Joy Schoffler - Distinctive Edge Partners

career accomplishments

Firms she worked with have raised billions in capital, went from start-up to exit, built and scaled cutting edge technologies, executed profitable M&A strategies, built and scaled international sales and distribution channels, closed major customers and created massive share-holder value.

Built and scaled, Upside Avenue an award winning, tech-enabled, Public Non-traded REIT which won CREs best new online capital raising platform and created successful acquisition channels for retail, RIAs and institutional investors.

Founded and sold leading technology-focused strategic communications and marketing firm, Leverage PR.

industry expertise

Joy Schoffler founder and principal of Distinctive Edge Partners, is an award-winning global communications and investor relations strategist, with decades of experience building, scaling, and protecting global public and private brands.

Joy takes a data-driven approach to marketing and communications. Clients she has worked with have raised billions in capital, scaled from start-up to nine-figure exits, built and scaled cutting edge technologies, executed profitable M&As, built and scaled international sales and distribution channels, closed major customers and, most importantly, created massive share-holder value.

Joy founded and sold technology-focused strategic marketing and communications firm Leverage PR. Areas of expertise included cybersecurity, IOT, hardware, blockchain, PropTech, InvestTech, banking, artificial intelligence, and many other highly technical areas. She additionally advised the foreign economic ministries of Japan and Brazil on how to raise their global profile and was the agency of record for SXSW’s Accelerator. The firm also served numerous financial services firms, resulting in significant AUM increases.

A skilled technologist, Joy brings vast experience educating customers, the media, and investors about the applicability of new technology. She has devised strategies which educated global markets on blockchain’s applicability outside of bitcoin, worked across hardware IOT and financial cybersecurity technologies, and has worked extensively within the artificial intelligence space across both robotics and process automation.

A skilled investor relations professional, Joy sat on the investment committee at Ascendant Industries, evaluating middle market companies across cybersecurity, defense, maritime and engineering technology among other areas. She served as the Chief Strategy Officer for Casoro Capital. There she built and led the investor relations team which was responsible for raising capital for direct investments ranging from $18-80M. Additionally, she was fully responsible for building an award winning, tech-enabled, public non-traded REIT, Upside Avenue. Built at a fraction of the cost of competitors, it won CREs’ best new online capital raising platform and created successful acquisition channels for retail, RIA, and institutional investors. Joy previously served, as Director of Acquisitions for The PPA Group, underwriting and acquiring $250M in real estate, helping to grow the firm from 4 to 75 employees and making the “Inc. 5000” list, twice.

A pioneer within the online investing space, Joy sat on the board of CFIRA for six years, working with the SEC and FINRA on JOBS Act implementation, enabling online investing as we know it today.

She is an advisor and mentor to numerous industry boards. Past and current board positions include SXSW & AARP Accelerator, FinTech Professionals Association and CFIRA.

A sought-after speaker and media contributor, Joy won numerous awards including Women Communicators “Outstanding Communicators,” CEO Magazine “Entrepreneur of the Year” and Austin Under 40 Award. Joy served as an officer in the Army Reserves & Texas State Guard.