While attending University of Minnesota a group of friends launched a theatre company (Sak) to perform at a renaissance festival. The company quickly grew and began performing at festivals throughout the country. Talent scouts from the Walt Disney Company spotted a Sak performance and subsequently hired the company to provide entertainment for the opening of Disney’s EPCOT theme park. Over the next six years we extended and expanded our service to Disney, grew to 40 full-time staff with a weekly payroll over $30K, performed at four world expos, two cruise lines, several theme parks, and developed a successful convention show business.

After serving as the president of Sak, I was recruited and hired by Disney to work in the famed Imagineering division as an internal project consultant and Show Producer. In addition to managing the design of several theme park projects ranging in value from $250K to $40M, I developed and conducted in-house programs in presentation skills, collaboration, and meeting strategies as well as the Imagineering section of Disney’s executive orientation program.

I so enjoyed my role as a trainer and coach that I formed an outside training company with fellow Imagineer, C. McNair Wilson. Together we developed and presented “Imaginuity,” a unique approach to creative collaboration. I also created a seminar for my creative colleagues called “Organization for the Terminally Disorganized” which in the era of “information overload” found a much broader audience than I imagined.

In addition to training others to stretch their creative muscles, McNair and I were hired as “creative guns” on projects in and out of the entertainment industry. One such gig with BRC Imagination Arts drew me back into theme park design as the Creative Director / Project Manager on projects in Germany and Taiwan.

Since 2000, I began to explore for a new career direction. I returned to operating mainly as an independent consultant* and accepted a range of assignments utilizing my skills as a writer, project leader and entrepreneur. I wrote and produced web-based marketing materials for an Internet startup (UPC, Inc.) resulting in the recruitment of over 4000 affiliates. I developed and implemented operational systems and training for a specialty catering company that reduced operating costs and liabilities and positioned the company for franchising. During this time I volunteered extensively in peace and justice causes, apprenticed in a global leadership development program and returned to college.

I completed my Bachelors degree in Religious Studies at California State University Northridge in 2006. I graduated with honors having maintained a GPA of 4.0 in all coursework at CSUN. Two professors appointed me as an instructional assistant for a total of six classes in which they empowered me to lecture, lead discussion, evaluate assignments and coach students in writing and study strategies. I achieved a score in the 99th percentile on the Graduate Record Exam.

*With the exception of two brief stints as a W-2 employee: a three-month recruiting project for the TSA (hired by NCS Pearson) and a part-time engagement I began upon returning to University in 2004. After three months on the latter assignment, the company (Overland Solutions) lost a major contract and subsequently let go all part-time staff.