At Journeybee, we’re always searching for resources that can help partnership professionals thrive. When we came across Richard Ezekiel’s upcoming book, “COELEVATE: How to Unlock Business Growth and Consumer Value with Strategic Partnerships”, we knew we had to talk to him. With a remarkable career that includes shaping partnerships with tech giants and some of the most innovative startups, Richard has distilled decades of experience into a practical framework for success.
We sat down with him to discuss why 70% of partnerships fail after two years, the mistakes to avoid in your first pitch, and how technology is set to redefine the role of a partnerships executive and manager.
Journeybee: Richard, thanks for joining us. Let's start with the title of your book, "COELEVATE". It's a unique word. What’s the story behind it?
Richard:
Naming a book—especially one so personal—is a bit like naming a child. It’s not easy! I ended up creating the word COELEVATE to capture the spirit of what the book is really about: collaboration, cooperation, and co-creation. I didn’t want it to be a story of one leader or one perspective. True partnership is never one-sided, and I wanted the title to reflect that shared, uplifting dynamic.
I wanted a word that truly captured the idea of lifting both sides—raising the tide of the partnership. It’s not just about the individual driving the deal; it’s about mutual elevation. Not win-lose, but win-win. Creating new value together, not just for each other, but for the end customer. And I also wanted something memorable and actionable—not a heavy academic business book, but something practical, engaging, and even fun to read.
Journeybee: It clearly seems to be more than just a professional project for you. What was your personal motivation for writing "COELEVATE"?
Richard:
That’s right. For me, it’s not just about the book itself—it’s about what it represents and how others can build on it. I didn’t set out to be an author, but a book felt like the right platform to share what I’ve learned and give back. I was lucky—my dad was a pioneer in strategic partnerships and tech alliances, and he was also my mentor. My coach. He taught me things I couldn’t learn in a classroom. Not everyone has that. So this book is my way of trying to be a wingman for others—to pass along what I’ve learned and help formalize partnerships into a real discipline that people can build a long-standing career around.
Journeybee: Your book features a foreword from Nolan Bushnell, the legendary founder of Atari and known as the “Father of the Gaming Industry”. What was the most impactful lesson you learned from your collaboration with him?
Richard:
I’ve learned a lot from Nolan—especially about collaborative creativity. When it comes to communicating a craft like partnerships, storytelling is everything. Nolan’s a master of that. He didn’t just build breakthrough companies—he built entirely new industries. His stories—from working with Steve Jobs to scaling with the right people, licensing technology, and navigating acquisition—are packed with lessons in how collaboration fuels innovation.
What stuck with me most is this: even in an era of AI, the fundamental truth remains—great partnerships accelerate innovation and unlock better products for customers. Nolan’s career proves that. But if we want to scale that kind of impact today, we can’t just rely on instinct. We need a shared language and framework to do it faster and better. That’s what COELEVATE is trying to offer.
Journeybee: You’ve built partnerships at some of the biggest brands in the world. What inspired you to create a framework to help other professionals do the same?
Richard:
Earlier in my career, I mentored a group of interns who were just stepping into BD and partnerships roles. They were smart, ambitious, and fresh out of school—but they quickly hit a wall. There was no structured way to learn the "art and science" of partnerships. No formal training, no playbook.
That stuck with me. I started noticing patterns—recurring challenges, repeatable successes—both in my own work and in iconic long-term partnerships. I realized we needed a framework: something flexible, but grounded. Otherwise, we’re all just going on scavenger hunts—when what we really need are treasure maps.
That’s what COELEVATE sets out to provide: a practical framework and foundation readers can build on, adapt, and grow with. It shortens the learning curve and gives the next generation a head start—so they can thrive in this field, not drift out of it because they lacked the right tools early on.
Journeybee: We often see large companies attracting endless partnership opportunities. What's your advice for a smaller startup that has just found product-market fit? How can they succeed in partnering with giants?
Richard:
It's true that big companies may have a lot of value to offer in a partnership, but being able to operate and grow a partnership successfully can also be challenging, which is why the 70% failure rate applies to everyone. For a smaller company, it all comes back to the partnership pitch and the unique value you bring.
It’s not about the number of people or the capital you have; it’s about your vision and your thought leadership. Large companies look at the startup ecosystem for insights around how things are evolving. Can you bring a deep understanding of a niche they are still trying to navigate? Do you have unique technology that, when combined with their scale or brand, creates something better together for a bigger audience? Find that complementary "Yin and Yang" to create something new together.
Journeybee: Your book has a fantastic section on the "Partnership Pitch." What are the biggest challenges partnership executives and managers or founders may face in that initial partner outreach that can make or break an opportunity?
Richard:
That's a great question. The biggest mistake is only presenting what you do as a company and the value you alone can provide.
