Tim Courtney

Community & Ecosystem Leader | 1M+ User Growth | $100M+ Community-Led Revenue

San Francisco, CA 94103 • 860-967-2468 • tim@timcourtney.net • linkedin.com/in/timcourtney

Community and platform leader with proven success driving community-led growth, scaling global creator-focused marketplaces and communities to 1M+ users while creating value for both users and organizations. Expert in developing community strategies that drive measurable business value, including $100M+ revenue from crowdsourced products. Experience spans enterprise strategy ($8B+ revenue) and pre-seed startups working in emerging technologies. Known for building high-performing teams and delivering measurable outcomes through community-led growth.

Mission-driven leader focused on building scalable, ethical communities and creator ecosystems that drive lasting business and social impact. Experienced in programs that balance user empowerment with safety, trust, and business growth.

Core Competencies & Technical Skills

Strategic Leadership: Platform Strategy • Creator Economy Innovation • Creator Ecosystem Development • Strategic Partnerships • Enterprise Stakeholder Management • Cross-functional Collaboration • International Project Management

Community & Product: Community Strategy • Community Growth (1M+ Users) • Community-Led Revenue ($100M+) • Product Vision & Strategy • Engagement Metrics • Community Health • Events Programming • Content Production • Advocacy Programs • Risk Management • Trust & Safety • Retention Strategy • Crowdsourcing • Public Relations • Agile/Scrum

User Research: Methodology Development • Large-Scale Studies • Insights • User Journey Mapping • Stakeholder Communication • Cross-Functional Research

Technical Skills: Generative AI & Prompt Engineering • Figma • Slack • Discord • Notion • Airtable • Adobe Creative Suite • Development (HTML/CSS, Python) • Business Intelligence Tools

Professional Experience

LEGO – Remote – 2021-present

Senior Consultant, Community Expert

Provide strategic insights, communication, and engagement for marketplace serving 1M+ members with $100M+ annual peer-to-peer sales revenue.

  • Designed and executed creator community strategy for BrickLink Designer Program, generating $100M+ in crowdsourced product revenue and turning users into advocates.
  • Used quantitative segmentation and qualitative research to inform platform evolution, improving engagement metrics and contributing to increased community health and retention.
  • Guided communication for LEGO Digital Designer sunset (20-year product) and BrickLink Studio transition, leveraging deep understanding of LEGO fan community and early CAD software development experience.

Treasury – San Francisco, London - June 2022-January 2025

Director of Ecosystem & Co-founder

Led ecosystem development and community engagement for pre-seed spatial computing startup developing marketplace for premium licensed 3D environments, VC-backed by Gradient (Google AI fund) and co-founded with Zaha Hadid Architects.

  • Contributed to $400k seed extension raise through strategic relationship development.
  • Led product implementation process from CEO vision to technical requirements.
  • Developed pre-listing catalog of 16,000 scenes to seed spatial marketplace.
  • Designed and executed strategic event series—including high-level panels (20–200+ attendees) and hands-on demos (30–40 qualified participants per event)—to drive product education, build stakeholder trust, and increase engagement with key industry partners.
  • Managed event operations including technical production, venue management, and guest experience across San Francisco and London offices.

VIVERO – Remote – 2019-2020

Head of Community and User Research

Led community strategy and user research for venture studio focused on digital consumer products.

  • Led qualitative consumer research that developed interview and insights methodology.
  • Mentored UI/UX designer and together developed interfaces and screen flows for concept testing.

LEGO – Hartford, CT, Billund, Denmark – 2011-2018

Community and Experience Manager, LEGO IDEAS

Scaled LEGO IDEAS platform from beta to 1M+ members, launching $90M in community-driven products and defining the company’s first principles for consumer co-creation and ethical crowdsourcing.

  • Managed pipeline of 1K+ monthly UGC submissions and 10K+ user comments.
  • Owned end-to-end experience including user journeys, VIP experience, content production, moderation, platform operations, and analytics.
  • Authored LEGO company principles for consumer co-creation (“Participation Promise”).
  • Served as voice of customer, developing key stakeholder relationships with Legal, PR, and Licensing.
  • Trained and mentored community engagement team across global offices.

SocialDevCamp Chicago – Chicago – 2008-2011

Co-Founder

Founded and led annual all-volunteer tech conference with 400+ attendees and speakers from Google, Facebook, PayPal, Microsoft, and Obama for America.

  • Grew revenue year-over-year, reaching $40K+ for 2011 event.
  • Launched Chicago’s first large-scale hackathons, catalyzing local tech community growth.
  • Led volunteer team responsible for programming, marketing, event production, and guest and sponsor experience.

Education & Credentials

Bachelor of Arts, Organizational Communication – North Central College, Cum laude
Associate of Arts, General Studies – College of DuPage
Certifications: IDEO U Foundations in Design Thinking, Scrum Certified Product Owner (SCPO), Wavetable Workshop Creator