I am a CEO, entrepreneur, educator, and advisor in the software, recreation, and experiential hospitality & entertainment industries. In addition to my role as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago, I am the Co-Founder of The Forge Adventure Parks, which designs, builds, and operates large-scale outdoor recreation destinations; Co-Founder of The Forge Charitable Adventures, a 501(c)3 non-profit focused on environmental restoration and education; and the founder of Konverg Entertainment, which develops immersive entertainment experiences. I also serve as an advisor to multiple venture capital & private equity funds and early and growth-stage technology companies.During my career, I have founded, co-founded, grown, bought, and sold multiple companies focused on CRM, Investor Relations, Marketing Automation, Investment Portfolio & Research Management, High-Frequency Trading, Customer Success, and family entertainment.I was CEO of Imagineer Technology Group, which we sold to Dynamo Software, a software provider to private equity and alternative asset management companies, in 2020. Before that, I co-founded and served as CEO of Synap Software Labs (later merging with Imagineer). Before Synap, I was President of Itiviti USA (Orc), a globally distributed futures & options trading and market connectivity software company. I also spent ten years as the President and CEO of Backstop Solutions Group, which I co-founded in 2003. I started my career in the Institutional Equities Division of Goldman Sachs. Other civic roles include service on the board of 1871, which works with founders, startups, growth-stage, and enterprise companies to explore ideas, build solutions, launch innovative products, and grow. I served as the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Board Director of the Illinois Technology Association for over ten years before leading its merger with 1871 in February 2020. I have also served on numerous other for-profit and non-profit boards, including i.c.stars and Help For Children.I received a Master's Degree in Technology Entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland College Park, a Research Diploma in Japanese from the University of Tsukuba, and a Bachelor's Degree in International Studies and Global Economics from Brigham Young University.My specialties include business strategy, SaaS, marketing, sales management, customer success, portfolio management, wealth management technology, FinTech software, mergers and acquisitions, fundraising, experiential hospitality, recreation, and new venture formation.