Bio

Mr. Douglass ensures businesses are equipped with the operational capabilities and mettle necessary to endure amid distress, drastic change, and high-stakes transformation. As founder and Managing Director of Scramble Systems LLC, he led operational interventions and reorganizations for clients across industries and verticals, including global financial services ($1T+ AUM), CPG ($3B+ revenue), technology, and Saas ($1B+ revenue), and middle-market ($10-150MM revenue) companies in transportation, defense, non-profit/associations, manufacturing, education, fintech, and medical/health/wellness. In 2018, the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors – facing dozens of lawsuits and a $380+MM contingent liability – engaged Stephen to develop and execute a 60-day cross-functional stabilization plan as it entered into Chapter 11. Key engagements include Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) and Board Observer of a PE-backed Transportation & Logistics Carrier; Head of Operations/Finance for a distressed SBIR-funded defense technology platform; Operating Partner of a manufacturing and metal fabrication firm; and COO of a CPG/food innovation lab. Previously, Stephen worked in M&A investment banking at BB&T (now Truist), completing 7 deals in technology and telecom sectors, and supported operations for 5 portfolio companies at Blackstreet Capital, a $200 million distressed PE fund. Stephen competed as a D1 athlete and served as head coach of MIT Gymnastics. Thousands of students have enrolled in his new venture development & innovation programs at Harvard, Northwestern, NYU, Tufts, IDE (Ecuador), and other institutions since 2012. He has a BA in Economics from William & Mary, an MBA from Babson College, and is based in Atlanta, GA.