Black Spectacles Doubles Staff in 2020; Named ‘Great Place to Work’
Online Education Platform for Architects Doubles Company’s Staff in 2020
Black Spectacles, an online education program providing architects with resources on their path to becoming licensed and advancing their careers, is pleased to announce the addition of Alaina Bravo, as its new Marketing Director. The news comes following the company’s decision to become a permanently fully remote office, allowing the firm to hire outside of the Chicago region while doubling the number of its staff in 2020.
“Alaina is a tremendous fit for our team—we’re excited for what’s to come under her leadership as we expand our presence across the country,” said Marc Teer, CEO & Founder of Black Spectacles. “Her understanding and holistic approach to marketing will help us reach our next level of growth.”
As Marketing Director, Bravo will lead the company to better connect with architects in more meaningful, relevant, and impactful ways. In her new role, she will leverage her experience as a growth-focused SaaS marketer to develop and coach Black Spectacles’ marketing team, which oversees the company’s customer experience journey. Additionally, Bravo will employ her familiarity with operational management and driving customer lifetime value through demand generation, retention, and recovery programs.
“I was drawn to Black Spectacles’ clearly-defined core values, unique position in the market, and where we are in our product lifecycle,” said Bravo. “In just a short time, the edtech company has become a market leader in ARE® Test Prep software and has positively contributed to a crucial time in tens of thousands of architects’ careers. I’m already working cross-functionally with many departments to learn how the marketing team can better support the goals of the company as a whole. I’m also connecting with our B2B and B2C customers to solicit their feedback and begin mapping ways we can improve our customer experience for maximum lifetime value.”
Over the past 15 years, Bravo has primarily worked with entrepreneurial organizations where she has honed her skills for tough decision-making, how to grow on bootstrapped budgets, and the ability to truly understand the customer. Most recently, she held the position of Head of Marketing at Regroup Mass Notification, an industry leader in mass notifications for critical and non-critical applications. In this role, she oversaw the growth of the company by using the latest marketing technologies and operational strategies to drive revenue, provide maximum funnel visibility, and optimize campaign efforts.
Bravo received her Bachelor of Business Administration, International and Master of Business and Administration (M.B.A.), International Business from The University of New Mexico. Outside of work, Bravo is a licensed private pilot, where she finds many analogies between flying and her role as a business leader.
Additionally, Black Spectacles has announced it is a Great Place to Work-Certified™ for the second year in a row! Using validated employee feedback gathered with Great Place to Work’s rigorous, data-driven “For All” methodology, Certification confirms at least 7 out of 10 employees have a consistently positive experience at Black Spectacles. This year, 94% of team members at Black Spectacles say it is a great place to work, compared to 59% of employees at a typical U.S. based company. You can view the full Black Spectacles Great Place to Work profile here.
About Black Spectacles
Black Spectacles provides support and inspiration to architects through world-class educational material and career resources at every stage of their careers. Marc Teer, FAIA, an award-winning architect, founded the company in 2010 to democratize the learning process and remove barriers to career expansion while helping architects thrive and foster career growth. As the first and only NCARB-approved test prep provider for all six divisions of the ARE® 5.0 exam, the subscription-based software has established Black Spectacles as a preeminent figure in sophisticated online learning. Through comprehensive and contemporary educational technology, media and a burgeoning platform, Black Spectacles paves the way for expansive creative potential in architecture and design.
