMO during lengthy search process for full-time executive. Led all marketing and communications (internal and external) and doubled size of the marketing team during period of explosive growth.

2018 — 2018
San Francisco, CA

As the first marketing and communications executive, I was tasked with building strategies for three core pillars of growth: brand, policy, and communications. This included developing our first corporate brand strategy, running point on expansion and policy, and leading PR through Series B funding, multi-state expansion, and the PReP product launch.

2016 — 2018
San Francisco, CA

Managed strategy, planning, operations, recruiting, internal communications, organizational development, change management, and crisis response for Uber's 200+ employee global marketing team.

2014 — 2016
San Francisco, CA

Recruited and managed 15-person team to execute Uber's first global social media, content marketing, and CRM strategy; spearheaded first corporate brand marketing and social responsibility initiatives.

2013 — 2014
San Francisco, CA

Scaled marketing and operations tactics and strategies to more than 100 countries; developed knowledge base for global operations teams; led first national and global marketing campaigns.

2013 — 2013
Washington, DC

Recruited and managed 10-person team responsible for all marketing, communications, and customer support in the DC metropolitan area, Uber’s fastest-growing market from 2011-2012.

2011 — 2013
Washington, DC

Helped launch Washington, DC, Uber’s sixth market; managed all marketing, support, grassroots policy, and events.

2011 — 2011
Director of Marketing at GeniusRocket
Bethesda, MD

As the first full-time marketing employee, crafted all marketing, communications, and brand strategy; designed testing, analytics, and measurement processes for inbound marketing.

Projects

2019
Traveled to All 7 Continents

After getting married, my wife and I embarked on our "honeysun" (honeymoon x one trip around the sun)—traveling to all seven continents in one year. This planet and our species are amazing.

Side Projects

Ongoing

SOMEWHERE® is a groundbreaking fashion hub and community cafe. While they have far more style than I do, I leverage my experience and network to help them continue to innovate and grow.

2019
Advisor at Zebra

Advised the Zebra executive team on marketing, operations, policy, and communications strategy.

Volunteering

2022 — Now
Austin, TX

On the advisory board for the Department of Psychiatry at Dell Medical School, focused on supporting UT Austin's Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy.

2020 — 2020
Marfa, TX

I worked with Marfa Schools' staff and volunteers on two projects during the COVID-19 crisis: Camp Summer Shake Up (summershakeup.org: a website for summer programs forced online due to COVID) and Tech the Halls (techthehallsmarfa.com: a site that facilitated more than $10,000 in donations for the schools' annual technology fundraiser).

Marfa ISD has 289 students and 61 faculty/staff. It is the second largest school district in Texas by landmass, spanning more than 3,000 square miles of Presidio County and stretching south to the banks of the Rio Grande. 84% of the student body is economically disadvantaged.

Education

2020 — 2020

Participated in the fourth cohort of the On Deck Fellowship: a 10-week virtual program for ideating, networking, and creating with startup founders across the globe.

2007 — 2011
Washington, DC

Activities and societies: AU Social Media Club, University Honors Program, Student Honors Board, Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, AU Ambassadors, the 1955 Club, AU Crew, Screamin' Eagles Pep Band, Alpha Lambda Delta, AU Democrats, AU PRSSA, The Eagle student newspaper, Eco-Sense, Beta Gamma SigmaActivities and societies: AU Social Media Club, University Honors Program, Student Honors Board, Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, AU Ambassadors, the 1955 Club, AU Crew, Screamin' Eagles Pep Band, Alpha Lambda Delta, AU Democrats, AU PRSSA, The Eagle student newspaper, Eco-Sense, Beta Gamma Sigma

Graduated summa cum laude with a 3.95 GPA. Dean's List for every semester.

Recipient of the Presidential Scholarship, Harry Wheaton Scholarship, Luchs Family Scholarship, Bruce Hughes Award and President's Award.