Susanna Pho

Observer
DISC Type : ic

Co-Founder & COO at Forerunner

San Francisco Bay Area, United States

Overview

Susanna Pho is the Co-Founder and COO of Forerunner, a GovTech software company focused on floodplain management. Leveraging her Masters degrees in Architecture from MIT and Design Studies from Harvard, she helps governments navigate climate risk and streamline compliance. She is also a Certified Floodplain Manager.

Susanna is deeply committed to urban resilience and community development. This passion is evident from her previous role as a fellow at Harvards Joint Center for Housing Studies and her current work empowering communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change through technology.

Susanna was recognized for her work in social impact by being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2023.

Personality Overview

Example Seeker

Assertive

Curious

They ask a lot of questions and rely heavily on information and collaterals.  They are generally good communicators and can be hard to convince. They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing.

Topics They Care About

Floodplain Management
As a Certified Floodplain Manager and COO of Forerunner, she builds software to help governments manage flood risk data and streamline resident outreach.
Climate Adaptation Tech
Her career is focused on creating technology that helps communities adapt to climate change, specifically by using property-level data to inform decisions.
GovTech Innovation
She is building an AI-powered platform to serve as a single source of truth for the built environment, modernizing government workflows.

Media Appearances

JT White & Susanna Pho | Co-Founders, Forerunner. Featured in Spreaker

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Susanna Pho - Co-founder & COO at Forerunner. Featured in The Org

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JT White & Susanna Pho | Co-Founders, Forerunner. Featured in YouTube

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Work History

Co-Founder & COO at Forerunner
Researcher at Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Graduate Teaching Assistant at Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Edward M. Gramlich Fellow in Community and Economic Development at Joint Center for Housing Studies & NeighborWorks America
Architectural Designer at Santos Prescott + Associates

Education

2017 - 2019
Master in Design Studies from Harvard University Graduate School of Design
2011 - 2015
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : N/A Location : San Francisco Bay Area, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Co-Founder & COO at Forerunner
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Insights For Selling To Susanna

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Persuade objectively how your product will help them achieve their goals
  • Help them understand the risk aspect fully while inspiring confidence
  • Build rapport, it will come handy to handle hard questions later

DONT's

  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously
  • Don’t try to rush them into a decision, provide all necessary information first
  • Don’t be too objective but make sure to pad your storytelling with data points

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Susanna is

  • Proven value, strong testimonials are important for them, rapport can impact decisions a little.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Susanna

  • They are practical and friendly, don't expect a clear-cut response often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Susanna move?

  • They like to perform full analysis and can take time to make any decision.
  • Can Susanna take some risk or not?

  • They weigh all decisions systematically and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Susanna

Personality Compatibility


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