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Pathways Governance Framework - Strategic Integration

Date: Feb 16, 2026
Source: ZTAG_PATHWAYS_GOVERNANCE.md + updated CMO_STRATEGY_2026.md
Status: Formal governance framework now codified

Executive Summary

The ZTAG Pathways Ownership & Authority Governance document has been formalized and integrated into the meetings repo. This framework:

  1. Defines Carmee's authority - Pathway stewardship (not sales execution), routes/filters/authorizes/stops
  2. Establishes 7 purchasing pathways - Clear rules, eligibility, pricing, escalation boundaries
  3. Sets non-negotiable boundaries - Supervised/educational OK, rental/drop-off STOP
  4. Clarifies team roles - Carmee (operational), Kristin (strategic), Quan (veto power)
  5. Formalizes operating posture - "ZTAG sells itself" (quotes only after implicit yes)

This validates and enhances our Carmee AI automation plan.

The 7 Pathways Framework

Pathway 1: Grant-Funded School / After-School

Buyer: Public schools, districts, after-school programs
Funding: Federal/state grants (ESSER, ELOP, Title funds)
Classification: EDU pricing
Owner: Carmee (full end-to-end authority)
Volume: HIGH (primary institutional target)
Close Rate: Medium (VP approval delays)

Carmee's Authority:

Kristin Involvement: ONLY if:

  1. School has budget constraints
  2. School agrees to monthly Playmaker commitment
  3. District rollout potential exists

Kristin's Role (Strategic Only):

AI Automation Fit: ✅ EXCELLENT

Pathway 2: 3rd-Party After-School Program

Buyer: Nonprofits or vendor-run programs
Non-Negotiable Rule: If for-profit in ANY way → Professional pricing ONLY
Classification: EDU (if verified 501c3 + supervised + in-school) OR Professional (default)
Owner: Carmee (can close without escalation)
Volume: MEDIUM (10-20% of inquiries)
Close Rate: LOW (501c3 verification, supervision requirements)

EDU Pricing ONLY if ALL verified:

Carmee's Authority:

AI Automation Fit: ✅ EXCELLENT

Pathway 3: City / Municipal Purchase

Buyer: Parks & Rec, city-run youth programs, municipal after-school
Classification: EDU (pending final confirmation)
Owner: Carmee
Volume: MEDIUM-HIGH (growing segment)
Close Rate: MEDIUM (procurement bureaucracy, vendor forms)

Carmee's Authority:

AI Automation Fit: ✅ GOOD

Pathway 4: Camps (Residential, Day, Specialty)

Buyer: Summer camps, specialty camps (sports, adventure)
Classification: Varies (EDU if nonprofit/school-affiliated, Professional if for-profit)
Owner: Carmee
Volume: MEDIUM (seasonal, concentrated inquiries)
Close Rate: HIGH (simpler decision-making, revenue-focused)

Carmee's Authority:

AI Automation Fit: ✅ GOOD

Pathway 5: Operator Partnership (Last Resort)

Purpose: Exposure-building ONLY (not revenue pathway)
Use Case: Budget-blocked but relationship-valuable (e.g., HOKALI 150+ schools)
Owner: Quan (must approve)
Volume: RARE (5-10 per year)
Close Rate: N/A (not sales, exposure play)

Non-Negotiable:

Carmee's Role:

AI Automation Fit: ❌ LOW (strategic decision, human judgment required)

Pathway 6: Pilot Program (Complex, Kris-Owned)

Purpose: Test-and-learn with strategic partners
Use Case: High-value but uncertain ROI, need proof before scale
Owner: Kristin (full ownership)
Volume: RARE (3-5 per year)
Close Rate: LOW (complex, long negotiation)

Structure:

Kristin's Authority:

Carmee's Role: NONE (Kristin-owned pathway)

AI Automation Fit: ❌ LOW (strategic, relationship-heavy, custom terms)

Pathway 7: Professional / Operators (GameTruck, FECs, Mobile Ops)

Buyer: For-profit entertainment businesses (GameTruck, FECs, mobile operators)
Classification: Professional pricing (no EDU discount)
Owner: Kristin (proposed terms) → Quan (approves)
Volume: LOW-MEDIUM (5-15% of revenue)
Close Rate: HIGH (revenue-focused, ROI-driven buyers)

