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# Nick Zhou

**Headline:** Growth & Marketing Executive 📈 Scaled brands $0→$5M & $50M→$250M+ 🏆 AI-Native Growth 🔥 5-Time Founder w/ 2 Exits | GTM & Brand Scaling Expert
**Profession:** Senior Marketing Director
**Location:** New York, New York, United States

## About

Nick Zhou is Senior Marketing Director at CookUnity, where he leads Organic Growth, SEM, and AI-driven growth for channels and strategies responsible for approximately 55% of company revenue. A marketing and growth executive with more than 23 years of experience, Nick specializes in full-funnel acquisition, retention, conversion-rate optimization, creative strategy, SEO, SEM, paid media, go-to-market strategy, and integrated digital and offline marketing. He is a five-time founder with two exits and has scaled brands from $0 to more than $5 million and from $50 million to more than $250 million in revenue. At CookUnity, Nick was the first leader dedicated to Organic Growth, built the function from the ground up, expanded its team, scaled SEO revenue by more than 130% year over year, and increased SEM revenue 26% year over year after assuming responsibility for Google Ads in June 2025. Earlier, he helped Goldbelly grow from $49 million to more than $250 million in annual revenue, supported $460 million in 2023 revenue at Trusted Health, and led several ventures, including Everlasting Footprint and Chinese Food DIY, to successful exits. A computer scientist with a PhD, Nick has used AI in his daily work since 2023 and applies a data-driven, engineering-oriented approach to growth, measurement, tracking, attribution, and experimentation.

## Services

- Business Expansion
- DTC
- B2C Marketing
- Growth Hacking
- Web Design
- Web Development
- Multitasking
- Artificial Intelligence \(AI\)
- Website Administration
- Overcome Obstacles
- Strategy Alignment
- C-Level Leadership
- External Relationships
- Managing Multi-Million Dollar Budgets
- Consumer Behavior
- Return on Investment
- Cross-functional Coordination
- Performance Improvement
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- Business Insights
- Conversion Rate
- Marketing Mix Modeling
- Merchandising
- Retention Strategies
- Digital Trends
- Critical Thinking
- Brand Building
- Startups
- Vendor Partnerships
- Resource Allocation

