Who Am I?
When I first published this page in 2017, I was at a point of transition. Before film became the center of my creative life, I spent more than two decades building companies, leading organizations and learning how ambitious ideas become real.
My executive career included serving as CEO of the International Children’s Heart Foundation, Dominican Gold Coffee and Inspiring Champions. I also founded an interactive marketing and software company and two marketing and advertising agencies. Through that work, I collaborated with organizations including Buena Vista Pictures, Disney, the United States Department of Defense, H&R Block and 3M.
Those experiences taught me that leadership is not simply a title. It requires vision, discipline, adaptability and the ability to bring people together around a shared purpose. My work was recognized through honors including a 40 Under 40 award and recognition among leading executives in the Twin Cities.
Service has also been an important part of my journey. My civic involvement has included Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Council to Combat Teen Cruelty, along with initiatives focused on protecting children and strengthening communities.
Looking back, I can see how these experiences prepared me for my work as a filmmaker, producer and entrepreneur. Developing a film, directing a visual concept or building a studio requires many of the same qualities: imagination, persistence, collaboration and the courage to pursue an idea before anyone else can see it.
The photographs on this page represent different chapters of my life: the places, people and experiences that helped shape me. My journey has never followed a straight line, but every chapter has contributed to the person and storyteller I continue to become.
Fast-forward to who I am today in my current biography.
