The Required "About" Page

Most bios are really boring, and I blame it on the rule that they have to be written in third-person voice. Why? What's the point? I think we know each other well enough that we can speak candidly. So, if you don't mind, I'm going to set aside the illusion that I outsourced my life story to copywriter and go ahead and just be me. If that's a bit too uncomfortable, feel free to swing by the more impersonal blog or portfolio sections.

I was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in El Paso, Texas. My parents were from Pittsburgh and high school sweethearts (he a football player and wrestler, she a cheerleader -- go figure). My father started and ran his own construction company (building everything from warehouses to amusement park rides) while also acting as one of the few male "room mothers" in the state of Texas for two of my elementary school years.  My mother split her time between staying at home and serving as a class leader at Weight Watchers, later winning a contest as one of the top twelve leaders in the country. My love of Pittsburgh, work ethic, and football fanaticism were bred into me from childhood.

In addition to the usual things kids do, I spent a lot of time selling stuff. First, I sold popcorn as a Cub Scout, then M&M's for middle school band (trombone and tuba). Like most entrepreneurs, I got tired of working for the man ($500 worth of popcorn and all I get is this freakin' trophy?) and turned my life-long interest in computers into a web development business called BNDSoftware (BND = Boy Next Door -- I hadn't yet hit my branding stride). My most high-profile clients at the time were Western Playland (El Paso's local amusement park) and former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Dewayne Washington.

At the age of 16, I had the opportunity to attend the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, a unique residential program for high school-aged students who are high achievers and interested in, you guessed it, mathematics and science. Knowing that my prospects as a professional football player were dim at best (I broke my arm on the first day I put on pads -- not the best omen), I decided that the two years of free education at the University of North Texas were too good to pass up, even if it required me to move 500 miles from home and miss my last two years of "real" high school. The relationships I made and the skills I developed were invaluable, but the program was an unexpectedly challenging experience.

Spending summers in Pittsburgh with extended family led me to apply to schools in the region. I chose Saint Vincent College, leaving after three years with a degree, two great internships, significant graphic design experience, a solid business education and an intimate understanding of how ego and power can affect the insignificant decisions for which student government is responsible. It is also where I became trained and certified as a firefighter, which means I got to play with the gear, run into a burning building, and make sophomoric jokes about the "hose bed." Good times.

Since graduating, I've had the chance to do some really cool things. I've jumped out of airplanes. I've developed logos and identities for more than 20 companies. I've taken a road trip through Spain and Portugal. I've run a political campaign. I've helped to convince angel investors to invest $850,000-plus in a company (Eyenavision, which is still operating in the Strip District and going strong). I've driven 29 hours each-way between Pittsburgh and El Paso with a small suitcase and a mix CD. I've done both stand-up and improv comedy. I've completed a community leadership program, served on three boards and had four real jobs. Despite a lifetime of balance issues and protests of family and friends, I got my motorcycle license. Needless to say, it has been a great adventure.

Today, I am employed at the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance as the director of the Pittsburgh Impact Initiative (blog here), serve as a consultant to several companies at various stages of development, serve on the board of 3 Rivers Connect, help to get the three-time finalist PortaBeer LLC off the ground with a group of friends (blog here), and am pursuing my MBA in Marketing at the University of Pittsburgh's Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. I'm an evangelist for the Pittsburgh region (see articles here and here) and a graduate of the Leadership Development Initiative program, class XV, offered by Leadership Pittsburgh, Inc. I currently live in Bellevue, Pennyslvania, brew beer in my kitchen from time to time, like to golf at Strawberry Ridge Golf Course in Zelienople, PA (when not recovering from ACL surgery) and am happy to be alive.