The real power of the partnership pitch is in the opportunity of what the partnership itself can provide to customers. It's not about selling your pen by talking about its blue ink; it's about how we can use your pen together to write our next book. It’s about what we can create together that we couldn’t do on our own.
You have to lay out the big idea for the partnership. What is the big idea you could pursue together? And how does that create value for the partner, for you, and for your end customers, helping to reach the goals of each party? It's a conversation, a discussion, a starting point to dig deeper. That's the collaborative heart of the partnership pitch.
Journeybee: Beyond a good pitch, what specific assets like innovation or talent can a startup leverage to attract a more mature, enterprise-level partner?
Richard:
It can absolutely be an innovation, but it really depends on the category. The key is to provide something that is differentiated. This could be unique talent on your team, or your ability to move fast and create product and technology faster. That agility and demonstrated thought leadership in your niche is incredibly valuable. It’s a case-by-case basis, of course, and that's the fun and creativity of doing partnerships—finding that unique, differentiated value you bring to the table.
Journeybee: You mention a powerful statistic in the book—that 70% of partnerships fail after two years. Why is the failure rate so high, and what's the most important thing a company can do to prevent it?
Richard:
It's hard to distill the whole book into one answer because success is a triangulation of many things! But if I were to give a couple of highlights, it comes down to a lack of alignment on a joint purpose and shared incentives. If your priorities aren't aligned, the partnership is on shaky ground.
It's one thing to create a partnership; it's another thing to execute and grow it. That’s why it’s critical to introduce partnerships as a discipline for your organization, not a side gig. It’s about managing and growing the relationship over time.
My goal with “COELEVATE” is to flip that stat. We want to make 70%+ the success rate, not the failure rate.
Journeybee: We’ve seen a high turnover rate for partner managers, especially in the tech industry. How do you think leadership can better support partnership professionals and help them succeed?
Richard:
It’s a great question. For many in partnership roles, it comes down to a lack of clear career growth metrics. The craft is often seen as "squishy." From my perspective, it’s not—but it’s on us to communicate what we do and align on the right KPIs (key performance indicators). When you have internal alignment on your objectives, you can build a real career path.
We're still in the first few innings of making this a truly solid discipline with clear growth milestones. We need to invest in these individuals so they can grow and deepen their understanding of products, customers, and partners over time. The partnership managers of today will become the partnership executives of tomorrow.
Journeybee: Given that high turnover, how important is it to have partner technology in place, especially when knowledge can be scattered across emails and docs?
Richard:
The challenge has always been getting two companies to align on the same tools and processes. The approach has to be collaborative. You have to ask, "What tools do you use? How do you operate?" and then find a common way to work together. I think AI is going to be a massive breakthrough for us here.
I've seen many partnerships fail because one company tries to force its tools or processes on the other. We must take a collaborative approach from day one. I would usually start a conversation by asking, "We want to partner together. What tools do you use today? How do you make decisions? Tell me about your culture—do you use docs or presentations? Zoom or something else?"
You have to understand how they operate and then compare it to how you operate. From there, you can find common ground or create new ways to work together. It's not about forcing alignment on one specific piece of software or service. It's about building a process that respects both cultures and workflows.
Also, I think the role of partnership managers will shift significantly over the next few years because of AI. There’s a massive gap today in tools that help you efficiently manage a partnership between two organizations.
I believe AI will be a fundamental tool that partnership managers embrace, not a risk to the discipline. AI can handle forecasting, business modeling, partnership mapping, and even generating new ideas. This will allow us to be more efficient and spend less time on the upfront work and more time on what can’t be replaced: collaborative creativity, mutual trust, and relationship-building.
Journeybee: This has been incredibly insightful. Before we wrap up, what’s next for you and "COELEVATE"?
Richard:
This book is my way to give back. I was lucky to have many mentors and leaders to learn from, but not everyone has a coach. You can't study this in university, so I want to help create a discipline here.
I'm also providing a way for you to interact with the book using some innovative technology. It will help you adapt the concepts in the book more specifically to your own partnership challenges. I’m excited to see how people take this framework, own it, and adapt it to their own work.
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Author Background:
Richard Ezekiel has worked alongside some of Silicon Valley’s most iconic leaders—including John Chambers, Reed Hastings, and Marc Andreessen. His experience spans venture-backed startups, Fortune 500 enterprises, and global innovation ecosystems.
With a BS from the University of San Francisco and executive study in strategic partnerships at Wharton, Richard brings a rare combination of operational depth, market insight, and thought leadership. He’s helped founders, investors, and corporate executives design and deliver meaningful, measurable partnerships—and now shares those lessons for the first time in “COELEVATE”.
You can find Richard Ezekiel's book, “COELEVATE” on: https://coelevatebook.com or Amazon. Connect with Richard to continue the conversation on building the future of partnerships.