Thomas Bekkers
Flowery Branch,MI
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Business Development
Elf Labs
Los Angeles, CA
11.2021 - 12.2025
- Negotiated and closed $20M+ in multi-year licensing deals.
- Helped raise $2M in crowdfunded capital for product development and growth.
- Built outbound systems to source, structure, and close high-value partnerships.
- Led cross-functional execution with product, engineering, marketing, and legal teams.
- Developed attribution models linking partner activations to revenue, engagement, and retention.
Co-Founder
Apollo Getaways
Los Angeles, CA & Flowery Branch, GA
01.2022 - 01.2025
- Scaled a hospitality brand to 30+ properties through owner acquisition and strategic relationships.
- Implemented automation systems (Hospitable, PriceLabs) to increase LTV and operational efficiency.
- Built standardized playbooks and data-driven operations processes.
- Exited via sale of equity stake after scaling the business.
Founder
Apollo Marketing & Consulting
Los Angeles, CA
01.2019 - 01.2022
- Built sales, outreach, and partnership systems for SMB clients in tech and services.
- Designed sales training frameworks used by founders and small teams.
- Supported Jurny PMS in building outbound and partnership acquisition systems.
- Created GTM playbooks, dashboards, and partner enablement processes.
Founder
Edgebay International
Los Angeles, CA
01.2013 - 01.2018
- Operated an international automotive brokerage managing multi-six-figure transactions.
- Led sourcing, negotiations, compliance, logistics, and client experience.
- Built a high-trust international client base through disciplined, transparent operations.
International Coordinator
College Athlete International
Orlando, FL
01.2011 - 01.2013
- Guided international athletes through NCAA compliance, recruiting strategy, and visa processes.
- Managed structured, high-volume pipelines with accuracy and reliability.
- Supported dozens of athletes in transitioning to competitive U.S. collegiate programs.
Education
B.A. - Theatre
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA01.2011
B.S. - Economics
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA01.2011
Skills
- Strategic Partnerships
- Licensing Deals
- Revenue Ownership
- Multi-Year Deal Structuring
- Cross-Functional Leadership (Product, Eng, Data, Marketing, Legal)
- Value-Added Distribution Partnerships
- Enterprise Sales
- CAC & Payback Modeling
- LTV & Cohort Analysis
- GTM Playbooks
- CRM Systems (HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Close CRM)
- AI-Driven Optimization
- Negotiation
- Systems Building
Timeline
Co-Founder
Apollo Getaways
01.2022 - 01.2025
Head of Business Development
Elf Labs
11.2021 - 12.2025
Founder
Apollo Marketing & Consulting
01.2019 - 01.2022
Founder
Edgebay International
01.2013 - 01.2018
International Coordinator
College Athlete International
01.2011 - 01.2013
B.S. - Economics
Georgia Southern University
B.A. - Theatre
Georgia Southern University
Additional Notes
- Strong technical aptitude; experienced with APIs, integrations, and partner onboarding workflows.
- Built scalable outbound BD pipelines, partner funnels, and attribution frameworks across multiple orgs.
- Extensive hands-on experience with CRM and sales automation systems (HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Close CRM, others).
- Former NCAA Division I tennis player with a performance-driven, disciplined mindset.
- Former television actor, bringing strong communication skills, on-camera presence, and brand-representation experience.