My Current Companies & Roles:
I started at Apple. My first job in silicon valley was for the company who made the computer that changed my life, the Mac SE I got in high school. As fate would turn, after three months on the job, our group spun out into a startup (User Group Connection). I became a VP of Marketing at 23 years old. And right out of the gate, I was racing for my capabilities to keep up with my responsibilities.
From there I led marketing, product, and sales for several silicon valley startups, including a word of mouth marketing company, a community + content .com, and a web-based telecommunications company. Unfortunately, as is common with startups, they were all 10 years ahead of our time. But, lessons were learned.
In 1999 I was recruited to Austin to run Dell’s consumer web site. I led daily operations, content, design, analytics, and P&L management. I led us through three redesigns, developed Dell’s global online strategy. I scaled the team and grew Dell's consumer online revenue to over $3.5 billion. Next, I launched Dell's Consumer CRM group where we developed new markets, a retail marketing strategy, database marketing programs, Hispanic marketing, the three-year plan, customer-centricity strategy, and change leadership program.
In 2005 I went back to my startup roots and became founding CMO for Bazaarvoice Inc. We were recognized as "ClickZ Marketing Innovation of the Year" twice and Austin's "Best Place to Work" twice. For our first 5 years I led product development, marketing and business development. My team built out 7 products (and 7 patents), and before I left we had grown to 500 people and $50 million revenue, before it went public in 2012.
In 2010 I became founder and CEO of Mass Relevance. This was a SaaS platform for curating real-time content for social TV and social content integration. We negotiated exclusive partnerships of Twitter and Facebook and worked with nearly every league and major broadcast network and many brands. Within 3 years Mass Relevance won a technical Emmy and grew to 150 people globally serving 300 clients prior to merging with Spredfast in April, 2014. (video) (now Khorus).
During the same time, in 2012, I co-founded and was Chairman of Clearhead, the leading agency in data-driven experience optimization. In 5 years we grew the company to 100 people, and it was acquired by Accenture in July, 2017.
I am currently co-founder and Chairman of Fair Worlds, an immersive reality agency/consultancy, co-owner of Texas Drift Academy, and on the boards of Interplay Learning and Axial Shift.
What else "am I"?
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Co-founder of Capital Factory (2009)
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Author of "301 Do-it-Yourself Marketing Ideas" and "How to Market With Computer User Groups".
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EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in 2015.
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15 years as an active investor / advisor to startups
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Past board member of Web Analytics Association, Word of Mouth Marketing Association, Texchange, Austin Film Society, Monetate, Needle, Clarify, Spredfast, and others.
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Inventor of 3 patent on creation and display of user generated content
I continue the journey to be the best husband, father and friend I can be. Recently I find myself studying the brain, mindfulness, and the journeys of growth. I'm interested in meeting anyone focused and passionate about the same.