JM

Joanna McFarland

Founder of HopSkipDrive

Los Angeles Metropolitan Area

Overview

Work Experience

  • Co-Founder and CEO

    2014 - Current

    On a mission to get kids to their full potential. Using purpose-built technology, operational expertise, and innovation to provide a safe, dependable way to get kids where they are going.

  • Board Member

    2022

  • Board Member

    2018

    Founding board member of LA-Tech.org, a nonprofit coalition founded by the Los Angeles area tech community to expand economic opportunity for LA’s underserved communities

  • Investment Partner

    2019

    XFactor Ventures is looking for tenacious female founders and mixed-gender founding teams attacking billion-dollar market opportunities. We invest $150k into pre-seed or seed stage rounds and provide advice, mentorship, and connections to help our companies succeed. The XFactor investing partners are current successful operators, collectively raising over $500M in capital, hiring thousands of employees, but who are still in the trenches every day. If you're a female founder working on a big idea, let's connect!

  • Board Member

    2019 - 2023

    The Marketplace Industry Association is a trade organization with the mission to represent, educate and advocate for the benefit of the marketplace startup ecosystem, and to better serve those who exchange goods, services and property through marketplaces.

  • VP, GM Consumer Finance

    2013 - 2014

    Senior executive responsible for the P&L and general management of Oversee’s Consumer Finance website portfolio.

  • First Vice President - Prepaid and Credit Cards

    2012 - 2013

    Responsible for P&L, product strategy, business development, marketing, mobile strategy, vendor management, and fraud & risk management for Consumer Cards Business Unit of largest regional bank in Southern California. * Developed and launched the MAGIC by Magic Johnson Prepaid MasterCard.

  • Vice President, Product Management (Publisher Network)

    2010 - 2012

    Leading provider of local search products and services across multiple platforms including online, mobile and IPTV, with more than 1 million advertisers and 30+ million unique visitors to flagship properties YP.com and YPMobile. * Led ad optimization and publisher distribution across 300+ publishers in the largest local ad network with more than 4 billion monthly impressions across search and display * Developed the business plan and executed the strategy for one of the company’s five business units, including revenue goals, inventory targets, and performance optimization on a traffic acquisition budget of $136 Million * Launched local-mobile ad network resulting in eCPMs 200%+ above industry average. * Increased clicks by 70% while reducing the traffic expense by 20% through broadening the publisher program, and increasing efficacy in ad serving and yield optimization

  • Executive Director, Publisher Network

    2010 - 2011

  • Director, Publisher Network

    2009 - 2010

  • Director, Major Accounts

    2007 - 2009

    Leading provider of retail-based financial services for America’s underserved community. Green Dot offers prepaid MasterCard and Visa branded prepaid debit cards in thousands of leading retailer locations nationwide. * Launched and managed retail product lines for Walmart MoneyCard, Student Card and Gift Card, representing more than 60% of Green Dot annual revenue.

  • Director, FDS Registry and Commerce

    2006 - 2007

    General Manager for $120 million co-branded online registry business with Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s.

  • Sr. Manager, Business Development

    2005 - 2006

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