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Global Ecosystem Director

Actual Education, Cupertino, CA, United States


We are hiring a Global Ecosystem Director for a specially funded initiative focused on building a global network of entrepreneurs, researchers, and engineers working at the frontier of AI, technology, and human capability.

This is not a traditional community or operations role. This is a high-ownership position for someone who has built or scaled meaningful ecosystems and wants to shape a global network from first principles.

You will be responsible for designing and expanding a distributed, high-caliber community across cities, institutions, and disciplines. You will be connecting people who are not just consuming ideas, but actively building and collaborating.

If you have experience building networks that attract exceptional people and want to do it at a global, intellectually serious level, this role is for you.

What You’ll Do Build and Scale a Global Ecosystem

Design and grow a network of entrepreneurs, researchers, and engineers across major global hubs

Launch and develop city-based nodes with strong local leadership

Define the structure, incentives, and identity of the ecosystem

Ensure the network attracts high-caliber, contribution-oriented individuals

Partnership Development & Network Expansion

Build relationships with leading organizations, institutions, and communities

Identify and onboard strategic partners across technology, research, and education

Create pathways for collaboration across founders, engineers, and researchers

Expand the ecosystem through high-signal, targeted outreach

Design High-Quality Events and Intellectual Programming

Design and execute small, high-quality gatherings (salons, forums, curated events)

Develop recurring event formats that foster meaningful exchange and collaboration

Ensure events prioritize depth, signal, and long-term relationships—not scale for its own sake

Establish Systems for Ongoing Engagement

Build systems for communication, collaboration, and knowledge exchange

Create frameworks for members to find co-founders, collaborators, and research partners

Maintain high engagement and participation across a distributed global network

Shape Ecosystem Identity and Direction

Define how the network positions itself globally

Set quality standards for participation and contribution

Continuously refine the ecosystem as it scales

What We’re Looking For Strong candidates typically have:

Ecosystem & Community Building Experience (Most Critical)

5+ years of experience building or scaling communities, networks, or ecosystems

Proven ability to attract and engage high-caliber individuals

Experience managing or launching distributed/global initiatives

Strong intuition for what creates long-term, high-quality networks

Partnership & Relationship Development

Experience building strategic partnerships across organizations

Strong network across founders, researchers, or technical communities

Ability to operate credibly with senior stakeholders

Event & Programming Experience

Experience designing and running high-quality, idea-driven events

Ability to curate participants and maintain high signal-to-noise ratio

Strong sense of what creates meaningful intellectual exchange

Execution & Leadership

Highly organized with strong ownership and follow-through

Ability to operate in ambiguous, early-stage environments

Comfortable building from zero with minimal structure

Global Orientation

Experience working across geographies and cultures

Ability to scale initiatives internationally

Strong communication skills across diverse audiences

Strong Plus If You Have

Experience at organizations such as Y Combinator, TED / TEDx, Singularity University, or similar ecosystems

Background in venture, startup platforms, or innovation networks

Experience launching or managing city-based communities

Track record of building networks that led to real collaborations or companies

Exposure to frontier technology, AI, or research communities

Experience working with founders, engineers, and researchers at a high level

Why Join Us?

Build a global network from first principles

Work directly with a small, high-caliber founding team

High ownership over strategy, structure, and execution

Opportunity to shape a long-term platform at the intersection of AI, research, and human capability

Competitive salary and equity incentives

Operate at the level of ideas, people, and systems—not surface-level engagement

Position Details

Location: San Francisco Bay Area preferred (open to global candidates)

Compensation: Competitive salary + equity incentives

Compensation determined based on experience and expected impact

Who This Role Is Not For

Traditional community managers focused on engagement metrics or social growth

Event coordinators without experience building lasting networks

Candidates looking for clearly defined, low-ambiguity roles

Individuals without a strong interest in technology, research, or intellectually driven communities

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