Zachary Ackerman
Head of Marketplace at Cottage- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Caleb L.
Since his first day at Cottage, Zach has stood out in his ability to lead from the front. Whether that was with individual Cottage homeowners or internally with the rest of the Cottage team, you always knew: if Zach was the one in charge, you could be at ease. Here's a few special traits I saw while working with Zach beyond the day-to-day execution, of which Zach is amazing at as well. This is what I personally saw set him apart: + Humanity: Zach's humanity shines through in each interaction he has with others. When he talks to people, they don't just feel heard—they feel seen and known. It shows up in person talking to the team, and with homeowners and partners on zoom and voice calls alike. It's a magical skill that I hope to emulate and have already learned from Zach. + Purpose-driven and Grounded: Each day, it felt that Zach made the decision to show up - even on the rougher days. Not saying discouragement wasn't a part of the equation, as it added fuel to the fire. It was clear, however, that Zach was able to remind himself and us all of the bigger picture—and this reorients everyone quickly whenever we get off track. + Teamwork: Zach was Cottage's #1 consensus-builder. He has a knack for distilling difficult problems into solvable opportunities—and then bringing people along for the ride. He backed this up with technical know-how, diligence, and willingness to go the extra mile. His team—and Cottage as a whole—would not be the same without these core traits.
Caleb L.
Since his first day at Cottage, Zach has stood out in his ability to lead from the front. Whether that was with individual Cottage homeowners or internally with the rest of the Cottage team, you always knew: if Zach was the one in charge, you could be at ease. Here's a few special traits I saw while working with Zach beyond the day-to-day execution, of which Zach is amazing at as well. This is what I personally saw set him apart: + Humanity: Zach's humanity shines through in each interaction he has with others. When he talks to people, they don't just feel heard—they feel seen and known. It shows up in person talking to the team, and with homeowners and partners on zoom and voice calls alike. It's a magical skill that I hope to emulate and have already learned from Zach. + Purpose-driven and Grounded: Each day, it felt that Zach made the decision to show up - even on the rougher days. Not saying discouragement wasn't a part of the equation, as it added fuel to the fire. It was clear, however, that Zach was able to remind himself and us all of the bigger picture—and this reorients everyone quickly whenever we get off track. + Teamwork: Zach was Cottage's #1 consensus-builder. He has a knack for distilling difficult problems into solvable opportunities—and then bringing people along for the ride. He backed this up with technical know-how, diligence, and willingness to go the extra mile. His team—and Cottage as a whole—would not be the same without these core traits.
Caleb L.
Since his first day at Cottage, Zach has stood out in his ability to lead from the front. Whether that was with individual Cottage homeowners or internally with the rest of the Cottage team, you always knew: if Zach was the one in charge, you could be at ease. Here's a few special traits I saw while working with Zach beyond the day-to-day execution, of which Zach is amazing at as well. This is what I personally saw set him apart: + Humanity: Zach's humanity shines through in each interaction he has with others. When he talks to people, they don't just feel heard—they feel seen and known. It shows up in person talking to the team, and with homeowners and partners on zoom and voice calls alike. It's a magical skill that I hope to emulate and have already learned from Zach. + Purpose-driven and Grounded: Each day, it felt that Zach made the decision to show up - even on the rougher days. Not saying discouragement wasn't a part of the equation, as it added fuel to the fire. It was clear, however, that Zach was able to remind himself and us all of the bigger picture—and this reorients everyone quickly whenever we get off track. + Teamwork: Zach was Cottage's #1 consensus-builder. He has a knack for distilling difficult problems into solvable opportunities—and then bringing people along for the ride. He backed this up with technical know-how, diligence, and willingness to go the extra mile. His team—and Cottage as a whole—would not be the same without these core traits.
Caleb L.
Since his first day at Cottage, Zach has stood out in his ability to lead from the front. Whether that was with individual Cottage homeowners or internally with the rest of the Cottage team, you always knew: if Zach was the one in charge, you could be at ease. Here's a few special traits I saw while working with Zach beyond the day-to-day execution, of which Zach is amazing at as well. This is what I personally saw set him apart: + Humanity: Zach's humanity shines through in each interaction he has with others. When he talks to people, they don't just feel heard—they feel seen and known. It shows up in person talking to the team, and with homeowners and partners on zoom and voice calls alike. It's a magical skill that I hope to emulate and have already learned from Zach. + Purpose-driven and Grounded: Each day, it felt that Zach made the decision to show up - even on the rougher days. Not saying discouragement wasn't a part of the equation, as it added fuel to the fire. It was clear, however, that Zach was able to remind himself and us all of the bigger picture—and this reorients everyone quickly whenever we get off track. + Teamwork: Zach was Cottage's #1 consensus-builder. He has a knack for distilling difficult problems into solvable opportunities—and then bringing people along for the ride. He backed this up with technical know-how, diligence, and willingness to go the extra mile. His team—and Cottage as a whole—would not be the same without these core traits.
Credentials
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Denison Certified Professional
Denison ConsultingMar, 2016- Nov, 2024
Experience
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Cottage
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United States
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Consumer Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Head of Marketplace
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Dec 2022 - Present
Cottage is a marketplace for residential construction, starting with custom Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). By digitizing the design-build process, Cottage saves homeowners months and thousands of dollars, while providing small businesses predictable pipelines and time-saving tools.
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Operations Lead, Project Success
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Mar 2022 - Dec 2022
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Operations Manager
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Apr 2021 - Mar 2022
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Avalon Housing
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United States
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Non-profit Organizations
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1 - 100 Employee
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Advisor, Real Estate Development
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Jan 2021 - Present
Avalon builds healthy, safe, and inclusive housing communities as a long-term solution to homelessness. The organization serves individuals, families with children, youth, and seniors – all of whom have experienced homelessness and face mental and/or physical health challenges. Avalon builds healthy, safe, and inclusive housing communities as a long-term solution to homelessness. The organization serves individuals, families with children, youth, and seniors – all of whom have experienced homelessness and face mental and/or physical health challenges.
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Denison Consulting
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United States
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Business Consulting and Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Vice President, Sales & Marketing
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Jan 2021 - Apr 2021
Denison Consulting is a global leader in corporate culture transformation and leadership development. Denison has worked with 8,000+ clients globally. This diverse clientele has allowed the firm to leverage best practices from a wide variety of cases, industries, and geographies.
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Director, Sales & Marketing
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Feb 2018 - Jan 2021
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Account Executive
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Nov 2017 - Feb 2018
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Client Success Manager
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Mar 2016 - Nov 2017
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City of Ann Arbor
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United States
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Government Administration
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400 - 500 Employee
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City Council Member, Ward 3 (Elected)
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Nov 2015 - Nov 2020
Ann Arbor is frequently rated the best small city in America. It is home to a top-tier research university, world-class hospital, active arts scene, and growing tech industry. The City of Ann Arbor and its 750+ employees proudly serve 120,000 residents to provide safe infrastructure, clean water, public safety, and countless other services.
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Planning Commissioner
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Nov 2015 - Nov 2020
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Housing & Human Services Advisory Board Member
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Nov 2015 - Nov 2020
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Transportation Commissioner
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Nov 2017 - Nov 2018
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Audit Committee Member
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Nov 2015 - Nov 2018
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Education
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2021 - 2024
University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business
Masters of Business Administration (MBA) -
2011 - 2015
University of Michigan
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Community
