Expanding the Progress Partners EIR Network
At Progress Partners, our Executive-in-Residence network brings together experienced operators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who add an important perspective to the work we do with founders, management teams, investors, and strategic buyers.
We’re excited to continue expanding that network with the addition of five accomplished executives: Brandon Holley, Colleen Fahey Rush, Erik Hovanec, Michael Saitow, and Michele Calhoun.
Collectively, the newest EIRs bring decades of experience across media, advertising, marketing, connected television, technology, and entrepreneurship. Their backgrounds span building and scaling businesses, developing new revenue models, navigating rapidly evolving markets, and leading organizations through periods of strategic change.
Meet Our Newest EIRs
Brandon brings extensive experience across media, publishing, digital commerce, and entrepreneurship. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles at influential media brands including Lucky, ELLEgirl, Jane, and Yahoo Shine, helping organizations navigate the transition from traditional publishing to digital-first business models.
As the founder of Everywear, Brandon further expanded her experience into technology-enabled retail and personalized shopping experiences. Her background connecting content, commerce, consumer behavior, and emerging technologies brings valuable perspective to the EIR network, particularly as media and retail businesses continue to explore new ways to engage audiences and drive growth.
Colleen brings deep expertise in media research, consumer insights, audience measurement, and business strategy. During her extensive career at Paramount and its predecessor organizations, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer, leading research, analytics, and audience insights across a broad portfolio of entertainment, streaming, broadcast, and digital brands.
Her leadership in understanding changing consumer behaviors, emerging technologies, and cross-platform measurement has helped shape strategic decision-making across the media industry. As an EIR, Colleen adds valuable perspective on the role of data and insights in driving business transformation, identifying growth opportunities, and navigating an increasingly complex media landscape.
Erik brings significant experience in corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and business transformation across advertising technology and digital media. As former Chief Strategy Officer of Magnite, he played a central role in shaping the company's strategic direction and leading M&A initiatives as the business evolved into a major independent advertising technology platform.
His experience includes navigating industry consolidation, integrating acquisitions, and positioning businesses for long-term growth in rapidly changing markets. Erik's combination of strategic and operating expertise brings valuable insight to the EIR network, particularly around value creation, M&A strategy, connected television, and the continued evolution of the digital advertising ecosystem.
Michael brings more than two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, operations, supply chain, and business transformation. Throughout his career, he has worked with growing and established organizations across manufacturing, distribution, and logistics, helping align technology investments with operational priorities and measurable business outcomes.
His expertise spans enterprise technology, automation, artificial intelligence, M&A integration, and operational improvement. Through his advisory and fractional executive work, Michael helps organizations address complex technology and execution challenges while building more scalable and efficient operations.
As an EIR, Michael adds a valuable operator's perspective on how technology, data, and disciplined execution can support sustainable growth and enterprise value creation.
Michele brings extensive experience across media, advertising, digital commerce, consumer marketing, and revenue growth. Her career has included leadership roles at organizations including GoodRx, Leaf Group, and Flipboard, where she has worked at the intersection of consumer engagement, brand partnerships, and commercial strategy.
Her experience spans developing new revenue opportunities, building strategic partnerships, and helping businesses connect with consumers through evolving digital channels. With a background across both media and consumer health and wellness, Michele brings a valuable perspective on how organizations can strengthen market positioning, expand customer relationships, and translate emerging trends into sustainable growth.
As an EIR, Michele further broadens the network's expertise in revenue strategy, digital transformation, brand development, and the evolving relationship between businesses and consumers.
Extending the Progress Partners Network
The strength of the EIR program comes from bringing real operating experience into the conversations that matter most.
Our EIRs work alongside the Progress Partners team to provide market perspective, strategic insight, industry connectivity, and firsthand experience from building, leading, financing, and transforming businesses. That perspective helps us look beyond the numbers and better understand the opportunities, challenges, and decisions facing executives in rapidly changing markets.
Brandon, Colleen, Erik, Michael, and Michele further broaden the range of expertise represented across the network, strengthening our connections across media, technology, advertising, consumer markets, and business operations.
We’re excited to welcome them to the Progress Partners community and look forward to the perspectives, experience, and relationships they bring to the network.
Welcome to the team, Brandon, Colleen, Erik, Michael, and Michele.
