Daan Harmsen

Managing Partner, Grit Growth | Helping companies turn growth into operating leverage

New York, New York, United States

About

⚡I run Grit Growth, which helps high-growth companies operationalize growth and scale. Previously, I co-founded Dasta Records Management, a Records and Information Management company in Georgia with ~50 employees that I ran for 7 years, before handing over the reins to my COO.

Experience

  • Managing Partner at Grit Growth
    Mar 2021 - Present · 5 yrs 4 mos

    Grit Growth works with companies where growth is starting to strain the operating layer. We help build the financial visibility, data infrastructure, AI-enabled workflows, and management systems needed to make better decisions and execute with more leverage. Clients include PostPilot.com and Handwrite.io.

  • Board Member at Kalo
    Apr 2017 - May 2023 · 6 yrs 2 mos

    Georgian startup running an ag-focused ecommerce store and providing online and in-person consulting to farmers.

  • Chief Executive Officer at Dasta Records Management
    Jan 2014 - Jul 2021 · 7 yrs 7 mos

    Dasta Records Management is Georgia's first professional records management and archive outsourcing company, which I co-founded with a group of hands-on investors. We help our clients manage their information by offering document storage, digitization, and destruction services, and implementing document management software. Our client list includes some of the largest organizations in the country, such as the two largest banks, the largest hospitality group, the largest supermarket chain, and two of the largest utility companies. We operate a modern facility in Tbilisi, with 50+ dedicated and professional employees. Recipient of the TBC Bank 2017 Small Business of the Year Award.

  • Co-President at The International Spark Program, Inc.
    Jan 2010 - Dec 2015 · 6 yrs

    Co-founded a nonprofit that for five years ran leadership programs in Georgia, for 400+ students from over a dozen different countries. Organized the International Summer School on Leadership for four years in a row, which brought Harvard-affiliated instructors to Georgia to teach an intensive one-week leadership course for college students.

  • Finance Manager at GeoCapital Microfinance Organization
    May 2012 - Jul 2013 · 1 yr 3 mos

    I oversaw and monitored the quality and performance of a $4mn portfolio of microloans, raised $1mn+ in debt funding from private investors, helped investors obtain Political Risk Insurance from the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and coordinated financial reporting to the National Bank of Georgia and outside investors. I also managed the treasury operations and cash reserves for the company and started a community education program.