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Rich Katzmann, MBA

Co-Founder/CCO
Thyrve Innovations
Oak Lawn, Illinois, United States

Rich Katzmann is an accomplished entrepreneur, operator, and commercial strategist with a strong track record of creating and growing successful businesses across technology and traditional industries. As Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Thryve Innovation, Rich leads the company’s go-to-market strategy, builds strategic partnerships, and champions scalable commercial growth in service of the company’s mission to drive innovation and deliver transformative solutions.
Rich’s career reflects a passion for building ventures from the ground up and accelerating performance across diverse markets. He began his entrepreneurial journey founding a venture-backed e-textbook company, where he successfully raised $14 million in capital — an early demonstration of his ability to attract investment and drive technology adoption.
An operator at heart, Rich also started and scaled a water conservation plumbing business, growing revenues to $15 million before a successful exit. His keen ability to identify market needs and build teams to capture opportunity has been a central theme throughout his career.
In executive leadership roles, Rich has a strong record of driving revenue growth and operational excellence. As a leader at Laser Products, he doubled company revenue, reinforcing his talent for scaling sales and strengthening market position.
Rich also brings deep strategic and analytical experience to every opportunity. Before his entrepreneurial ventures, he spent five years in management consulting, where he focused on process design and M&A, helping organizations streamline operations and execute complex transactions. He holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship, underscoring his formal grounding in business growth and innovation.

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