Derek Chen Email & Phone Number

San Francisco, CA, US

Council was founded to refresh and expand on the US’s leadership in international design. Our mission is to develop new iconic pieces, on par with the iconic pieces of the mid-century, and contribute to the reestablishment of an American design identity. Council has been the recipient of multiple publications and awards, including a Wallpaper Design Award.

Council Projects is a boutique Product Development consultancy specializing in, but not limited to design, furniture, and technology. Lending our expertise to all phases of the product lifecycle, including brand, design, engineering, prototyping, DFM, and white label manufacturing.

San Francisco, CA, US

Part-time professor in the department of Furniture Design. Taught classes in Furniture Production.

San Francisco, CA, US

Part-time professor in the department of Industrial Design. Taught classes in Furniture Design and Production.

At Urbana Design, launched a line of self-designed and self-produced furniture and home decor accessories. At peak these products were available at 30+ design retail stores, domestic and international.

StudioDirect was an early player in international supply chain management. Tasked with creating the platform by which small- to medium-sized retailers in the US could access the favorable pricing, choice and quality of overseas production, and to manage their orders from design to delivery. Began as an advisor, eventually stepped in as employee #2, serving.

Incubator of technology-enabled retail-sector startups. Castling’s formula was to provide not only early-stage funding but also expertise from a roster of employees and partners who carried a diverse set of management experiences. Role was to evaluate opportunities on their technical and creative merits, and, upon investment, continue in an advisory role.

Dublin 2, IE

Senior leadership of the Firm’s Network Solutions group, a collection of 65 professionals and $13M annual revenues across offices in Palo Alto, Los Angeles and Denver. The group’s focus was to help Fortune 500 clients integrate modern technology architectures into their strategic endeavors.

Dublin 2, IE