PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO DETAILS IN DIVERSE MARKETS.
Mark A. Cleveland is an entrepreneur and business executive who simply likes to work hard. With a track record of success leading various progressive companies, his teams have made a big impact on their respective industries. Mark is passionate about pursuing disruptive technologies and innovation.
Mark is CEO and CoFounder of the ride sharing rewards app, Hytch LLC, whose core mission is to reward drivers and passengers for riding together and helping reduce traffic. Hytch was awarded Emerging Company of the Year 2018 by the Nashville Technology Council. He is also the Co-Founder of Elicit Brands, LLC, a company known for its Swiftwick brand of U.S. produced athletic and medical compression socks.
Mark earned the NEXT Award for Entrepreneur of the Year presented by the Nashville Chamber and the Entrepreneur Center of Nashville. In 2018 he was recognized by the Nashville Business Journal as one of Middle Tennessee's Most Admired CEOs while at the helm of Hytch Rewards, an award he won in 2015 when CEO of Hobby Express and also in 2014 when leading Swiftwick. Swiftwick was honored with the 2014 “Best In Business” award given by the Nashville Business Journal.
Hobby Express developed the legendary TELEMASTER brand of balsa model airplane kits now manufactured in North Carolina. The TELEMASTER is one of the most iconic and sought after radio control products in the industry. The company also created the Pilot-1 line of classic era model airplanes and the eRC brand of motors, servos, batteries and flight-ready airplanes.
Previously, Mark served as President and CEO of SeaBridge, Inc., where he helped develop investment strategies, secured representation from the Maritime Group at Jefferies & Co., Inc. and worked to extend the company’s vision of building a new standard in high-speed freight and passenger ferry operations in the Adriatic, as well as nearshore U.S. coastal waterways. Mark also served as Chairman of the Board of SeaBridge Freight, a short sea shipping company that was named a SmartWay Partner by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Before joining SeaBridge, Mark was President and Chief Development Officer at Truckload Management, Inc. "TMI", known for expedited document management and outsourcing services under the TripPak brand. At TMI, Mark was responsible for strategic relationships, sales and marketing, client services and managing both domestic and offshore software development teams.
As an entrepreneur living in Music City, it's fitting that Mark is a partner in Thanks for Holding and Best Business Music, offering subscription based music services to help any business with high call volume sound great.
Mark studied marketing at the University of Oregon, completed graduate level courses in accounting from the Haas Business School at the University of California at Berkeley, and graduated from Lipscomb University.
Mark was a contributor to the book "Business At The Speed Of Now" by John Bernard sharing a story about growing Swiftwick. He has been published in trade journals in transportation, textiles, business, and a multitude of sports publications. He earned his insurance license in Oregon, Washington and California.
For more information about Mark’s professional history, visit his LinkedIn profile