Matt Kirchner Email & Phone Number

In the format of a WSJ Housecall article:Every life experience up until now led me to my mission to secure the American Dream for the next generation of STEM and Workforce talent.The traditional education model was never for me. Report cards and conferences were riddled with hilarious comments. Matthew’s rambunctious, hyperactive, he needs to apply himself to his work, he can’t sit still, he’s always in a rush.Turns out the very personality traits that got me in trouble in school proved invaluable in manufacturing, where speed, energy, occasional long hours and disdain for wasted effort are rewarded not discouraged.I managed to survive traditional education. Studying business at Marquette University my engineering friends jested that I would struggle to go anywhere in life, not smart enough for engineering. When in my mid-20s I couldn’t help but joke back when I was named COO of an RFID tech company where I led a team of talented engineers.That role and the first few of the ten years I spent as CEO of a Rockwell Automation spin-off taught me that I knew a lot less about leadership than I thought I did. Thanks to many mentors and colleagues I learned the value of servant leadership and the greatest leadership lesson ever, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all. He will be the one to care for all.” (Mark 9:35)Leadership is about caring. For teammates, customers and stakeholders. If we care enough though, economic success is likely to follow. Years ago my best friend gifted me the book “The Monk and The Riddle” wherein Randy Komisar casts himself as a successful, sage and seasoned leader who counsels others how to “make work pay not just in cash, but in experience, satisfaction, and joy”. That character became a role model of sorts for me. Not pretending to have risen to the level of Komisar, today I like to think that my life looks a little bit like his did. With the most amazing teammates on the planet I help lead one of the nation’s largest teched distribution companies – a genuinely mission-driven company doing good - reinvesting our profits in growth, in giving, and in VC and PE projects that promote Midwestern jobs and innovation. I'm humbled to serve on numerous boards, host a top-rated technology podcast, deliver dozens of keynotes each year and occasionally get to share what little business and life wisdom I’ve gained with anyone who cares to listen.Most of all I endeavor to live a life full of gratitude. Mine has been blessed with an incredible family and close friends for whom I am forever grateful.