Typical Deal:

Kristin's Authority:

Carmee's Role:

AI Automation Fit: ⚠️ MEDIUM

Operating Posture (Non-Negotiable)

From Pathways Governance, these rules govern ALL pathways:

  1. ZTAG sells itself - Product quality + word-of-mouth drive demand
  2. Quotes only after implicit "yes" - No quoting tire-kickers
  3. Carmee routes, filters, authorizes, or stops - Pathway stewardship, not sales execution
  4. If no compliant pathway exists, process ends - No forcing square pegs
  5. Quan may end any pathway at any time - Ultimate veto power, no permission needed

Guiding Principle:

"If it's supervised, educational, and integrity-aligned → proceed. If it's rental, drop-off, unsupervised → STOP."

How Pathways Governance Solves CMO Strategy Problems

The CMO Strategy identified several tactical failures. Pathways Governance fixes them:

CMO Problem Pathways Solution
94% meeting stall rate Don't quote before implicit "yes" - stay in nurture if vague
Quoting without qualification Carmee routes/filters BEFORE quote - 7-pathway classification required
Distributor pursuit (HOKALI) No pathway for distributors except Pathway 5 (Quan approval only)
Unclear escalation Decision table: Carmee closes 1-5, Kristin owns 6-7, Quan approves
Kristin overloaded Kristin ONLY for district rollout strategy (Pathway 1), pilots (6), operators (7)
Unsupervised use requests Guiding principle: rental/drop-off → STOP (no debate)
Sales execution framing Reframe: Pathway stewardship, not sales. ZTAG sells itself.

Net effect: Clear rules → less second-guessing → faster decisions → higher close rates on qualified leads

Alignment with Carmee AI Automation Plan

Our Carmee automation assessment (Feb 15) identified 60-70% automation potential. Pathways Governance VALIDATES and ENHANCES this:

What AI Should Automate (Per Pathway)

Task Pathways 1-4 Pathways 5-7 Confidence
Pathway Classification ✅ HIGH ⚠️ MEDIUM 90%
Eligibility Verification ✅ HIGH ❌ LOW 85%
Quote Generation ✅ HIGH ⚠️ MEDIUM 95%
Template Customization ✅ HIGH ❌ LOW 80%
Form Completion ✅ HIGH ⚠️ MEDIUM 90%
Grant Language ✅ HIGH ❌ N/A 75%
VP Battle Kits ✅ HIGH ⚠️ MEDIUM 80%

Key insight: Pathways 1-4 are HIGH automation potential (rules-based, clear eligibility). Pathways 5-7 require human judgment (strategic, relationship-heavy).

Carmee's workload distribution (estimated):

Net automation: ~65% of total workload (matches our 60-70% assessment)

Enhanced AI Workflows (Pathways-Aware)

Workflow 1: Pathway Classification (Replaces Manual Triage)

Input: Inquiry email or form submission
AI Process:

  1. Extract: Organization type, funding source, program structure, supervision model
  2. Match to pathway rules:
    • Public school district? → Pathway 1
    • 501(c)(3) + supervised + in-school? → Pathway 2 (EDU)
    • For-profit? → Pathway 2 (Professional) or Pathway 4/7
    • City/municipal? → Pathway 3
    • Camp? → Pathway 4
    • Operator/distributor? → Flag for Pathway 5 (Quan approval)
  3. Output: "This is Pathway 1 (Grant-Funded School) - EDU pricing applies"

Carmee's Role: Confirm classification (2 min vs 15 min manual)

Time Saved: 13 min per inquiry × 10-15 inquiries/week = 2-3 hrs/week

Workflow 2: Eligibility Verification (Pathway 2 Focus)

Input: Pathway 2 inquiry (3rd-party after-school program)
AI Process:

