Our Mission
Building the infrastructure that makes upward mobility possible for every frontline worker.
Critical infrastructure is the backbone of American communities. We're building the platform that makes it possible to hire into it, grow within it, and fund the whole thing, so employers can compete and workers can thrive.
The Team
Operators who've done this before.
Robert Merritt
Founder, CEORobert built Upwork's Enterprise GTM strategy and sales team, contributing to the company's IPO where it debuted up to 50% above price. He scaled Upwork Enterprise from 2 to 300 employees and generated $400M in revenue growth across multiple workforce platforms.
23 years of experience building sales organizations and go-to-market strategies in human capital and talent technology.
LinkedIn
Ren Wang
Head of ProductFounder-operator with 15+ years building AI and marketplace products that connect people to opportunity. Scaled platforms from zero to 1M+ users and $100M+ in revenue.
At HiLink, used AI to help students advance through personalized learning. SlateUp brings that work to manufacturing, where the gap between training and opportunity is even wider.
LinkedInPartners & Investors
Born from Notre Dame 1842 Fund & Alloy Partners
1842 Fund is a venture capital fund anchored by the University of Notre Dame and managed by Alloy Partners that builds startups targeting societal challenges.
News & Press
Download media kit →Better Jobs Will Save Manufacturing
Feb 3, 2026
Northern Indiana Workforce Board Names SlateUp 2025 Partner of the Year
Feb 25, 2026
It's Time to Change the Narrative About Manufacturing
Dec 17, 2025
Press enquiries: pr@slateup.co
The Long-Term Vision
We're not building a better job board. We're building infrastructure.
The long-term vision is a platform layer for America's entire frontline workforce: the 80 million workers in critical infrastructure sectors (warehousing, construction, logistics, healthcare, and energy) who power the economy but have never had a system built for them. SlateUp is the starting point.