ELATE | STRATEGIC PLANNING | AI PLANNING SYSTEM
Led the workflows and design operations behind Elate’s first AI product, Strategy Advisor, establishing a standalone revenue layer within a multi-million ARR platform.Built a structured planning system that helped Strategy and Operations leaders move from fragmented information to more clear and real-time decision-making. This release supported new revenue paths and the company’s strongest upsell performance.
Problem:
Strategy leaders relied on fragmented tools (slides, spreadsheets, and disconnected workflows) resulting in limited visibility, unclear priorities, slow decision-making, and stalled execution.Solution:
Four-module AI suite embedded directly into core planning and execution workflows:
• Strategy Advisor: Provided decision support and practical next-step guidance
• Plan Analyzer: Transformed static plans into structured, usable information
• Risk Navigator: Surfaced organizational risk using operational signal analysis
• Reporting Assistant: Generated audience-specific reports aligned with review cadencesFocused on turning fragmented inputs into structured, accessible information that leaders could use consistently. Creating greater visibility, clearer decisions, and a more dependable operating rhythm.Outcome:
Established a new AI product line and organizational capability that reshaped Elate’s roadmap, sales narrative, and market positioning. Proving AI as a revenue-generating platform layer.Results:
+ Drove the company’s two highest upsell quarters in history
+ Expanded ACV by 40%+ through AI-led sales and enterprise pilots
+ Improved retention and engagement through faster time-to-value reporting
+ Increased engineering velocity 6× through clearer workflows, reviews, and handoffs
PEARSON | EDTECH | PERFORMANCE AND LEARNING SYSTEM
Improved a performance reporting and learning system used by 15M+ learners, helping instructors make timely, informed decisions across disciplines.Enabled instructors to monitor student progress, identify gaps earlier, and provide targeted support before performance declined.
Problem:
Instructors lacked timely, actionable information about student performance, making it difficult to identify problems and intervene before learning gaps widened.Solution:
Built and refined performance workflows based on more than 300 research, feedback, and training sessions:
• Early identification of students requiring additional support
• Clear intervention points and recommended actions for instructors
• Real-time performance visibility across classes and cohorts
• Feedback loops connecting student progress to teaching decisionsWorked directly with instructors to understand their workflows, identify points of confusion, improve guidance, and refine the system based on actual use.Outcome:
Moved the platform from passive reporting toward active decision support, enabling instructors to respond earlier, work more consistently, and make better-informed decisions.Results:
+ Two patent filings for pedagogical UX innovation
+ Scaled platform supporting 15M+ active learners globally
+ Improved final student assessment scores by 5%+ across disciplines
NEXTROLL | ADTECH | CAMPAIGN WORKFLOW ACCELERATION
Standardized and improved campaign creation workflows to reduce friction and accelerate time-to-launch across a high-volume advertising platform.Helped advertisers move from setup to execution faster by turning complex, repetitive processes into clearer and more dependable workflows.
Problem:
Fragmented workflows and repetitive manual tasks slowed campaign setup, created avoidable rework, and limited operational efficiency.Solution:
Created streamlined workflows incorporating assisted generation, reusable patterns, and bulk-editing capabilities:
• Consolidated multi-step processes into connected workflows
• Introduced automation for repetitive configuration tasks
• Improved clarity and consistency across campaign setup
• Reduced dependency on manual adjustments and reworkTested and refined improvements based on actual usage, recurring issues, and feedback from the people completing the work.Outcome:
Made campaign creation faster and more predictable, enabling teams to focus more attention on planning and performance rather than repetitive setup.Results:
+ Reduced campaign launch time by 6×
+ Increased task completion rate by 35%
+ Improved multi-step workflow efficiency by 40%
TRIMBLE | INDUSTRIAL | ENTERPRISE IDENTITY AND ACCESS SYSTEM
Led cross-functional work to establish a unified identity and access platform supporting 35M+ users across more than 200 products within Trimble’s Connected OS.Simplified authentication, access, and account workflows, enabling people and teams to move across systems with less friction and greater consistency.
Problem:
Fragmented authentication systems across more than 200 products created inconsistent practices, slowed collaboration, and increased operational and technical complexity.Solution:
Helped establish a shared enterprise identity system as part of a broader Connected OS transformation:
• Standardized identity and access workflows across global teams
• Defined governance, permissions, and shared standards for consistency
• Documented common patterns and decision frameworks
• Facilitated alignment across 100+ stakeholders and product groupsBalanced the need for organization-wide consistency with the practical requirements of individual teams and products.Outcome:
Reduced friction across the ecosystem while creating clearer standards, stronger coordination, and a more scalable foundation for access and collaboration.Results:
+ Reduced workflow complexity by 60% for 35M+ users globally
+ Aligned 100+ stakeholders across a distributed product ecosystem
+ Established scalable governance patterns adopted across the product suite
HIGHLIGHTS
Over the last decade, I’ve turned high-stakes ambiguity, fragmented systems, and organizational friction into clearer workflows, dependable operating structures, and measurable results.My work focuses on building the practical, cross-functional foundations that help teams move from reactive problem-solving toward consistent, accountable, and sustainable execution.
Across every role, I operate as a systems-focused leader. Understanding how work currently happens, identifying where information or responsibility breaks down, and creating clearer ways for teams to coordinate, decide, and deliver.The pattern holds throughout my career, as I continue to guide:+ Process Improvement: Documenting how work moves, identifying friction, and implementing practical improvements+ Systems & Governance: Establishing shared standards, reusable structures, access practices, and clear ownership+ Operational Efficiency: Reducing cycle times, unnecessary steps, manual work, and avoidable rework+ Cross-Functional Leadership: Aligning technical and business teams around clear decisions, responsibilities, and next steps
ABOUT
I built my first website in the Navy and learned to deliver accurately under deadline in the newsroom. Over the 15+ years since then, I’ve worked across healthcare, advertising, industrial systems, and education. Improving workflows, systems, and digital services while balancing people’s needs, organizational goals, and technical constraints.The tools have changed considerably. The instinct has not: listen carefully, understand where work is breaking down, and create a clearer, more dependable way forward.I work best with teams that stay curious, communicate openly, and care about getting the details right. Listening grounds the work. Clarity makes it usable. Follow-through makes it last.When I’m not working through complicated systems, I’m outdoors with my dog, Massimo: skiing, fishing, hiking, and camping. He enjoys it all. We enjoy it all.Have a complex system or workflow to improve? Say hi.Let's build something impactful together.
© Zach Kulpa. All rights reserved.