  1. 501(c)(3) verification:
    • Query IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search API
    • Result: ✅ Verified 501(c)(3) OR ❌ Not found
  2. For-profit detection:
    • Scrape organization website
    • Detect keywords: "LLC", "Inc", "franchise", "revenue-sharing", "profit"
    • Result: ✅ Nonprofit indicators OR ❌ For-profit detected
  3. Supervision verification:
    • Parse program description for keywords: "supervised", "drop-off", "rental", "Playmaker-led"
    • Result: ✅ Supervised OR ❌ Unsupervised detected
  4. Decision:
    • All ✅ → EDU pricing eligible
    • Any ❌ → Professional pricing OR STOP (if unsupervised)

Carmee's Role: Review edge cases (5% of inquiries)

Time Saved: 10-15 min per Pathway 2 inquiry × 5-7/week = 1-2 hrs/week

Workflow 3: Quote Generation (Pathways 1-4)

Input: Pathway classification, quantity, buyer info
AI Process:

  1. Determine pricing tier:
    • Pathway 1, 2 (if eligible), 3: EDU pricing
    • Pathway 2 (if ineligible), 4, 7: Professional pricing
    • Pathway 6: Custom (Kristin-approved pricing)
  2. Apply bulk discounts (if applicable):
    • [Need discount schedule from existing quotes]
    • District-wide? Multi-school? Multi-city?
  3. Generate quote PDF:
    • ZTAG branding, itemized pricing, terms, contact info
    • Auto-attach VP Battle Kit (if Pathway 1 or 3)
  4. Output: Draft quote for Carmee approval

Carmee's Role: Review pricing, approve, send

Time Saved: 20-30 min per quote × 8-12 quotes/week = 3-6 hrs/week

Workflow 4: VP Battle Kit Generation (Pathways 1 & 3)

Input: Pathway 1 (school) or Pathway 3 (city) quote request
AI Process:

  1. Auto-fill ROI calculator:
    • School/city name, student count, budget context
    • Cost per student, cost per session
    • Grant eligibility (ESSER, ELOP, Title IV)
  2. Select peer case studies:
    • Match by region (e.g., California schools)
    • Match by buyer type (e.g., Parks & Rec)
    • Examples: Lancaster (city), BACR (nonprofit), [district TBD]
  3. Customize grant template:
    • District/city name, student count, timeline
    • Specific grant program (ESSER vs ELOP vs Title IV)
  4. Generate executive summary:
    • One-page PDF with ROI, peer validation, compliance alignment
  5. Attach FAQ:
    • Common VP questions pre-answered

Carmee's Role: Review customization, approve

Time Saved: 15-20 min per VP Battle Kit × 50% of Pathway 1/3 quotes = 2-3 hrs/week

Workflow 5: Form Completion (Pathway 3 Focus)

Input: City/municipal vendor onboarding form
AI Process:

  1. OCR: Extract form fields from PDF
  2. Auto-fill from ZTAG company database:
    • Legal name, address, EIN, DUNS, contact info
    • Insurance: GL policy #, expiration, coverage limits
    • References: [3 existing customers with contact info]
  3. Flag: Fields requiring custom input (e.g., "Describe your product")
  4. Output: Completed form for Carmee review and signature

Carmee's Role: Review, customize flagged fields, sign

Time Saved: 30-60 min per form × 2-4 forms/month = 1-2 hrs/month

What AI Should NOT Automate

Per Pathways Governance, these require human judgment:

  1. Pathway 5 decisions (Operator partnerships) - Strategic, Quan approval required
  2. Pathway 6 decisions (Pilot programs) - Kristin-owned, custom terms
  3. Pathway 7 terms (Professional operators) - Kristin proposes, Quan approves
  4. First contact / relationship building - Trust, rapport, nuance detection
  5. Kristin handoff timing (Pathway 1) - When to involve for district rollout strategy?
  6. Quan escalation - When pathway doesn't fit rules, needs veto decision

Why: These require emotional intelligence, strategic judgment, business context, relationship dynamics that AI can't replicate (yet).

