What is the word for a person who sets up a new business / foundation, etc. Founder would be too basic and does not imply setting up the structure of the organization. Same for initiator? In Dutch we use quartermaster but I have not seen this in non-army context.
11 March: Interesting read and thanks for all the imput. Trailblazer or Groundbraker come close to what I’m trying to express. An entrepreneur invests in a company and mostly with the aim to make a profit.. Founder implies foundation only. Early or first employee implies an employment contract. The job I’m trying to describe - in one word - comes between founding / investing in a new enterprise / department and hiring regular staff – and is done on project basis mostly. You'd set up structure (organize the ‘line’ of admin, operations and finance) maybe look at the market in the broadest sense. Once organization frame of the enterprise / department is clear and set up, you’d not be involved anymore. You’d have done your job of ‘trailblazing’ ‘groundbraking ‘ ‘quarter making’ and move on to the next job.
