Company Info for goethena.com | IcebreakerMembers
As a global legal executive, board director, and growth partner, I am relied upon by C-suites and boards to empower growth for rapidly evolving technology companies across software, cloud/SaaS, internet, security, telecommunications, and hardware, including large technology platforms spanning social media, payments, edtech, healthtech, and infrastructure.
With a uniquely balanced business + legal mindset, I advance product development, revenue optimization, strategic communications, policy formulation, regulatory strategy, organic and inorganic growth, and operational scalability.
EXPERTISE AREAS:
◉ Corporate Governance
◉ Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
◉ Legal Policy
◉ Global Policy | Global Relations
◉ Foreign Investors
◉ Crisis Communications & Management
◉ Government Affairs
◉ Ethics | Compliance | Risk Management
◉ Product Policy | Data Privacy
◉ Legal Operations
◉ Organizational Development
EXECUTIVE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
✔ Established path toward IPO for Reddit by unlocking revenue to $200M and beyond. Secured $500M through Series C and Series D funding.
✔ Served as legal lead for Google startup products, including Google Cloud Platform (member of launch team), Google Apps, Google Fiber, and others, leading Google products with growth rates between 30% and 150%.
✔ Drove several key M&A transactions and integrations throughout career, including at Google and Prosus.
ADVISORY & INVESTOR HIGHLIGHTS:
Since 2019, I have invested in emerging technologies and actively served as a strategic advisor to various seed to Series D-stage startups and private companies. I advise on legal and business matters across the legal and policy spectrum, as well as on organizational growth and scale.
✔ Researched and invested in future-forward industries including blockchain (TRM Labs), climate (Form Energy, Eclipse), edtech (Ethena), fintech (Synctera, Brex), healthtech (Solv, NoYo Technologies), and legaltech (Ironclad).
✔ Served as interim chief legal officer for The Commons Project Foundation, where I managed legal, human resources, and finance functions, and developed the CommonPass digital travel app during the COVID-19 crisis. 
About Me:
Hi, I’m Lynn Stepanenko — a mission-driven SaaS sales leader with 8+ years of experience helping fast-growing companies turn pipeline into predictable ARR.
I focus on building trust with enterprise and mid-market clients, running full sales cycles, and consistently outperforming quota. I’m someone who loves influencing direction, taking action, and leading people toward real results.
Performance Highlights:
• Closed $5M+ in new ARR
• Consistently delivered 120%+ quota attainment
• Specialized in $75K–$125K deal sizes (roughly 12–20 deals a year, 3–5 per quarter)
• Won marquee logos including Reddit, Atlassian, Databricks, Netflix, MOD Pizza, and Pinterest
I bring a mix of enterprise discipline and startup scrappiness. Whether I’m multi-threading, breaking into new accounts, or scaling revenue with repeatable playbooks, I stay focused on value and momentum.
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Core Career Identity:
• Theme Blend: Enterprising / Realistic / Social (ERS)
• MBTI: ESTJ – “The Decisive Organizer”
• StrengthsFinder: Adaptability | Strategic | Activator | Positivity | Developer
I get energy from building relationships, spotting opportunities, and turning ideas into results. I bring structure, creativity, and moxie to every challenge.
Motivators & Drivers:
• Persuasion & Influence – I love selling ideas and gaining buy-in
• Mission & Impact – I'm drawn to work that improves lives and solves real problems
• Adaptability – I stay calm during periods of change
• Activator Energy – I get things moving quickly and help others build momentum
Strengths:
• People Connector – I build trust fast and lead with warmth and clarity
• Strategic Planner – I think ahead and find smart ways forward
• Optimistic Leader – I reframe challenges into opportunities
• Growth Champion – I’m invested in helping people, teams, and systems grow 
I am your marketing expert with a hyper-focus on content strategy. I have guided overseas companies in reinventing their brand identity and strategy for the North American market, helped small brands rank #1 on Google in crowded verticals, and empowered legacy brands to increase their market share.
My work has been an essential part of scaling over $150,000,000 in digital ad spend across multiple channels.
While I have built a strong reputation myself in the SaaS and Fintech arena, I love taking on unique projects of all verticals to keep things interesting. My work has driven hundreds of millions in revenue for clients through fine-tuned paid search campaigns, landing pages, paid ads, strategy implementation, content writing, consulting, media buying, and SEO.
Ultimately, my goal is to hit the ground running as a "Set & Forget" Director to C-Suite level marketing expert. I implement strategies that lead your team to success while you focus on higher-level initiatives that boost organizational ROI.
The clients I've served includes Uber, Sapporo Ichiban, IdeoU, Tebra, Consensys/MetaMask, The University of Maryland, Zenefits, Reddit, Ramp, and DoorDash.
My career “pinch me” moment was being asked to become a recurring guest teacher at NYU’s Stern School of Business. I teach my strategy theory to masters students each semester. It is my most cherished professional achievement.
As for my background, I was born and raised on Cape Cod, and spent seven years rambling the globe and living amongst the world’s cultures. My travels include a silent stay in a Thai monastery, clearing brush with Maasai in Tanzania, and sharing meals with Bedouins in Jordan.
My wife Jen and I live in Los Angeles with our rescue dog, Juice, and cat, Fiona. 
