Who I Am
2023 marks my 20th year as a creative professional, although my roots in art and design go back to my youth. I started drawing my favorite superheroes around age five and designing flyers and album covers while in high school. After a job laying out newspaper pages for a local daily in western Illinois (which also led me to writing), I enrolled at the Illinois Institute of Art. While my BFA degree is in Multimedia Animation, it was the love of design, particularly branding and poster design, that ultimately changed my career's trajectory.
I'm multi-disciplined and like to think of myself as being creatively well-balanced. I've branded and re-branded companies and individuals; developed and designed print, online and mobile marketing campaigns; shot, directed, and edited video; and have been refining my talents as a photographer. I've worked with large corporations and small businesses, well-established companies and start-ups. I've stayed within the confines of guidelines, but I love to create my own.
I co-founded the creative collective 800LB Gorillas in 2002 before moving on to start Two Seven Eight Media in 2014. I am currently directing, producing, and co-writing the feature-length documentary film Midway: The Story of Chicago Hip-Hop, but am also available for video and design projects, and creative consultation.
Working on Midway has also given me some unexpected opportunities as a public speaker. I've had the pleasure to speak and give presentations at Google, the Michigan Avenue Apple Store, Chicago State University, Columbia College Chicago, Loyola University, Chicago's CIMM Fest, and more.
What I Do
Film/Video Production • Video Editing • Creative Direction • Graphic Design • Branding • Public Speaking
Clients & Companies I've done projects for (Past & Present)
ABC Supply • American Cancer Society • Aspire • Audi • Bang & Olufsen • Benriach whisky • Boost Mobile • BP Oil • Brown-Forman • Campbell's • Chicago DCASE • Chicago Humanities Festival • Columbia College Hollywood • Common (rapper/actor) • DIRECTV • Donnie Wahlberg/Donnie D TV • Family Travel with Colleen Kelly • Farmers Insurance • Fords Gin • General Electric • GiGi's Playhouse • Glenglassaugh whisky • Hunter Douglass • Kathryn Janicek Productions • Lenovo • Nestlé Retail • Nestlé Water • Old Forester (bourbon whisky) • Patriot Education Fund • PBS • Red Bull • Shaw Flooring • Shell Oil • Sprint • Streamline Healthcare Solutions • The North Face • Toyota • Vans • Volkswagen • Whirlpool