
Jonathan Chizick
GTM leader scaling startups; CEO and startup mentor
chizick
Austin, Texas
8.5K connections
Joined December 2024
Summary
GTM and growth leader for startups: Jonathan has repeatedly been the first or early business hire at high‑growth startups (notably AppZen), where he built marketing and sales functions from scratch, scaled enterprise customer bases, and materially increased ARR. His background includes hands‑on launch and campaign work across marketing, partnerships, sales operations and channel/distribution agreements. jonathanchizick+2
Builder and founder focused on mission‑driven product: He co‑founded SmartPath, an AI product aimed at simplifying home‑education research for families, and leads company strategy, product go‑to‑market, and partnerships — showing a shift from operator to founder‑CEO. smartpath+1
Active mentor, advisor, and MBA career coach: Jonathan regularly mentors startups and MBA students (Capital Factory, 500 Global, mentoring platforms) and has taken on formal MBA career advising roles (e.g., Texas McCombs), indicating a focus on coaching founders and early‑career professionals on narrative, hiring, and GTM strategies. capitalfactory+2
Corporate strategic partnerships operator: At VMware he worked in strategic business development (Office of the CTO), leading OEM/partner programs and large partner‑driven revenue outcomes, illustrating experience bridging product/technology strategy with commercial partnerships at scale. officehours+1
Work
Education
Projects
Writing
The Sam Sorbo Show — interview with Jonathan Chizick
May 1, 2025Podcast interview discussing SmartPath, homeschooling, and the team’s approach to product and mission.
The SmartPath Founder Journey
September 1, 2024Narrative about founding SmartPath and the mission of simplifying home‑education research for families.
Technology Marketing Musings (personal blog)
Collection of posts on startup GTM, marketing, and career advice published on his personal site.