## Highlights

- Leads Organic Growth, SEM, and AI-driven growth at CookUnity for channels and strategies responsible for approximately 55% of company revenue.
- Built CookUnity's Organic Growth function as its first dedicated marketing leader, growing the team from zero to seven, with four direct reports across SEM, SEO, content, video marketing, and AI creative.
- Scaled CookUnity SEO revenue by 136% year over year in Q4 2024 and 128% year over year from January through September 2025 the role record also reports SEO revenue growth of more than 130% year over year.
- Increased CookUnity SEM revenue 26% year over year by Q3 after taking over Google Ads in June 2025.
- Launched more than 60 AI-powered, SEO-optimized programmatic landing pages at CookUnity, increasing SEO conversions by more than 270%.
- Launched more than 20 high-intent transactional landing pages at CookUnity, increasing conversions by more than 160% from targeted paid and organic keywords.
- Reversed CookUnity's blog-traffic decline with 110-plus AI-assisted posts and workflow automation, delivering more than 26% year-over-year growth in Q3 2025.
- Guided the creation of CookUnity's AI Creative Studio to accelerate AI adoption across paid and organic creatives, landing pages, video, email, and blog content.
- Managed a $5 million marketing budget at Trusted Health that significantly contributed to $460 million in 2023 revenue.
- Reduced CAC 40% in three months at Trusted Health by optimizing paid search, Meta and TikTok paid social, and programmatic advertising.
- Led Trusted Health's Allied Health GTM launch, initially contributing 5% of company revenue, estimated at $20 million the business is also described as contributing 20% of total revenue.
- Generated more than 310,000 new registered users in 22 months at Trusted Health, contributing 44% of the company's user base.
- Led a Trusted Health job-page revamp that increased traffic 103% and reduced bounce rate 96%.
- Produced more than 10 million engagements and 25,000-plus conversions through viral social campaigns at Trusted Health.
- Led a 10-person blog and resources overhaul at Trusted Health, producing 113% quarter-over-quarter organic-traffic growth in Q1 2024 and 80% growth in Q2 2024.
- Led a 16-person team in launching Trusted Health's omnichannel marketing plan.
- Helped scale Goldbelly annual revenue from $49 million to more than $250 million in three years through SEM, SEO, PLG, and content marketing.
- Managed $82 million in Goldbelly ad spend and achieved a 430% revenue increase through SEM restructuring, optimization, and expanded campaign types.
- Led Goldbelly's gift-basket GTM initiative, generating more than $10 million in December 2020.
- Increased Goldbelly organic-search traffic 160%, relaunched its blog to 250,000-plus monthly visits, and optimized more than 4,700 product pages and 3,500 key pages.
- Built and led Goldbelly's six-person SEM and SEO team.
- Scaled Adena Montessori annual revenue from $0 to $7 million in three years and led international expansion.
- Helped numerous startups raise more than $10 million in capital through Supercharge Blockchain, while growing its network from zero to 15,000 contacts.
- Acquired more than 125,000 users in seven months at Everlasting Footprint, raised $335,500, and led the company to a successful 2019 exit.
- Built Chinese Food DIY into a 500-plus-recipe site with more than 40,000 email subscribers in 13 months, first-page Google rankings for competitive keywords, a bestselling cookbook, and a successful 2011 exit.
- Led GTM and marketing for more than 260 NicholasChou.com clients across more than 30 countries and managed more than 70 marketing professionals.
- Launched two training courses serving more than 19,000 customers and authored four coaching programs.
- At Elix, helped reverse negative growth to 22% year-over-year revenue growth and reduced CAC 23% in three months.
- Increased creative-testing velocity from 10–12 to 20–30 concepts monthly through an improved production system.
- A five-time founder with two successful exits, more than 23 years of experience, and degrees including a PhD in Computer Science.

