Stephen Blankenship

Growth-focused business development and market expansion leader with 15+ years of experience driving revenue growth, launching new markets, building strategic partnerships, and scaling consumer and wellness brands across competitive channels. Proven ability to execute go-to-market strategies, accelerate distributor and retail expansion, generate qualified pipeline opportunities, and build high-performing growth systems that drive measurable business results across multi-state and enterprise environments.

Founder & Principal at Summitt Ventures (Summit Brand Group) (2024-08 – Present)

Founded and scaled a strategic growth and advisory firm focused on market expansion, channel development, distributor partnerships, and revenue acceleration for emerging wellness and consumer brands.

• Led multi-state expansion initiatives supporting distributor and retail growth across 10+ states, generating six-figure sales opportunities through strategic partnerships and channel development.
• Developed and executed go-to-market strategies that accelerated retail adoption, strengthened partner engagement, and improved long-term account retention.
• Built scalable outbound prospecting and pipeline management systems supporting hundreds of B2B outreach activities monthly across distributor, retail, and strategic partner channels.
• Collaborated with founders and executive teams to optimize pricing strategy, customer targeting, promotional initiatives, and enterprise growth positioning.

Director of Business Development at Lonestar Farms LLC (2020-03 – 2024-08)

Directed revenue growth, customer acquisition, and expansion strategy for a rapidly scaling wellness-focused organization.

• Architected and executed growth initiatives that increased monthly revenue to more than $260K within 12 months through diversified acquisition channels, enterprise partnerships, and strategic business development.
• Built statewide sales pipelines and developed key distributor and retail relationships supporting long-term market expansion and recurring revenue growth.
• Led product launch initiatives, sales enablement programs, and customer-facing campaigns that strengthened brand visibility and accelerated market adoption.
• Recruited, trained, and managed high-performance sales teams while implementing scalable pipeline tracking, CRM processes, and performance management systems.

Regional Manager at Custom Fundraising Solutions (2013-03 – 2020-03)

Directed regional business development and territory growth initiatives across South Texas.

• Built the South Texas region into a seven-figure annual territory through strategic relationship development, consultative sales, and account expansion.
• Managed and developed a 20+ person sales and account management team focused on customer acquisition, retention, and territory expansion.

Business Marketing – University of Texas at Austin

Business – Austin Community College