Professional Glimpse

FounderStartupHeroics.com
Fellow at On Deck (ODNC1) and YCombinator Alumni: Startup School 2019 and 2020April 2019 - presentStartupHeroics empowers entrepreneurs by providing laser-focused, highly-actionable step-by-step guidance, community engagement, and resources
"From Zero to Startup HERO"
Chief of Vision, co-FounderZenCo / GoodHax2011 - present
Lean startup development/mentoring in ideation, MVP validation, strategy, hiring, branding, product design, marketing, traction, funding, launching, exits, as well as personal/professional growth, work-life balance/well-beingCurrent: GasLamp, True Love Catering (TLC), BreadBox, RokMi, SmogCo
On-Deck: All Hats (SaaS for startup founders), Top Hat (SaaS for CEO's), ReZoom (dynamic C.V./resume mobile-publishing app)
Past: oTTo / GeniusDelivery (AmazonFresh), CreatorsBlock
Executive Creative Director
Seven2005 - 2010
Orchestrated all human-centered branding and design efforts consistently achieving award-winning, expectation-exceeding results for elite local and international clients. Improved cross-team processes inspiring designers, writers, strategists, and developers to freely and effectively collaborate solving clients' most complex problems, connecting people, brands and products. Over $100M in successful resultsNotable clients: Xerox, Visa, Ecko, House Of Blues (Chicago), Google, The Merchandise Mart, Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Ford
Lead Creative, Founder
EDGE1994 - 2005 (acquired by Edge Systems)Independently envisioned and delivered influential marketing campaigns, powerful emotion-driven design, copy/content creation, and top-notch event solutions, consistently within budget and on scheduleRed Bull, The Drake Hotel, Smirnoff, Sketchers, TGI Friday's, ESPN Zone, WPCM, GeneralSearch.com, Monster.com, Lodge Management, Q101 Radio, Lincoln Mutual Mortgage, DT Records
Creative Director
Power Software Development
2003 (Freelance)Approached directly to guide a back-end developer team without designers on all B2B branding efforts/visual direction within highly-customized intranet portals for primarily Fortune 500 customers. Surpassed expectations by not only creating pixel-perfect graphic/web designs including extensive branding continuity, but also providing mentoring to developer team enabling PSD coders with actionable knowledge of site structure, navigation, layout best practices, box-theory, and other proven methodologies to create front-end design with scalable code
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Full-Stack DesignerNorvax / MedEquote (now GoHealth)
2002 - 2003 (Freelance)
Established branding, full-stack front-end web development, and web/print graphic design. Influenced Norvax founders on pivot towards niche marketing of SiteLever product to insurance agents, carriers, and consumers which fundamentally led to today’s GoHealth
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Chief Operating OfficerBEANnet Interactive
2001 - 2002 (acquired by COVAD Communications Group)
Results driven, hands-on ISP management, applying adaptive leadership across all divisions and teams including NOC developers/engineers, sales, marketing, internal/customer support, and 14 Chicago internet-cafe and retail storefront locations
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Co-Chief Executive Officer, Design LeadMTS Media
2000-2002
Led conceptualization and strategy, project management, branding, creative copy/content development, design, production, event marketing/promotions, media relations, product/service launches, and provided groundwork, training and extensive guidance on direct sales and customer retention
Notable clients: Oakley, Velocity Magazine, Dave & Busters, North Central College, Pure, The Garage/Rapture, RedDog, EvilOlive
President, FounderVelocity
1998 - 2000 (acquired by TEKsystems/Allegis Group)
Independent IT consultant turned executive placement specialist fielding and vetting advanced/executive level IT candidates into six-figure placements with local, global, and government organizations. Leveraging my high-profile technical accomplishments in the military and global experience, many candidates were perfectly placed into clearance-level government civilian contracts with outstanding outcomes
Notable clients: United States DOD, DOJ, Chemtech, Citrix, Argonne National Laboratory, Xerox, City Colleges of Chicago, Deloitte, Compaq, Andersen Global, DePaul, Hartford Computer Group, Manpower Technical, Montgomery Wards, 1st Chicago Bank NBD, Loyola University, Northwestern University, Rush-Copley Medical Center
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“DP” - Certified Novell Network Engineer / Instructor, Hardware and Data Security Specialist
United States NAVY1994-1998Primary Duty Station: Yokosuka, Japan (“CFAY”- Home of the Seventh Fleet)
Also: Sasebo, Japan; Bangor, Washington; San Diego, California

Guest InstructorUniversity of Maryland at CFAY1996 -1997
“Exigent Data Security: Physical Destruction and Forensic Recovery"