## Experience

- **Senior Marketing Director at CookUnity** (2024-09-01–present) — CookUnity is a chef-powered prepared meal subscription platform delivering restaurant-quality meals nationwide. • Own channels and strategies responsible for ~55% of company revenue. • Hired as the first marketing leader dedicated to Organic Growth • scaled SEO revenue by 130%+ YoY. • Built the Organic Growth function from the ground up, growing the team from 0 to 7, including 4 direct reports across SEM, SEO, content, video marketing, and AI creative studio. • Took over Google Ads/SEM in June 2025 • drove a 26% YoY increase in SEM revenue by Q3 through keyword expansion, campaign restructuring, and performance optimization. • Led launch of 60+ SEO-optimized programmatic landing pages for top cuisines and diets utilizing AI and workflow automation, increasing SEO conversions by over 270%. • Rolled out 20+ high-intent transactional landing pages, increasing conversions by over 160% from targeted paid and organic keywords. • Reversed blog traffic decline by launching 110+ AI-assisted blo
- **Director of Growth Marketing at Trusted Health** (2022-10-01–2024-08-01) — Trusted Health is a healthcare staffing platform connecting travel nurses and allied health professionals with flexible job opportunities. • Responsibilities: • Managed a $5 million marketing budget, significantly contributing to $460 million in revenue in 2023. • Reduced Customer Acquisition Cost \(CAC\) by 40% in 3 months through optimizing digital advertising across Paid Search/SEM, Paid Social/Meta/TikTok, and Programmatic, steering company toward profitability. • Led the development and execution of a go-to-market \(GTM\) strategy for Allied Health, driving its launch to contribute 5% of the company’s total revenue \(est. • $20 million\). • Led growth campaigns that generated 310,000+ new registered users in 22 months, contributing to 44% of the company’s user base. • Directed cross-functional teams as de facto Product Manager to revamp job pages, improving UX, SEO, and design, leading to a 103% increase in traffic and a 96% decrease in bounce rate. • Developed and executed multiple vir
- **Director of Search \(SEM & SEO\) at Goldbelly** (2019-08-01–2022-10-01) — Goldbelly is a premier gourmet food delivery service and e-commerce platform, connecting customers nationwide with iconic foods from renowned restaurants, chefs, and food shops across the United States. • Responsibilities: • Led SEM, SEO, product-led growth \(PLG\), and content marketing strategies, playing a pivotal role in scaling company revenue from $49M to $250M+ within 3 years. • Managed $82M in ad spend, achieving 430% revenue increase by restructuring SEM campaigns, optimizing keywords/ad copy, and leveraging Display, Discovery/Demand Gen, YouTube Video, Smart Shopping and Dynamic Search Ads. • Spearheaded GTM strategy for gift basket initiative, generating $10M+ in December 2020. • Led cross-functional product, engineering, content, and SEO teams to implement comprehensive SEO strategies \(Technical, Content, On-Page, Off-Page\), boosting Organic Search traffic by 160%. • Directed SEO & Content teams to relaunch blog, driving 250K+ monthly visits and significantly expanding organi
- **Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer \(CMO\) at Supercharge Blockchain** (2018-06-01–2019-05-01) — Supercharge Blockchain is an incubator and consultancy with a 7,500-sf waterfront coworking space in New York City. • Responsibilities: • Spearheaded go-to-market \(GTM\) strategies, driving user acquisition, demand generation, and engagement initiatives that helped raise $10M+ in capital for numerous startups. • Led comprehensive marketing strategies, overseeing positioning, branding, and multi-channel marketing efforts, ensuring cohesive execution across all platforms. • Expanded company network from 0 to 15,000 contacts, significantly boosting community engagement within the blockchain ecosystem. • Planned, managed, and promoted events with 100 to 700 attendees.
- **Co-founder, CEO at Everlasting Footprint** (2013-06-01–2019-07-01) — Everlasting Footprint is a digital storytelling platform for people to create and share life stories that can be preserved for generations. • Developed and executed the go-to-market \(GTM\) strategy, acquiring 125,000+ users in 7 months. • Managed an 8-person Product, Engineering, Design, and Marketing team to build and launch the platform, overseeing all aspects of development, design, and marketing. • Raised $335,500 in funding and led the company to a successful exit.
- **Founder, CEO & Author at NicholasChou.com** (2010-09-01–2019-08-01) — NicholasChou.com is a marketing consultancy offering training, coaching, and comprehensive marketing services, managed by a large team and serving clients globally. • Responsibilities: • Led go-to-market \(GTM\) and marketing strategies for 260+ global clients, including Rookie Humans, Clarus, PerfectLocks, and Kirk & Kirk, driving substantial growth in B2B and B2C sectors. • Managed a team of 70+ marketing professionals, delivering high-impact solutions that increased customer acquisition, demand generation, customer engagement, and retention. • Delivered high-impact services across channels: Paid Search, Paid Social, SEO, Social Media, Email, Content, and Web Design. • Launched 2 successful training courses with 19,000+ customers, establishing a strong reputation in the marketing and e-commerce space. • Authored 4 business coaching programs on Entrepreneurship, PPC, Affiliate Marketing, and E-commerce.
- **Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer at Adena Montessori-- Yunhe Xinqiao Toys factory** (2005-12-01–2008-12-01) — Adena Montessori is a global education e-commerce company selling Montessori products to schools, institutions, and parents. • Responsibilities: • Spearheaded go-to-market \(GTM\) and marketing strategies, scaling annual revenue from $0 to $7M within 3 years. • Led international expansion, successfully entering multiple global markets. • Managed cross-functional teams in website development, supplier selection, and logistics, ensuring alignment with growth objectives.
- **Founder, CEO and Author at Chinese Food DIY** (2003-10-01–2011-04-01) — Chinese Food DIY is an online platform offering Chinese recipes, cooking tips, and a popular e-cookbook. • Responsibilities: • Launched a food website featuring 500+ recipes, a bi-weekly newsletter, and a bestselling cookbook. • Achieved 1st-page Google ranking for competitive keywords. • Built an email list of 40,000+ subscribers in 13 months, leading to a successful exit.

