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experience

Chief Design Officer

Ricco Global Collective • May 2024 - February 2025
San Francisco, CA

  • Directly advised the CEO on brand strategy, corporate structure, financials, and project timelines to best position Ricco Global for sustained growth & profitability.

  • Collaborated with the C-suite executive team to qualify the market impact & business potential for over a half-dozen startup initiatives.

  • In under one month provided quantitative & qualitative research-based guidance for initiative prioritization.

  • Built comprehensive go-to-market roadmaps & growth strategies.

  • Created a cohesive brand story & pitch to properly prepare our first initiative for a $10M+ seed funding round.

  • Led all design & creative functions in categories ranging from hospitality & co-working to beauty & sexual wellness.

  • Spearheaded innovation with user-centered design thinking principals.

  • Oversaw the creation & extension of multiple brand identity systems in under three months.

  • Assessed & advised on the resources needed to build a team of designers & creatives via a combination of studios, contractors, and in-house talent.

Acting Design Director
Sr. Industrial Designer

Giro Sport Design • March 2020 - July 2023
Industrial Designer • November 2016 - March 2020
Scotts Valley, CA

  • Served as acting Design Director for over 3 years - leading Giro’s footwear, softgoods, and accessories categories from research and line planning through concept, design, development, and commercialization.

  • Led Giro’s footwear category to back-to-back years of record sales & profits in 2020 and 2021, growing the category 300% to $15M in net sales - all while simultaneously reducing SKU count by over 20%.

  • Launched over 60 new models in 6 years, resulting in a 100% overhaul of the footwear line between 2016 and 2022.

  • Championed and led innovation initiatives in the flat pedal shoe category, resulting in the creation of Giro's patented Mute Foam system and nearly 400% annual category revenue growth - cementing it as a core piece of Giro's revenue stream when just the year prior the category was under consideration for elimination.

  • Directed, managed, and led a multidisciplinary team of interns, junior designers, developers, vendors, and independent contractors - both domestically and overseas.

  • Collaborated with product management, engineering, and operations teams to create strategies & proposals for out-of-cycle product & line expansions.

  • Led systemic sustainability initiatives for Giro's footwear & snow helmet categories.

Design Director
Product Director

VIRTUE Athletic • September 2018 - Sep 2021
Santa Cruz, CA

  • In less than 1 year successfully designed, developed, branded, marketed, and launched an independent footwear brand into the functional fitness market - a space dominated at the time by established, multi-billion dollar players like Nike & Reebok.

  • Connected with underserved consumers via a grassroots Kickstarter launch, raising over $60k in 30 days with another $10k in additional pre-orders shortly thereafter.

  • Produced & fulfilled all pre-orders within 9 months post-funding.

  • Transformed the business to an operational direct-to-consumer, e-commerce brand after fulfilling all pre-orders in fewer than 3 months.

  • Created & ran multi-channel paid & grassroots marketing & social media campaigns.

  • Directed & managed logistics, finances, customer service, and outside vendors - both domestically & internationally.

    virtueathletic.com • DO MORE WITH LESS

Product Manager
Industrial Design Manager

Swenyo • September 2014 - September 2016
Encinitas, CA

  • Led all Swenyo product design, development, and product line management across multiple categories including textiles, furniture, lighting, storage & organization, and apparel.

  • Grew Swenyo’s assortment from 25 SKUs at launch to over 700 SKUs in less than 2 years.

  • Managed a product line that included internally designed, externally designed, OEM, drop-ship, and wholesale product assortments.

  • Led regular overseas development trips to perfect our designs, oversee production, and establish & maintain vendor & partner relationships.

  • Directed, managed, and led junior designers, developers, vendors, and independent contractors.

Design Director
Brand Director

Neon Octopus • September 2013 - Present
Encinitas, CA • Santa Cruz, CA • San Francisco, CA

  • Created a top-to-bottom redesign of CrossFit 760's brand identity to become the foundation of their expansion from a single location in Southern California to over a dozen gyms across multiple states and 2 continents - a growth rate of over 1000% in less than 3 years.

  • Directed the creation of products, business strategies, brand identities, icons, standards guides, and marketing materials for individual clients - from ideation to production & commercialization.

  • Managed all project budgets, timelines, financials, and client relations.

Lead Industrial Designer

Vapor Studio • July 2010 - September 2014
Encinitas, CA

  • Led Vapor Studio’s internal Industrial Design studio team and select Brand Design projects.

  • Led projects from research & strategy through blue sky ideation, design, development, production, and implementation.

  • Directed & managed interns & junior designers, including those at our Vapor Studio Asia - our satellite studio in The Philippines.

  • Directly managed clients, project resources, and timelines.

  • Clients included Adidas, Oakley, Spy Optic, Skullcandy, Columbia, Chaco, and Alpinestars.

Industrial Design Internships

  • Vapor Studio • Feb 2010 - April 2010 • Encinitas, CA

  • Newell Rubbermaid • June 2009 - Sep 2009 • Atlanta, GA

  • Ion Design • Jan 2009 - March 2009 • Edgewater, NJ

  • Dick’s Sporting Goods • June 2008 - Sep 2008 • Pittsburgh, PA

  • Fisher-Price • Jan 2008 - Mar 2008 • East Aurora, NY

  • Fisher-Price • June 2007 - Sep 2007 • East Aurora, NY

awards & achievements

  • Inventor US Patent #US20220175082A1

    • "Cycling Shoe with Slow Rebound Nanofoam"

  • 2022 Gear Patrol “Best Overall Men’s MTB Shoe”

    • Tracker MTB shoe

  • 2020 Design & Innovation Award

    • Imperial road cycling shoe

  • 2019 Design & Innovation Award

    • Privateer Lace MTB shoe

  • 2019 VeloNews “Shoe of the Year”

    • Imperial road cycling shoe

  • 2018 Design & Innovation Award

    • Empire VR70 Knit MTB shoe

skills

  • Design Leadership, Insight, Direction, & Management

  • Design & Business Strategy

  • Client & Project Management

  • Industrial Design & Brand Design

  • Product Development

  • Product Management

  • Creative Direction

  • Witty Banter

education

University of Cincinnati

  • BS Industrial Design

  • 2005 - 2010 including six 3-month co-op internships

  • Magna Cum Laude

  • Honors Scholars Graduate

  • Bearcat Advertising & Networking Group - President

  • College of Design, Architecture, Art & Planning - Ambassador

  • Omicron Delta Kappa - Honors Society Member

  • Sigma Phi Epsilon - Vice President of Communications

interests

  • Sports & Outdoors

    • Skiing, CrossFit, baseball, nature 'n stuff

  • Nerd Stuff

    • Batman, Star Wars, tech

  • Film

    • Movie buff/nerd

  • Learning

    • Finding any way I can to wrap my head around new ideas, concepts and points of view.

  • Dinosaurs

    • Duh.