The Journey
BA Finance + Economics. Morgan Stanley. Scottrade.
Had no idea what I wanted to do. Finance felt like the safe bet. Turns out the industry still ran on fax machines — that stuck with me.
First startup. Burned through millions in 6 months.
Best education money can buy. Wasn't my money.
Digital advertising network for online publishers serving outdoor-enthusiast audiences; later became Carbon Media Group.
Built something from the wreckage. Learned that the best companies come from people who refuse to quit after the first one fails.
A move from services work into product ownership.
Vintage drive-in speakers. Made in USA. Started with my dad.
Drive-ins run deep in the family. Some things are worth keeping alive.
Rails consultancy. Learned to code. Met my co-founder.
Sometimes you have to build other people's stuff before you know how to build your own.
Consumer payments for debt collection. $1.5B+ processed.
No revenue until 2014. Four years before the model worked. Built for the people behind the bills — not the companies collecting them. The platform crossed 1M+ consumer accounts, and AnnArbor.com's Business Review ran the story — "Tech company rolls on."
Co-founded a startup community in Detroit.
Detroit needed a scene. We built one. Ran it until everyone got too busy with their own companies — which was the whole point.
Fintech products, research, and field notes.
The place where the next products and notes live.
Still building.