About my work.
I love creating something that hasn’t existed before.
I am an opportunity-spotter and an optimizer by nature, so I’m best suited to dynamic situations where I can put those instincts into practice, to accomplish something ambitious and exciting.
I would be most excited to unleash my creative and people skills full time. It could be creating fun and inspiring media, it could be recruiting talented people into a community on behalf of a cause, it could be using cultural strategies to superpower a message, or to market a product I believe in, or to enhance a brand, or to extend reach and impact.
I love bringing a talented team together to create something new, spotting ways to fill in gaps to positively impact others, and hopefully “great-making” things to a higher level of quality, authenticity, appeal, and humanity.
The Build Tank
Since 2009 I’ve run a consulting firm called The Build Tank, where we developed a new model for how organizations can leverage technology to its game-changing potential, rather than being held back by it.
We built a following via our thought leadership, writing, speaking, our many openly published resources, and our work helping guide organizations through that tricky but transformative transition to a more functional and powerful future.
“Roadmap to a Better Technology Tomorrow”, “The Curriculum”, and “The Blarg”
At the heart of our work is insightful and accessible writing. That includes our ever-evolving “Curriculum”, a comprehensive “Roadmap to a Better Technology Tomorrow” with video overviews, and regular new insights via “The Blarg”, all of which explain the essence of our human-centered approach to impactful, high quality technology.
Podcast: “The Greatmakers”
We recently started a podcast called “The Greatmakers” to highlight amazing, strategic, communication-skilled technology “unicorns” like the ones we help identify and nurture, who are helping change the entire culture and impact of their organizations.
Public Speaking
Talking to groups is a fun and comfortable space for me. I hope I am successfully able to be engaging, authentic, and entertaining, as well as insightful and helpful.
Community Convening: Unicorn Party!
We embraced the idea that we are helping organizations find technology “unicorns” and started convening a popular bi-monthly gathering of “unicorns” from various organizations for shared problem solving and peer support.
Community Salesforce resources
Originated and co-founded Salesforce.org’s “Power of Us Hub” support community, wrote the widely-used “Resourcing Your Salesforce CRM Product Team” white paper, wrote the original “Getting Ready Playbook” resource guide for all onboarding organizations, led a key customer research study for Salesforce.org, and other efforts aimed at knowledge and resource sharing to lift all boats for organizations using Salesforce.
Diplomacy and Communication
Helping organizations change their structures, org charts, and approaches requires attention to diplomacy and buy-in at multiple levels, from executive leadership all the way throughout the organization.
So much of that is about communicating with people one on one, being straightforward, authentic, and demonstrating that you have everyone’s best interests at heart.
Creativity and Media
Film and Video
Video is definitely one of my native languages, so to speak, and one of my favorite playgrounds. I love to grasp opportunities that appear to use the medium, and to stay open to experimentation, and to not be afraid of trying new things in pursuit of something great.
Daddy Rappin’
In an unexpected twist of fate, I ended up with a small side career as a periodic daddy rapper together with my two young daughters. It has led some unexpected places such as being featured on The Today Show along with about a half a million youtube views. But mostly it has provided our family with some warm-hearted “yearbook pieces” to document the passing of years.
Podcast and conversation
I genuinely enjoy connecting with people, understanding their unique path and their process, and finding the entertainment and humor in situations. In one example, my buddy (and business partner) and I hold a weekly conversation about creativity, which has taken on a fun life of its own.
Music and music production
Creating music is a through-line in my life and provides me with incredible joy. I have produced music throughout the years, and recently surprised myself by releasing a number of heartfelt solo keyboard recordings, which was new but fulfilling territory.
Selected Past Roles
Managing Director, League of Independent Voters
Deputy Director, MoveOn PAC
Facilitator/Trainer, Posse Foundation
Project Director, Kill HIV Now
Music radio host and DJ, KCRW 89.9 FM, Santa Monica, CA
Education
B.A. 1998, Education Through Multimedia
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)