Marcus Cohn

Co-Founder & Operator

Building technology that works in complex, regulated markets

From ridesharing to mental healthcare to the agentic home — software connected to the real world.

Brooklyn, New York

Marcus Cohn
20+
Years Experience
3
Companies Co-Founded
IPO
2U, 2014

I work at the intersection of software and industries that move slowly — not because the opportunity isn't there, but because institutional complexity, regulation, and entrenched behavior have made change hard. That gap is where I spend my time. The pattern across every company I've built or helped grow: identify a market where technology can do far more than it currently does, figure out who benefits most from closing that gap, and build toward it.

Co-founded Zimride, one of the earliest ridesharing platforms, at a time when shared transportation was an idea without infrastructure. Helped 2U build and scale its organic growth engine through its public market debut — partnering with top universities to put rigorous degree programs online in a sector that had been resistant to change. Led growth at Grow Therapy from Series A through Series B, scaling access to mental healthcare at a moment when demand had outrun the system's capacity to handle it.

Now co-founding Rafter. There are 100 million single-family homes in the United States — the largest store of household wealth in the American economy — and almost none of them are being actively managed. A water heater failure goes undetected. A slow leak becomes a five-figure claim. The home has been a black box between the day you buy it and the day something goes wrong. Rafter is building the agentic home: an AI platform that monitors every risk, orchestrates maintenance, and manages the full lifecycle of homeownership on behalf of the homeowner. The same logic applies: a complex, regulated market, a real problem, and a technology gap large enough to matter.

Partnering with Legacy Institutions

Built growth engines for companies operating alongside established institutions — universities, insurance carriers, healthcare systems. Deep understanding of the trust, compliance, and adoption dynamics that determine whether a new model scales or stalls.

Zero-to-Scale Entrepreneurship

Co-founded three companies from concept to growth stage. Deep experience navigating early-stage challenges — building MVPs, finding product-market fit, and establishing go-to-market strategies in markets without a playbook.

Organic Growth Architecture

Built and scaled organic revenue engines across multiple verticals. Expert in SEO, content strategy, and inbound marketing — turning search intent into sustainable growth channels in industries where trust drives conversion.

Regulated Market Adoption

Experience driving consumer adoption in trust-sensitive, regulated markets — healthcare, insurance, and education. Understanding of how to build credibility, reduce friction, and grow in environments where confidence matters as much as the product.

Growth Team Leadership

Twenty years building and leading high-performance marketing and growth teams across B2B and B2C. Experience bridging product, engineering, and executive teams — from early hires to scaled organizations.

Data-Driven Optimization

Deep expertise in CRO, web analytics, A/B testing, and marketing operations. Transform data into decisions — improving conversion rates, channel efficiency, and customer lifetime value through structured experimentation.

  • Rafter

    Co-Founder

    Co-founding Rafter — building the agentic home. An AI platform that monitors risk across every home system, orchestrates providers, and manages the full lifecycle of homeownership on behalf of the homeowner. At the core is a proprietary Home Health Record: a living dataset of property condition, risk factors, and verified mitigation that gets smarter over time. Distributed through insurance carriers, who fund access because a home actively managed is a home that doesn't become a claim.

  • Sawyer

    Vice President, Marketing

    Led comprehensive marketing strategy for a leading family activities marketplace. Directed B2B and B2C initiatives, managed budget allocation, and oversaw brand positioning. Drove growth connecting families with enrichment opportunities while partnering with activity providers nationwide.

  • Grow Therapy

    Head of Growth

    Directed all growth marketing for a rapidly scaling mental healthcare platform. Led patient acquisition, provider recruitment, and retention strategies across paid and organic channels. Drove performance from Series A through Series B — scaling access to mental healthcare in a market that needed it.

  • 2U

    Vice President, Inbound Marketing

    Built and scaled the organic growth engine at 2U — a company that partnered with top universities to deliver rigorous degree programs online. Led inbound marketing through the company's IPO, growing enrollment across dozens of programs.

  • Zimride

    Co-Founder

    Co-founded one of the earliest ridesharing platforms, connecting communities through shared transportation — corporate campuses, universities, and cities — before ridesharing was a widely understood concept. The founding team later pivoted to launch the consumer ridesharing product that became Lyft.

  • JustMeans

    Project Manager & Technology Adviser

    A social platform providing a forum for companies and individuals to engage in initiatives around social and environmental responsibility.

  • Bridges to Community

    Board Member

    Served on the board of a nonprofit fostering sustainable community development through experiential learning. Provided strategic guidance on digital marketing, fundraising, and organizational growth for six years.

  • La Piña Blanca

    Co-Founder

    Co-founded a company fostering economic growth and social change in Nicaragua through sustainable real estate investment, ecotourism, and produce exportation.

  • Cornell University

    B.A., Anthropology