Deb Gaffin

Experience

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  United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

  Jan 1991 - Jan 1994

  Associate Producer, Film & Video Dept.

  Member of the museum's founding staff. Helped produce 70+ documentary videos integrated into the Permanent Exhibit.

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  ThunderWave Museum Consultancy

  Jan 1995 - Jan 1998

  Senior Producer

  Produced digital interactive exhibits for The Getty Center Museum (Los Angeles); US Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, DC); Goethe-Institut (Washington, DC).

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  Scholastic

  Jan 1998 - Jan 2009

  Conceived and launched Scholastic's first social media site for tweens. Responsible for strategic vision, product development, team management and operation of digital marketing platforms for parents and children. Transformed ScholasticKids.com from 100+ book brand sites into two coherent products that deepened audience engagement, drove book sales, and generated new revenue. Grew the Internet as a significant e-commerce and customer service channel for Scholastic Book Fairs. Led cross-functional teams to develop an online platform for marketing and planning fairs that increased revenue per fair and cut operating costs by $9m. In 3 years, 81% of all book fairs had adopted the platform. Managed Scholastic's online destination for PreK-8 teachers and their students, visited monthly by 66% of US teachers. Increased site visits by 25% year over year and registered 1m email addresses. Led a 16-person department, responsible for product development, programming, partnerships, and outreach.Awards: 2005 BESSIE (Upper Elementary-Language Arts), 2005 Parent’s Choice Gold Award, 2006 AEP Distinguished Achievement Award, 2005-2006 BESSIE (Upper Elementary-Science). Grew the Internet as significant B2B e-commerce and customer service channel. Collaborated with leading tech companies on educational applications of their consumer products. Developed online programs for school fundraising; parent-teacher communication tools; web-enabled lesson planning tools. Managed strategic partnerships. Twice recognized by CEO with outstanding cross-company leadership award.

  • Vice President, Parents & Kids Online

    Jan 2008 - Jan 2009

  • Senior Director, Book Fairs Online

    Jan 2006 - Jan 2008

  • Director, Teachers Online

    Jan 2004 - Jan 2006

  • Director, Product Innovation

    Jan 2003 - Jan 2004

  • Executive Producer, Scholastic.com

    Jan 1998 - Jan 2003
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  Nosy Crow

  Apr 2010 - Jan 2012

  Digital Product & Marketing Director

  Spearheaded company’s digital strategy in its first year publishing. Produced award-winning storybook apps that established Nosy Crow as the industry leader in interactive reading experiences for children. Managed the product development lifecycle, retailer relationships, and customer success.

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  Mindshapes

  Jan 2012 - Nov 2012

  Vice President, Marketing

  Led multi-channel marketing of the company’s flagship app, which delivered 1 million users in 6 months.

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  Open Road Integrated Media

  Dec 2012 - May 2014

  Strategic Advisor

  Established and managed Open Road's e-book marketing and merchandising operations in the UK, connecting authors with new audiences in Europe and Asia.

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  (formerly Yellowbird Interactive, LLC)

  Sept 2014 - Nov 2018

  Digital Marketing Consultant

  Advised executives on strategies to acquire, engage and monetize audiences. Filled interim leadership roles in brand marketing, customer insights, product management and content development. Engagements:EF Education First - Cambridge, MAConsultant to VP, Strategic Initiatives Created and implemented customer engagement and marketing plan to increase the number of high school students travelling internationally on EF educational tours. Pacca Alpaca/Anamil Tech [producer of language learning videos and apps] - London, UKConsulting as Director of Marketing & Partnerships Secured distribution deals with global digital video entertainment platforms. Refined product strategy and brand positioning, focusing on early learning centers, pre-schools and multi-lingual communities. Show less

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  2U

  Nov 2018 - Feb 2024

  Built and managed relationships with university partners to design and deliver undergrad, graduate degree and certificate programs online. Oversaw curriculum and learning relationship with Harvard Business School, University of Southern California and Simmons University.

  • Portfolio Director (Senior Director), Global Learning Team

    May 2022 - Feb 2024

  • Director of Curriculum Development

    Nov 2018 - Aug 2022