For the past couple of years, Community has been making major waves in the tech startup world thanks to the leadership of Diankha Linear, who currently serves as president and CEO. The platform uses SMS messaging to turn two-way text conversations into sales for Fortune 500 companies and personal brands. When Linear first joined the company as COO in May of 2021, the company was intensely centered on working with A-list celebrities. But the forward-looking executive realized that this model wasn't sustainable. Today, Community's platform now has integrations with major players like Salesforce, Ticketmaster, and Act Blue.
Lucky for Community investors, Linear is no stranger to fast-growth companies. Previously she served as general counsel and corporate secretary at Convoy Inc., a business that built the industry's first digital freight network; and now moves tens of thousands of truckloads per week in the U.S. She joined Convoy as its first lawyer, when the now multibillion-dollar company had fewer than 100 employees. During her tenure at the company, Linear oversaw one of Seattle’s largest venture capital financing transactions – with a Series D Round of $400 million. In addition, she previously served as senior director of Nordstrom's legal department and as senior corporate counsel at Expeditors International.
Working as a successful CEO in today's fast-paced world, Linear credits many of her accomplishments to her time in the military. After high school, she began her professional journey by enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserve. In total she spent 16 years in the military. During her service, Linear pursued undergraduate degrees in political science and military science from the University of Washington, and then a military officer’s commission, which preceded her training at the Army’s transportation and logistics school in Fort Eustis, Virginia. She ultimately graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School; and also served as an Army JAG lawyer.
Throughout her career, Diankha has been an active leader and advocate for equity, youth, and education. Outside of the Community offices, she is on the Board of Trustees for Rainier Scholars, one of Seattle’s most successful college prep programs for low-income students of color. She’s also served as a Board President of Habitat for Humanity Seattle/South King County, the Loren Miller Bar Association, and Lake Washington Girls Middle School. In 2020, Linear was featured as a Daring Woman in the November/December issue of Seattle Business magazine.