Raven Howard

Raven Howard

Enterprise SaaS · Procurement · Product Builder

linkedin.com/in/ravenhoward ravenhoward@gmail.com Charleston, SC
$288M+
SaaS spend managed
1,000+
deals closed
5+ yrs
at Vendr

Work History

2020 – Present

Vendr

Principal SaaS Consultant

Part of the early team growing Vendr from seed-stage through a $1B valuation. Led enterprise SaaS negotiations for hundreds of companies — managing hundreds of millions in software spend across 5+ years and over 1,000 deals.

$18.6M+savings for customers
$221M+managed spend (1st company-wide)
~$500Kavg deal ACV
$150Knet-new/month via pre-sale
3 logosclosed/month via pre-sale
  • Strategic sourcing, RFPs & negotiation for Infra/Data Engineering — AWS, Datadog, New Relic, Splunk — with VP/Director/CTO-level stakeholders
  • Founded the onboarding SaaS Consultant team; developed standardized procurement processes adopted company-wide
  • Led team-wide best practices on supplier research, comp analysis, and discovery — improving customer collaboration and operational excellence
  • Cross-functional collaboration across IT, InfoSec, Finance, Legal, Security, and Operations to drive approvals
  • Escalation point for strategic accounts: Alloy, Calm, ClickUp, Peloton
  • Contributed supplier analysis to Vendr's SaaS Buying Insights Report to support marketing funnel growth
  • Pre-sale buying support for new business: $150K net-new and 3 logos/month
  • 5th SaaS Consultant hire — managed key accounts including AllTrails, Lovepop, Chorus
  • Partnered with T&E team to develop SaaS Consultant training for the entire buying organization
🏆 Most Deals Closed — All Time 🏆 2022 Most Dollars Saved 🏆 2021 One Team One Dream
2019 – 2020

Ceterus

Account Executive

High-growth fintech startup on Inc. Magazine's fastest-growing companies list, raised a $10M Series B. Sold a done-for-you accounting platform to multi-location small businesses.

  • Top SDR on team of 12 — 139% to quota all time; fastest promotion to AE
  • Oversaw growth in fitness/wellness segment, responsible for brand strategy
  • Part of management team for hiring and recruiting key talent
2016 – 2019

ScanSource

Account Manager → Sales Operations Manager

NASDAQ-listed global technology distributor. Grew from account management into sales operations for a $1B+ business unit.

  • Developed sales processes and reporting frameworks for a $1B+ business unit
  • Managed regional account portfolio, consistently driving growth quarter over quarter

Solo Development

Live

Training Stack

iOS · watchOS · App Store

Run and strength tracking in one app. Plans, analytics, heart rate zones, share cards, Apple Watch, and Live Activities. Solo built from scratch.

SwiftUI HealthKit WeatherKit MapKit WatchKit
App Store →
In progress

Remain

iOS · macOS · watchOS

A contemplative app for intentional spiritual practice — Scripture reading, meditation, breathwork, journaling, and prayer woven into one space for the whole person.

SwiftUI HealthKit CloudKit Multi-platform

Working Style

Persuasive & direct

Gets to the point. Brings people along with a perspective rather than just presenting options.

Curious before certain

Opinionated, but genuinely wants to know what you think. Comfortable sitting with complexity.

Reflective, then decisive

Prefers to think before acting. Finds the optimal process first, then moves with conviction.

Deep over broad

One long, useful conversation over ten surface ones. Invests in the people and problems worth investing in.

Builds for the long game

Drawn to systems, processes, and tools that actually work — not just what ships fastest.

Needs clear metrics

Works best with a scorecard. Wants to know how things are going and where the bar is.

Education & Certifications

Clemson University

BA, Psychology

Religion Minor · Class of 2016 · Graduated in 3 years

D.W. Daniel High School

Class of 2013

FinOps Foundation

FinOps Certified Practitioner

Issued Dec 2024 · Expires Dec 2026

Volunteering

2023 – Present

Grace City Church

Non-Staff Pastor

Serving in pastoral ministry at Grace City Church in Charleston, SC.

Nov 2024 – Present

Forest Park Neighborhood Coalition

Vice President

Serving as VP of the Forest Park Neighborhood Coalition in Charleston, SC.

2019 – 2020

SC Dept. of Social Services

Foster Parent

Licensed foster parent through the South Carolina Department of Social Services.

Jan 2014 – Jan 2016

Young Life

Leader

Youth ministry leader with Young Life, investing in the lives of high school students. · 2 yrs

ravenhoward.org