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Ryan Allis

CEO & Founder of SaasRise, GrowthRise, and Pulse News

B2B SaaS ScalingMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)Venture CapitalDigital MarketingAgentic AICommunity Building
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About

I'm Ryan Allis, the CEO and Founder of SaasRise and Pulse News. My journey began in a dorm room where I co-founded iContact, eventually scaling it to $50M in ARR and a $169M exit. Since then, I’ve dedicated my career to the intersection of technology, scaling, and purpose-driven leadership. Currently, I’m focused on helping B2B SaaS founders navigate the path from $1M to $100M ARR through SaasRise, while exploring the frontier of agentic AI with Pulse News. I’m deeply passionate about 'the internal game'—ensuring that as we build massive companies, we also prioritize wellness and mental health. Whether it's discussing AI-first engineering, M&A strategy, or life design, I’m here to share the 'scar battles' I've won and help other leaders scale with intention. I’m always looking to connect with SaaS CEOs and marketing leaders who are ready to leverage AI to transform their growth.

Networking

What I can offer

  • ›M&A advisory and exit strategy
  • ›Revenue growth optimization
  • ›Access to high-level SaaS mastermind communities
  • ›AI coding bootcamps and valuation reports

Looking for

  • ›B2B SaaS CEOs and Founders ($1M–$100M ARR)
  • ›B2B Marketing and Sales leaders
  • ›expanding my professional network
  • ›exploring mutual opportunities in SaaS and AI

Best fit for

SaaS FoundersB2B Marketing LeadersPurpose-driven entrepreneursInstitutional digital asset investors

Current Interests

Agentic AI workflowsSaaS scaling from $1M to $100M ARRVipassana meditation and plant medicineAI-first engineeringDigital asset investing

Background

Career

Founded iContact in a dorm room, scaled to $50M ARR and a $169M exit; subsequently founded Hive Global and Coinstack Partners before launching SaasRise and Pulse News.

Education

MBA from Harvard Business School (2012–2016); B.A. in Economics from UNC Chapel Hill (2002–2005); EO/MIT Entrepreneurial Masters Program; Singularity University Executive Program.

Achievements

  • ›Sold iContact for $169 million in 2012
  • ›Scaled iContact to $50M ARR and 70,000 customers
  • ›Generated 67x ROI on AI outbound marketing for SaasRise
  • ›Helped Tatango achieve 10x revenue growth
  • ›Author of #2 Amazon Best Seller 'Zero to One Million'

Opinions

  • External success is hollow without internal work; prioritize mental health before a breakdown.
  • AI-first engineering is non-negotiable; 80-90% of code should be AI-generated.
  • VC is fuel, not a foundation; only raise after proving the model with paying customers.
  • Solo founders using AI can now outperform large traditional teams.