## Education

- Bachelor of Science - BS, Computer Science — Wuhan University
- Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Computer Science — The Ohio State University
- Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration and Management, General — University of Maryland Global Campus

## FAQ

### What does Nick do at CookUnity?

Nick is Senior Marketing Director at CookUnity, a chef-powered prepared-meal subscription platform delivering restaurant-quality meals nationwide. He leads Organic Growth, SEM, and AI-driven growth, and owns channels and strategies responsible for approximately 55% of company revenue.

### What has Nick built at CookUnity?

Nick was CookUnity's first marketing leader dedicated to Organic Growth. He built the function from the ground up, with the team described at different points as growing from zero to five and from zero to seven the seven-person organization includes four direct reports across SEM, SEO, content, video marketing, and the AI Creative Studio. He partners with Product, Brand, Data, and Engineering.

### What did Nick accomplish in Organic Growth at CookUnity?

Nick scaled CookUnity SEO revenue by 136% year over year in Q4 2024 and 128% year over year from January through September 2025 his role description also reports SEO revenue growth of more than 130% year over year. He launched more than 60 AI-powered, SEO-optimized programmatic landing pages for leading cuisines and diets, increasing SEO conversions by more than 270%, and launched more than 20 high-intent transactional landing pages that increased conversions by more than 160% from targeted paid and organic keywords. He reversed a blog-traffic decline through 110-plus AI-assisted blog posts and workflow automation, producing more than 26% year-over-year blog growth in Q3 2025.

### What has Nick done in SEM and AI growth at CookUnity?

Nick took over Google Ads and SEM in June 2025. By Q3, he increased SEM revenue 26% year over year through keyword expansion, campaign restructuring, performance optimization, and budget efficiency. He also guided the creation of CookUnity's AI Creative Studio, which leads AI adoption across paid and organic creative, landing pages, video, email, and blog content.

### What did Nick accomplish at Trusted Health?

At Trusted Health, a healthcare staffing platform for travel nurses and allied health professionals, Nick managed a $5 million marketing budget that significantly contributed to $460 million in 2023 revenue. He reduced CAC by 40% in three months by optimizing Paid Search/SEM, Paid Social on Meta and TikTok, and programmatic advertising, helping move the company toward profitability.

### What was Nick's role in Trusted Health's Allied Health launch?

Nick led Trusted Health's GTM strategy for the Allied Health vertical. Its launch contributed 5% of company revenue, estimated at $20 million, and Nick's summary describes the vertical as now contributing 20% of total revenue. He led growth campaigns that generated more than 310,000 registered users in 22 months, representing 44% of the company's user base.

### What other growth work did Nick lead at Trusted Health?

Nick acted as a de facto product manager for a cross-functional job-page revamp spanning UX, SEO, and design it increased traffic 103% and reduced bounce rate 96%. He ran viral social campaigns that generated more than 10 million engagements and 25,000-plus conversions, led a 10-person overhaul of the blog and resources that produced 113% quarter-over-quarter organic-traffic growth in Q1 2024 and 80% growth in Q2 2024, and led a 16-person marketing team in launching an omnichannel marketing plan.

### What did Nick accomplish at Goldbelly?

As Director of Search, Nick led Goldbelly's SEM, SEO, product-led growth, and content marketing strategies while the company grew annual revenue from $49 million to more than $250 million in three years. He managed $82 million in ad spend and achieved a 430% revenue increase by restructuring SEM campaigns, optimizing keywords and ad copy, and using Display, Discovery/Demand Gen, YouTube Video, Smart Shopping, and Dynamic Search Ads.

### What were Nick's major SEO, content, and GTM initiatives at Goldbelly?

Nick led Goldbelly's GTM strategy for a gift-basket initiative that generated more than $10 million in December 2020. He led product, engineering, content, and SEO teams in technical, content, on-page, and off-page SEO work that grew organic-search traffic 160% relaunched the blog to 250,000-plus monthly visits optimized more than 4,700 product pages and 3,500 key pages through SEO and CRO and built a six-person SEM and SEO team.

