Partnerships and Business Development Lead

Tribe is a re-imagined group chat app where people find their tribes and enjoy delightful conversations. Think of it as an endless dinner party that nurtures the soul. Members discover and join group chats by interest, from geopolitics and parenting to fitness, travel, and books, in a space built on real names, active moderation, and features like events, polls, trivia, and AI summaries. We make three promises to our members: we will never sell their data, never place ads, and never use bots to fill the void. Tribe is available on iOS, Android, Mac, and the web, and is rated 4.9 stars on the App Store. CEO Rajat Suri has been a founder for ~20 years, having co-founded 2 companies that went IPO before: Presto and Lyft. Beyond the app, Tribe grows through two lines of business that this role will own: Tribe Curator is our full-service community management offering for businesses. We build, recruit, moderate, and nurture private communities on Tribe for companies in professional services, B2B SaaS, real estate, premium brands, and healthcare/medtech, so they can build authority and win high-value clients through relationships instead of cold outreach. Tribe events bring our communities together in person and online, from dinners, hikes, family outings, and book clubs to flagship programs like the Open Weights AI Summit with Box co-founder and CEO Aaron Levie. The Role We're looking for a Partnerships & Business Development Lead to build and close revenue across both motions: signing B2B clients for Tribe Curator and landing sponsors for Tribe events. You'll own the full cycle, from prospecting and pitching to negotiating, closing, and turning partners into repeat customers, working directly with our founder and our community and events team. This is a hands-on role for someone who loves being in the room, whether that's a strategy call with a consulting firm or a walkthrough with a sponsor on event night. What You'll Do Tribe Curator: B2B clients Build and work a pipeline of businesses that win on trust and relationships, including consulting and professional services firms, B2B SaaS companies, real estate groups, premium brands, and healthcare/med tech companies. Lead discovery and strategy calls to understand each prospect's ideal client profile and goals, then shape a Curator engagement that fits. Own proposals, pricing, and contracts, and negotiate deals through to signature. Hand new clients off smoothly to our community team as we define, build, recruit, and grow their community, and stay close to accounts to drive renewals, expansions, and referrals. Create the case studies, pitch materials, and success metrics that make Curator easier to sell. Event sponsorships Build Tribe's sponsorship program, including tiers, packages, and pricing for everything from intimate dinners to flagship summits. Identify and pitch companies, brands, and investors whose audiences match our attendees, then close and manage those sponsorships. Design sponsor integrations that add real value for attendees and stay true to Tribe's member-first, ad-free promise. Deliver on every sponsor commitment and send post-event recaps that turn first-time sponsors into recurring partners. Work with the events team on a calendar that sponsors can plan their budgets around. Across both Own your numbers (pipeline, revenue closed, win rate, and renewals), keep the CRM clean, and forecast accurately. Spot crossover opportunities, like a Curator client sponsoring an event or an event sponsor becoming a Curator client. Represent Tribe at Bay Area tech, business, and community gatherings where our buyers spend time. Bring what you hear in the market back to leadership and product to sharpen the Curator offering and Tribe's roadmap. What We're Looking For 4–7 years in partnerships, business development, or B2B sales, with a track record of closing deals you sourced yourself. Experience selling services, sponsorships, media, or community programs, where you're selling outcomes and relationships rather than a self-serve product. A strong Bay Area network across tech, professional services, or brands, plus the drive to open doors cold when your network runs out. Sharp writing and a confident presence: you can write a crisp proposal and run a room. Good commercial judgment on pricing, packaging, and negotiating deals that work for both sides. Organized and self-directed, and energized by building process from scratch at an early-stage company. A real belief in intentional human community and excitement about what Tribe is building. Nice to Have Experience selling into consulting, B2B SaaS, real estate, luxury, or healthcare/medtech companies. Sponsorship sales experience for conferences, summits, or community events. Background in community-led growth, community management, or social platforms. Hands-on experience with CRM and prospecting tools such as HubSpot, Salesforce, or Apollo. What Success Looks Like First 90 days: You know Tribe and Curator inside and out, have built a qualified Curator pipeline, and have closed your first clients. Our sponsorship packages are live, with sponsors signed for upcoming events. First year: Curator is a repeatable revenue line with a steady flow of new clients and renewals, and our events calendar is backed by recurring sponsors. Compensation Salary + Bonus Tribe is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with applicable law, including the California Fair Chance Act. #J-18808-Ljbffr