Jennifer Marks

About

Startup President in the liquor/spirits space with hands-on experience raising capital (from friends & family through family offices/venture) and leading a major pivot from DTC to wholesale. Built GTM plans, leveraged partnerships to secure distribution across 8 states, and launched an American Single Malt positioned as a category leader ahead of TTB ratification, including product/brand strategy and multi-market rollout.

Experience

Education

Key Strengths

• Raised capital by progressing from friends & family to family offices and venture firms
• Led pivot from DTC-only to wholesale/commercial model despite limited commercial-side data
• Built GTM plan tying funding use to launch execution
• Secured distribution partnership achieving placement in 8 US states
• Drove rapid sell-through (SKU sold out almost immediately) and used velocity to prove staying power
• Identified and executed category shift to American Single Malt ahead of TTB ratification to position as category leader
• End-to-end product launch execution: sourcing barrels, defining flavor profile, and finishing strategy (cognac casks)
• Brand refresh to maintain luxury positioning while improving shelf/back-bar visibility
• Resource-efficient launch approach using focused initial markets and learnings before scaling

Reference Highlights

• instrumental in strategy and execution at high organizational levels
• built businesses from concept through launch and growth
• adaptable; launched a new division during the pandemic
• strong strategic judgment with financial prudence
• bottom-line oriented decision maker
• effective cash-flow management in ambiguous funding situations
• rebuilt P&L to navigate high-stakes tradeoffs
• built teams from the ground up using industry connections
• clear role definitions and organizational clarity
• strong coach; identifies coaching moments to maximize performance
• attentive to burnout and team sustainability
• high execution discipline and meticulous planning
• strong project management across milestones
• smart prioritization and ability to shift objectives
• savvy timeline management to support successful product launch
• takes ideas from concept to market
• built the commercial side of a business
• scaled distribution from a single market to multiple US markets and internationally
• aligns sales and marketing effectively
• increases brand visibility and momentum
• balances big-picture strategy with hands-on execution
• turns vision into measurable results
• strong strategic judgment under constraints
• does a lot with very little while keeping execution focused
• keeps brand sharp and design-forward
• strong team builder in fast-moving, ambiguous environments
• hires talented, adaptable, stage-appropriate people
• creates enough structure to move fast while allowing roles to evolve
• leads with clarity and trust
• empowers teams with responsibility and accountability
• moves quickly while staying aligned and open to feedback
• prioritizes well without being overly rigid
• uses soft-launch and rapid iteration to avoid wasted effort
• successful launches and expanded distribution across SKUs