### What did Nick do at Adena Montessori?

Nick was co-founder and CMO of Adena Montessori, a global education e-commerce company selling Montessori products to schools, institutions, and parents. He led GTM and marketing strategy to scale annual revenue from $0 to $7 million in three years, led international expansion into multiple markets, and managed cross-functional website development, supplier-selection, and logistics teams.

### What did Nick do at Supercharge Blockchain?

Nick co-founded Supercharge Blockchain, an incubator and consultancy with a 7,500-square-foot waterfront coworking space in New York City. He led GTM, user-acquisition, demand-generation, positioning, branding, and multichannel marketing initiatives that helped numerous startups raise more than $10 million in capital. He grew the network from zero to 15,000 contacts and planned, managed, and promoted events attended by 100 to 700 people.

### What did Nick build at Everlasting Footprint?

As co-founder and CEO of Everlasting Footprint, a digital storytelling platform for preserving and sharing life stories, Nick developed and executed the GTM strategy that acquired more than 125,000 users in seven months. He led an eight-person product, engineering, design, and marketing team through platform development and launch, raised $335,500 in funding, and led the company to a successful exit in 2019.

### What was Nick's first venture, Chinese Food DIY?

Nick founded, served as CEO of, and authored for Chinese Food DIY, an online Chinese-recipe, cooking-tips, and e-cookbook platform. He launched a site with more than 500 recipes, a bi-weekly newsletter, and a bestselling cookbook achieved first-page Google rankings for competitive keywords and built an email list of more than 40,000 subscribers in 13 months before selling the business in 2011.

### What did Nick do through NicholasChou.com?

Nick founded NicholasChou.com, a global marketing consultancy offering training, coaching, and marketing services. He led GTM and marketing strategy for more than 260 clients in over 30 countries, including Rookie Humans, Clarus, PerfectLocks, and Kirk & Kirk, serving B2B and B2C organizations. He managed more than 70 marketing professionals and delivered Paid Search, Paid Social, SEO, social media, email, content, and web-design services.

### What training and authored programs has Nick created?

Through NicholasChou.com, Nick launched two training courses with more than 19,000 customers. He also authored four business-coaching programs on entrepreneurship, PPC, affiliate marketing, and e-commerce.

### How does Nick apply AI, data, and technical expertise to growth?

Nick is an early AI adopter who has used AI in daily work since 2023. He is a trained computer scientist with an engineering mindset and a data-driven approach to growth. His work includes AI-assisted content and creative production, landing-page optimization, CRO, client-side and server-side conversion tracking, multi-touch attribution dashboards, and analysis of cross-channel interactions.

### What are Nick's strengths in growth operations and optimization?

Nick owns end-to-end growth marketing spanning acquisition, retention, CRO, and creative strategy. He increased creative-testing velocity from 10–12 to 20–30 concepts per month through an improved production system. At Elix, he helped turn negative growth into 22% year-over-year revenue growth and reduced CAC 23% in three months through systematic improvements to tracking, attribution, creative, and landing pages.

### What professional capabilities does Nick bring to marketing and growth leadership?

Nick's skills include business expansion DTC, B2C, and B2B marketing growth hacking AI web design, development, and administration strategic planning and alignment C-level leadership budget management consumer behavior ROI marketing mix modeling merchandising retention brand building startups vendor partnerships and resource allocation. He also works across growth marketing, demand and lead generation, user and customer acquisition, digital and marketing strategy, integrated, product, content, email, mobile, social, event, performance, and programmatic marketing SEM, SEO, PPC, paid search, paid social, marketing automation, ABM, GTM, attribution, media strategy, CRM, analytics, data analysis, and Scrum.

### What are Nick's education, certifications, and languages?

Nick holds a BS in Computer Science from Wuhan University, a PhD in Computer Science from The Ohio State University, and an MBA in Business Administration and Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus. He is certified in Project Management Simplified and Scrum: The Basics through LinkedIn. Nick speaks Mandarin and English.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-zhou

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