Will Urban

Principal Owner @ Will Urban Consulting

About

After 30+ years building and scaling two of the world's largest logistics companies: Expeditors and Flexport ($600M → $5B revenue in 4 years) — I now partner with the next generation of supply chain leaders. Who I work with: 1. Pre-seed to series A-stage founders ready to scale their go-to-market strategy 2. Executive teams at established companies needing strategic supply chain guidance 3. Investors with portfolio companies requiring operational expertise 4. Press seeking industry insights and commentary What makes this different: I've learned that chaos creates the biggest opportunities — if you're willing to listen, show empathy, and play the long game. During the pandemic supply chain crisis at Flexport, while competitors were saying "no," our team doubled down on relationships and customer support. The result? Many of those deals became 10x larger when the market reopened. This is the approach I bring to every engagement: relationship-first, empathy-driven strategies that compound over time. How we work together: → Consulting: GTM strategy, revenue growth, sales team building, & operational scaling → Investing: Direct investment and connections to supply chain-focused VCs through my family office → Network Access: Introductions to key players across the global supply chain ecosystem Our clients typically see significant ROI within the first few months. We work month-to-month with no long-term contracts because the results speak for themselves. Current roles: Full Partner at R7 Ventures | Venture Partner at Companyon, Nine Realms & TMV | Board member/advisor at 6 supply chain companies The supply chain industry is so massive that even at $5B revenue, Flexport still had less than 1% market share. There's incredible opportunity for the right companies with the right approach. I'm here to help the best ideas scale into the next billion-dollar companies—the right way. Ready to scale? Let's talk about what's possible.

Country

United States

City

Seattle

Industry

Transportation/Trucking/Railroad

Skill

C-TPAT, Transportation, Logistics, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Shipping, Customs Regulations, Logistics Management, Air Freight, Warehousing, Operations Management, 3PL, Procurement, Contract Negotiation, Warehouse Management

Experience

Principal Owner

Will Urban Consulting

2019-9 - Present · 7 yrs 1 mo

Venture Partner

Outline Ventures

2026-1 - Present · 9 mos

Outline Ventures backs founders building durable, technology-driven businesses at the intersection of software and the real economy.

Strategic Advisor

TMV

2025-4 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

TMV.Logistics focuses on Investing in the Transformation of Maritime and Intermodal Logistics

Venture Partner

2023-6 - Present · 3 yrs 4 mos

R7 is an early-stage venture capital firm specializing in the untapped potential of physical industries within the new industrial economy, which encompasses 76.3% of global GDP but only represents 9% of global VC allocation. R7's unique, operator-led model and deep industry expertise empower world-class founders to redefine essential industries such as supply chain, logistics, infrastructure, mobility, energy, advanced manufacturing, and agriculture. Our team is experienced with over 20 successful exits to date. R7 targets 100% alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals, creating long-term, sustainable value in industries that will shape the future of our world.

Venture Partner

Nine Realms

2024-6 - Present · 2 yrs 4 mos

Nine Realms is focused on empowering future supply chains.

Venture Partner

Companyon Ventures

2020-10 - Present · 6 yrs

Funding B2B startups to their first $10M in ARR and an outsized Series A & B through an immersive Expansion Program building repeatable & scalable GTM execution. We invest in capital-efficient B2B software startups with early product-market fit ($1M+ ARR) that are ready to scale and graduate from a founder-led GTM. We lead post-seed through Series A financings of $2M to $6M. Our B2B SaaS practitioners discover high-impact opportunities for GTM acceleration and bring you the relevant experts and playbooks to execute on them starting Day 1. You’ll stand out with top growth metrics to attract an outsized Expansion Round from VCs curated by our dedicated in-house fundraising team.

Chief Revenue Officer at Flexport

Flexport

2020-7 - 2023-8 · 3 yrs 2 mos

Senior Consultant and Advisor

On Tap Consulting

2019-10 - 2020-7 · 10 mos

Regional Vice President - Northwest USA

Expeditors

2013-1 - 2019-6 · 6 yrs 6 mos

San Francisco Bay Area

District Manager - San Francisco

Expeditors

2007-11 - 2013-1 · 5 yrs 3 mos

District Manager - San Diego

Expeditors

2005-3 - 2007-11 · 2 yrs 9 mos

District Manager - Expeditors San Diego

Director of Global Security - Seattle, WA

Expeditors

2002-1 - 2005-3 · 3 yrs 3 mos

Member of the Board of Trustees

Seacrest School

2013-8 - 2016-6 · 2 yrs 11 mos

Half Moon Bay, CA

In 1996, a group of coastside parents and educators got together to realize their vision of hands-on education, individualized instruction and a rich curriculum. They started with just 26 students, and classes were held in the home of one of the founding families. Today, more than 250 students enjoy a thriving K–8 community, beautiful campus, and an innovative academic program. This is Sea Crest School. (www.seacrestschool.org)