I was born in Oregon but raised in Colorado from the age of two so I feel that calling myself a Colorado native is applicable.  Growing up I spent much of my time in the mountains with my Boy Scout troop, attending after school programs such as Odyssey of the Mind and other technical arts programs that involved designing and building.  The classification of LEGO kid is well suited.  Building was playing and playing always involved building.  

After high school I migrated through various college courses searching for a career path that would capitalize on the passions I developed during childhood.  During this exploration many college advisers suggested safe, comfortable and generalized paths.  I respectfully listened to their advice but followed my heart and maintained my pursuit. 

A few years into college a very influential professor saw something unique in the way I approached projects.  He encouraged an educational move into “concept design”.  Taking this advice the next semester I enrolled in an Industrial Design program and it was there where I found what I was looking for.  I can remember the day as if it was yesterday.  The graduating class of my first enrolled quarter had their portfolios on display for the graduation review committee.  Four or more hard years of blood, sweat and tears for all to see.  Works ranging from furniture, consumer product, costume, exhibit, engineering and automotive were proudly presented.  After walking through the displayed portfolio work and being nothing less than inspired I knew I had found my calling in Industrial Design.  From that day forward I approached every course with an open mind, an eagerness to learn, a drive to innovate and a goal to inspire.  I graduated in December of 2007 with honors.

Since then I have spent over ten years approaching every project in my professional carrier with the same curiosity, creativity and passion for innovation.  I have been blessed with opportunities to design and innovate in almost every area of industrial design.  Each of those opportunities was viewed as a chance to leverage my passions, vast experience and diverse skill set to achieve success for the project, team and organization.

I am an advocate for innovation and my enthusiasm for new technologies, design philosophies, open collaboration, learning and "making" are infectious.  I pride myself on being honest and forthcoming while maintaining respect and admiration to fellow colleagues.  I view myself as a mentor, an inspiration and a leader while at the same time remaining open and receptive to new views and methodologies for achieving success as a team.  I bring an unbridled willingness to fail and I utilize the fail fast approach so as a team we can profit from the knowledge gained through failure as a primary asset for achieving success in the future.

To be successful I believe it is important to ask hard questions and be willing to listen to the answers.  Asking questions such as, are we a leader in the industry? Is our idea innovative? Can we do more? Can we be more efficient?  Is our idea the best it can be?  Are we missing an opportunity?  Asking these questions and applying the answers toward achieving success is what separates great solutions from just good ones.  The great solutions are what I strive to achieve for every project, every problem and every relationship.