A tech startup called Leadr that began in the Seattle area has put its roots down in the Dallas area.
The software company, which helps organizations with leadership development, moved its headquarters to North Texas more than a year ago and is looking ahead to help it expand, according to Matt Tresidder, the co-founder who recently became CEO, in emailed messages. The Plano-based startup has raised about $4.7 million.
The move from the region known for Microsoft and Amazon came as Tresidder saw advantages in Dallas-Fort Worth that have helped attract other businesses. That included easier air travel for prospects and customers, a lower hiring cost, and a better time zone. And then there are the lower expenses: the mortgage for Tresidder’s three-bedroom home with a pool is cheaper than the 600 square-foot apartment in the Seattle area.
The target market early was large churches so shifting to the Bible Belt helped as well, he noted — but the company is expanding its reach into the for-profit world. Leadr is getting more traction, having recently doubled its customer count in a recent three-month period despite the challenges in the economy.
“The large majority of our customers are in the faith market, but we’ll be branching into other verticals of small- to medium-sized businesses in the quarters ahead,” Tresidder said.
As of Jan. 31, Leadr, which shifted to DFW in late 2019, is approaching $1 million in annual recurring revenue and 185 customers across the U.S., according to a recent statement.
Tresidder had served as chief revenue officer. Chris Heaslip, executive chairman, and Matt Strelecki, chief customer officer, are also co-founders.
“We actually haven’t had anyone in the CEO seat since Leadr started,” Tresidder said. “There really hadn’t been a strong need for it, until recently, that is. As the team grew it became self-evident that we couldn’t function like a five-person team anymore.”
