Simone Collins
Managing Partner at Collins Family Ventures
Greater Philadelphia
Overview
Work Experience
Managing Director
2017 - Current
Launching initiatives like the Collins Institute (CollinsInstitute.org), the Pronatalist Foundation (Pronatalist.org), five bestselling books (The Pragmatist's Guide series), and the podcast Based Camp (https://www.youtube.com/@SimoneandMalcolm), the Pragmatist Foundation promotes a more pragmatic world perspective and approach in everything from education to politics, interpersonal relationships, government policy, marriage, academics, and child development.
Executive Director & Board Member
2021
The Collins Institute for Gifted Youth is working on a new model of at-home or boarding education optimized for self-motivated students who thrive when given freedom. It applies a PhD-level attitude toward knowledge acquisition to K-12 education through a first-principles approach.
Board Member
2017
Under my management (which transitioned to an advisory role after three years), Travelmax saw over $70M in annual sales. In my first two years before the pandemic disrupted the travel industry, I returned over 50% of invested capital to investors.
CEO
2017 - 2024
Travelmax is a multi-national collection of travel businesses specializing in entertainment, business, and specialty travel.
Managing Partner
2016
Collins Family Ventures was created to find, invest in, operate, and grow a single company. In 2017, Collins Family Ventures acquired Travelmax (and its related brands/companies) and has shifted its focus to growth within the corporate and wholesale travel industry.
Managing Director
2021 - 2021
Dialog is a private, invite-only society, founded by Peter Theil and Aurron Hofman, where best-in-class professionals and thought leaders convene for closed conversations and in-person retreats to discuss pressing issues in a secure, off-the-record format.
Executive Director
2020 - 2021
StudentVotes was 61 times more effective than an established get-out-the-vote nonprofit (with stronger university ties) at enabling university students in key swing states to vote remotely in the 2020 presidential election, reducing viral spread while empowering students.
Founder and COO
2014 - 2016
ArtCorgi, which sold to Artistree in 2024, enabled everyday people to become patrons of up-and-coming artists by commissioning unique art from them (based on samples of their work) as gifts for friends, family, and significant others.
Marketing and Deal Flow Management Fellow
2015 - 2016
Life Science Angels (LSA) is the #1 ranked angel group in the US (CB Insights, 2014) and the premier life science and healthcare focused early-stage investment group on the West Coast. I rebuilt and maintain LSA's website, engage in weekly deal screening meetings and deal recruitment events, and design and implement novel marketing strategies for the group.
Associate
2015 - 2016
Founder.org is a Silicon Valley-based nonprofit organization that invests in student entrepreneurs. Associates organize startup events, recruit leads, and evaluate startups for the 8D program, which offers between $10 and $100 in convertible note funding (no discount or cap) with ongoing mentorship and hands-on guidance.
Digital Marketplace Consultant
2015 - 2015
I consulted on a strategic growth plan regarding revenue paths that directly benefit the DeviantArt community.