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, but was raised in El Paso, Texas. My parents are from Pittsburgh and were high school sweethearts. My father started and ran his own construction company and my mother split her time between being a stay-at-home mom and serving as a class leader at Weight Watchers, later winning a contest as one of the top-12 leaders in the country. My love of Pittsburgh, work ethic and football fanaticism were bred into me from childhood.

In addition to the usual kid stuff, I spent a lot of my childhood as a salesman. First, I sold popcorn as a Cub Scout, then M&M's for the middle school. 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. My most high-profile clients at the time were Western Playland, El Paso's local amusement park, and Dewayne Washington, a former defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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 Texas 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 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 they remain the two most difficult years of my life to date.

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 the how egos and power struggles influence 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 so many fascinating 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 walked out of a job when the owner of the company was breaking the law. I've helped to convince angel investors to invest $850,000 in a company. 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 three real jobs. It has been a great adventure.

Today, I am employed at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development as a Market Research Analyst, serve as a consultant to several companies at various stages of development, and am pursuing my MBA in Strategy, Environment and Organizations at the University of Pittsburgh's Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. I'm an evangelist for the Pittsburgh region (see article here) and a graduate of the Leadership Development Initiative program, class XV, offered by Leadership Pittsburgh, Inc. I currently live in Bellevue, Pennyslvania and am happy to be alive.