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Management Team
 
David Yaskin, CEO and Founder
David Yaskin is an executive with more than twenty years experience delivering innovative software to better the lives of people. As the former vice president, product strategy for Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB), Yaskin worked extensively in conceptualizing, developing and communicating the product roadmap for Blackboard. Last year, his knowledge and understanding of the e-Learning industry sparked an idea that could help solve the problem of spiraling retention rates. In November 2007, Yaskin founded Starfish Retention Solutions to help higher education institutions engage, motivate and graduate more students.
Over the past eight years, he helped transform Blackboard from a successful start-up to the world’s leading provider of e-Learning technology with annual revenues of more than $235 million. He is credited with such Blackboard innovations as defining their enterprise course management strategy; pioneering their Blackboard Building Blocks open programming framework; defining the vision for their Community Portal System; and inventing the Blackboard Outcomes System, a platform that unifies assessment activities of the whole institution.
Yaskin is a highly sought-after speaker and presenter at various forums on education and technology. Prior to Blackboard, he held software development responsibilities in the areas of education, healthcare, safety testing, and earth science at such industry leaders as IBM, SAIC, Thomson and Hughes. Yaskin holds a B.S. Computer Engineering and Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University.
John Plunkett, Vice President of Marketing & Operations
As vice president, marketing & operations, John Plunkett joined Starfish Retention Solutions to develop and implement strategies to accelerate the company’s market leadership position. Bringing nearly 15 years of strategic marketing experience, Plunkett oversees operations management as well as brand and identity development, lead generation, marketing communications, public relations, customer marketing activities, events, Web marketing and industry analyst relations.
Previously, Plunkett served GetWellNetwork, Inc., the leading provider of Interactive Patient Care solutions, as vice president of marketing, where he was responsible for an aggressive marketing effort to move the company from a start-up organization to an early market-maker. Prior to GetWellNetwork, Plunkett served as senior director, Planning & Analysis for Blackboard Inc. (BBBB), a leading provider of enterprise software and related services to the education industry. During his tenure, Plunkett helped introduce the growing Blackboard enterprise to overseas markets, establishing the Blackboard brand, sales support, and user communities in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
Plunkett has also served in various positions at Arnold Worldwide, an internationally recognized advertising and communications firm where he worked on notable accounts including SAP America, ExxonMobil and Cable and Wireless. Plunkett is a graduate of Furman University with a B.A. degree in Political Science.
Zahra Safavian, Director of Product Management
As director of product management, Zahra Safavian helps create and maintain positive user experiences for clients of Starfish Retention Solutions. She acts as a liaison between users and the development team, ensuring that user feedback and suggestions are translated into future product features. In addition, she manages Beta and other client engagement programs, and maintains product support services offered by Starfish, such as documentation, training and technical support.
Safavian comes to Starfish from other e-Learning software companies, including Blackboard Inc. (BBBB) and Learning Objects, Inc. She has designed and managed the development of a variety of online applications for education – from social networking and collaboration software to ecommerce applications. In addition to product management, Zahra has more than 10 years of experience in user interface design, usability and accessibility.
Safavian has also worked in the past as an adjunct faculty member – teaching Web design, development, and usability to undergraduate and graduate students. Zahra earned a B.A. Graphic Design from University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a M.A. Publications Design from University of Baltimore.
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