I’m the founder and CEO of Centro and Basis. I started the company in 2001 with the mission to develop the most the most comprehensive, automated and intelligent software platform for the digital media industry. Eighteen years and many battle wounds later, I’m still working on fulfilling that mission.
I’ve always believed companies should exist to do more than just “return value to shareholders”. Putting our team members first and doing all we can to support their health, happiness, growth and personal fulfillment has helped us build a successful company and a culture I’m proud to be a part of. Our innovative software products and culture has been acknowledged in many ways over the years including appearing on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, Red Herring’s Top 100, Inc. 500, and No. 1 “Best Places to Work” in AdAge and Crain’s Chicago Business (four years in a row).
My personal passion is doing all I can to improve the lives of people through a lens of civic and policy engagement, action and disruption. In 2013, I co-founded Unite America to work on addressing the hyper-partisan divide in today’s society and American politics. Today, Unite America is a large movement of Democrats, Republicans and Independents to bridge the partisan divide and foster a more representative and functional government that works for all of us.
I serve on the Board of Governor’s of the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) dedicated to shaping a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous greater Chicago region as well as the board of The Directors’ Cup, a non-profit focused on bringing together influential leaders to aid and support the US Ski and Snowboard Team (USSS).
I’m an angel investor through FireStarter, a venture capital fund driven by a network of successful technology entrepreneurs in Chicago.