Lynn Greenberg - Co-Founder and CEO - Pivt

Name: Lynn Greenberg

Position: Co-Founder and CEO

Company: Pivt

Professional Background

Pivt Enterprise, Co-Founder and CEO (United States): 2018 – Present

Pivt, Co-Founder and CEO (United States): 2017

Autonomy Ventures, Senior Associate (United States): 2016-2019

New York Venture Community, Vice President of Panels (United States): 2016 – Present

London & Partners, Mentor (United States): 2019 – Present

Astia, Advisor (United States): 2016 – Present

Yeshiva University Women in Business, Mentor (United States)- 2017 – Present

Bloomberg LP, Bloomberg Vault & Surveillance Solutions Analyst (United Kingdom): 2014 – 2016

Career Insider

Q:  What events led you to found Pivt?

A: Pivt was started out of my own experience relocating to London (to work for Bloomberg) and not knowing where to start to make my new city feel like home. I faced the same challenges and general uncomfortableness that most of us experience when moving to a new and unfamiliar place: How do I go about finding information on my city from people I trust and how do I build my network from scratch? I loved exploring and building my new life in London, but I was often lonely and confused. After trying a variety of different methods (Facebook Groups, Meetup, Dating Apps, Tripadvisor, Blogs, etc.), I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a solution. I spent the next six months interviewing expats, relocated employees, and business travellers, and it turns out it wasn’t just me; the #1 concern for expats and relocated employees is their social wellbeing (which is currently being left out of relocation packages).

Pivt initially launched as a consumer app to help movers and travellers acclimate in their new city, but shortly after launch, we were approached by corporations and relocation companies about building a "Pivt" business platform for their relocated employees and mobile workers. Turns out that despite the fact that companies (on average) spend $90K per employee to relocate (Workforce Mobility Association), more than a third leave their post early due to social reasons (Harvard Business Review). After extensive research, the market demand became apparent, and we revamped our consumer platform to best fit business needs.

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Q: Has your own experience as an expat contributed to your work at Pivt?

A: Absolutely, it was the reason why I created Pivt and it drives everything that I do. To know that so many people give up on or don’t make the most of great opportunities because of an inability to acclimate seamlessly is what keeps me up at night. What began for me as a personal problem and an idea, quickly grew to be a passion, and is now a vocation. I wake up every morning devoted to creating a platform that allows people and their families to say yes to life-changing opportunities in unfamiliar places and expand their outlooks, without thinking twice.

Q: What aspect of your work do you find most exciting?

A: Speaking with relocated employees about their experiences, problem-solving, and the steep learning curve of staying ahead of market trends.

Industry Insider

Q: What do you think is the primary thing hindering the global mobility industry's progress? 

A: There’s, unfortunately, a lot of red tape and hesitation to innovate with technology, despite the proof of ROI. It’s an industry that can benefit tremendously from it if organisations were more open to adopting with the changing times and needs.

Q:  What is the most important strategic tip you can give to companies handling global mobility?

A: Listen to your customers. The problems and the solutions are both right there.

Visionary Insider

Q:  What more can be done to improve current global mobility practices to benefit talents on the move?

A: Adopting technology that accommodates for talent on the move. For instance, most relocation practices are currently handled on a desktop, as opposed to on a phone, which is accessible to transient employees. The phone can also utilise GPS, which can help feed relevant information regarding safety, recommendations, and social activities, to name a few.

Q:  What are the major developments you currently see happening in the industry, and how do you feel about them?

A: There seem to be quite a few acquisitions happening in the relocation industry, which can be positive in getting the industry on the same page and working together.

Either/Or…

• Short-term or long-term assignment?
• Airbnb or serviced apartments?
• Excel or global mobility software?
• Lump-sum or flex-ben?
• Facebook or LinkedIn? LinkedIn
• Outlook or Gmail? Gmail
• Taxi or Uber? Uber
• iOS or Android? Both
• Mac or PC? Mac
• Computer or tablet? Computer
• Work hard or play hard?