Updated Integration Plan (Week 2: Feb 25-28)

Original Matt Wolfe Week 2 plan included:

ADD Carmee Pathway Automation (Pathways-Aware):

Tuesday Feb 25 (2-6pm) - Pathway Classification + Eligibility

Build:

  1. Pathway classification tool (email → pathway 1-7 determination)

    • Input: Email/form text
    • Logic: Decision tree based on Pathways Governance rules
    • Output: "Pathway 1 (Grant-Funded School), EDU pricing"
    • Time: 2-3 hours

  2. Eligibility verification (Pathway 2 focus)

    • IRS 501(c)(3) API integration
    • Website scraping (for-profit detection)
    • Keyword scanning (supervision model)
    • Output: EDU eligible, Professional only, or STOP
    • Time: 1-2 hours

Test with 10-15 sample inquiries from Carmee

Wednesday Feb 26 (2-6pm) - Quote Generation + VP Battle Kits

Build:

  1. Quote generation automation (Pathways 1-4)

    • Input: Pathway, quantity, buyer info
    • Logic: EDU vs Professional pricing, bulk discounts
    • Output: Quote PDF draft
    • Time: 2-3 hours

  2. VP Battle Kit generation (Pathways 1 & 3)

    • Auto-fill ROI calculator
    • Select peer case studies (regional match)
    • Customize grant templates
    • Generate executive summary
    • Time: 1-2 hours

Test with 5-8 sample quotes from Carmee

Deliverables (End of Week 2)

  1. Pathway classification tool - 90% accuracy on sample data
  2. Eligibility verification - Pathway 2 auto-screening
  3. Quote generation - EDU/Professional pricing automation
  4. VP Battle Kit templates - Auto-customization for Pathways 1 & 3

Expected time saved: 8-12 hrs/week (classification 2-3h, eligibility 1-2h, quotes 3-6h, VP kits 2-3h)

Carmee's remaining work: First contact (3-5h), judgment calls (30-60min), Kristin handoffs (15-40min), review/approve automation outputs (2-3h)

Net: Carmee capacity doubles (can handle 2x inquiries) OR focuses on high-value strategic work

Strategic Alignment: Pathways + 90-Day Roadmap

Week 1 (Feb 14-20) - NOW UPDATED

Original Quick Wins:

  1. Charlie's release (finance → Vania)
  2. Vania handoff checklist
  3. Steve formal review
  4. Paula workflow extraction

ADD Q1 Immediate Actions + Pathways Context:
5. Close 11 deals due Feb 28 ($123K) - Carmee + Kristin

  1. Triage 55 overdue deals ($750K) - Carmee + Kristin
    • Pathways-aware: Which pathway? Compliant or needs reclassification?
    • Revive (Pathway 1/3 with VP materials), Nurture (long-cycle), Close Lost (non-compliant)
  2. Clear 7 support tickets - Tin
  3. Ship VIK Dome ($29K) - Charlie

NEW: Document Pathways Context for Existing Pipeline
9. Classify 74 active deals by pathway (Carmee - 2 hours)

Week 2-4 (Feb 21 - Mar 13) - Pathways Automation Build

Week 2 (Feb 25-28):

Week 3 (Mar 2-8):

Week 4 (Mar 9-13):

Carmee's 6-Month Review (March 12) - Pathways Framework Validation

Review Questions:

  1. Authority clarity: Does Carmee understand her full authority (Pathways 1-5 without escalation)?
  2. Decision confidence: Is she second-guessing herself or operating independently?
  3. Pathway compliance: Are deals being routed correctly (1-7 classification)?
  4. AI automation impact: Time saved? Capacity increased? Quality maintained?
  5. Kristin handoff success: Are district rollout opportunities (Pathway 1) being surfaced appropriately?
  6. Non-compliant rejections: Is Carmee comfortable STOPPING deals (unsupervised, rental, drop-off)?

Success Metrics:

Summary: Pathways Governance as Operating System

The Pathways Governance framework is now the operating system for ZTAG sales/operations:

What it defines:

  1. 7 purchasing pathways - Clear rules, eligibility, pricing, escalation
  2. Operating posture - "ZTAG sells itself" (quotes only after implicit yes)
  3. Team roles - Carmee (operational), Kristin (strategic), Quan (veto)
  4. Boundaries - Supervised/educational OK, rental/drop-off STOP

What it solves:

What it enables:

Integration with Project Minnie:

This is the framework for 8-10 humans → $100M.

Owner: Minnie
Status: Framework integrated, automation build scheduled Week 2
Next: Document 74 active deals by pathway (Carmee - 2 hours this week)