Founding GTM Lead (Growth & Community)

Founding GTM Lead (Growth & Community)Recruitment led by EQL Tech on behalf of a venture-backed Fintech Leader San Francisco, CA or Phoenix, AZ | Full-Time | On-SiteEQL Tech is representing our client, who is looking for a founding GTM operator who knows how trust becomes growth. You'll build the company's community-led acquisition engine from the ground up through referrals, partnerships, local parent communities, and field work - then use data to refine what works and cut what doesn't. This is a hands-on founding IC role for someone who wants to be close to families, the numbers, and the founders.The US public education budget ($900B) is being unlocked, allowing parents to take direct control of their child's fundingaveraging $7.5k per kid per year through state-funded Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).The problem? The infrastructure is broken. Parents are currently trapped in "government-first" portals that are confusing, slow, and induce "clawback anxiety".Our client is building trusted infrastructure for families making education decisions. In this market, adoption is driven by credibility, relationships, and lived experience - not just ads or product prompts. The product and GTM motion sit in a trust-sensitive world where parents need confidence before they commit, and where the best growth comes from community signal, not noise.The Team & Progress:Funding: $16M raised from top-tier VCs and angels.The Pedigree: Elite engineers and leaders from Stripe, Mercury, Goldman Sachs, and SpaceX.The Aesthetic: A modern, delightful consumer fintech experience - think Cash App meets Wise polishWhat You'll Own:Build our client's community-led GTM motion from scratch across referrals, partnerships, and parent/community channels.Spend real time with families to understand what creates trust, what triggers adoption, and what causes drop-off then turn that into concrete GTM decisions.Design and test referral systems, partnership programs, and community loops that compound over time.Build field-led growth in the places where trust is earned: homeschool co-ops, special needs groups, local parent pods, education events, advocacy communities, and similar networks.Work across founders, product, and operations to improve onboarding conversion and move toward a clear account-growth target.Instrument funnels, cohorts, activation, retention, and conversion so the team can make sharper decisions faster.Engage with community leaders, education stakeholders, and other ecosystem partners when it helps our client reach and serve families better.Travel frequently for family visits, partner meetings, and community events.