Mark N. Cohen

Who I am

I am a problem solver, product specialist, company creator (Co-Founder Parchment, successful exit to private equity), and Product Manager for Infrastructure and Data Services at the California Community Colleges Technology Center. I am passionate about identifying or expanding on a problem and developing its solution as Product Owner or Consultant, whether reinventing how an established business process is performed or creating a new product or service from idea through execution. I thrive on new challenges, new ideas, and am equally comfortable designing a solution from scratch or expanding on an existing vision

Outside of work, I spend time enjoying music, film, and art; focusing my time on experiences and travel. I am the father of three wonderful adult children and live in Ventura, CA with my partner.

My Experience

In 2015 I joined the California Community Colleges Technology Center, which serves the largest system of higher education in the US with 116 colleges and more than 2.1 million students. I manage the systemwide Data Lake and Data Warehouse, the SuperGlue. integrations framework, Multiple Measures placement platform, and eTranscript California the statewide transcript initiative covering the California Community College, University of California, and California State University systems. I also represent the California Community Colleges within standards organizations including serving as Co-Chair of EdExchange and the JSON workgroup at PESC, and represent the CCC Tech Center in IMS Global Learning Consortium.

Previously I Co-Founded Parchment (originally named Docufide) as the first commercial electronic transcript solution, developing the initial business plan and financial model. I ran all aspects of product management for the company’s first 10 years, later focusing on opportunities for the exchange of credentials beyond the transcript, privacy and security, and working with standards settings bodies and trade organizations on the evolution of academic credentials.

Prior to founding Parchment, I joined Homestore/Realtor.com (now Move.com) pre-IPO, helping to launch the Homestore website, supporting business development and sales within the product group with a focus on advertising, e-commerce, email marketing, lead generation, and the development of distribution co-brands.

My experience in tech began while woking in the entertainment industry as a Production Manager/Line Producer, where I consulted to production companies and studios developing custom databases, production budgets and shooting schedules, and setting up computer networks.