Turning Ideas Into Action
Highlights from my most impactful projects
The projects I lead always start with the intention to bring vision to life. From launching creative ideas on a stage to reshaping workplaces and building communities, these experiences gave me the chance to put trust, curiosity, and compassion into action. Each one stretched me, challenged me, and reminded me why people—not plans or policies—are what make change possible.
TEDx: tHE MOST CURIOUS COMMUNITY IN AKRON
In 2011, I helped bring TEDx to Akron with the goal of creating a stage for bold ideas and unexpected conversations. I’d seen how community-driven innovation could spark long-term impact, and I wanted to give that same spark a home here.
The event drew people from every corner of the community, including entrepreneurs, educators, students, and artists, showcasing what can happen when curiosity is given room to grow. For many of us, TEDx Akron is a reminder that ideas can unite us, inspire us, and keep building momentum long after the lights go down.
TED: A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF CURIOUS MINDS
To host a TEDx event with more than 100 attendees, I needed to join the global TED community, which turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
That first conference, TEDGlobal in Edinburgh, introduced me to thinkers and creators from around the world who were using ideas to make real change. From there, I went on to attend TEDxSummit in Doha and TEDSummit in Banff, each one deepening my belief that the best ideas don’t compete. They connect.
Those experiences continue to shape how I build, teach, and lead. Whether in business, education, or community, I’ve learned that progress starts with curiosity and grows through understanding.
COLEMAN: MAKING CARE ACCESSIBLE AT WORK
In 2019, I partnered with Coleman Professional Services to bring free, no-questions-asked counseling directly into the workplace. Over the next five years, employees had access to care during the workday, removing the barriers of cost, stigma, and time that often keep people from getting help. We saw the difference almost immediately. As Alison McConnell, Incept’s Employee Results Director, shared: “Participants have cited decreased stress, increased action towards their goals, and greater feelings of resilience and optimism about their future.”
CHIME: FINANCIAL FREEDOM AT WORK
In 2024, we partnered with Chime to give employees more control over how they manage and invest their earnings. The aim was simple: reduce financial stress so people could focus on what matters most. Early engagement showed what we hoped: when people feel secure about money, they bring more clarity, energy, and presence to their work.
Vistage: A Community That Challenges Leaders to Grow
In 2008, I joined Vistage, the world’s largest peer advisory organization for CEOs and executives, looking for guidance as I took on new leadership challenges. What I found was a community that redefined what leadership means. Through honest conversation and accountability, Vistage helped me see that the best leaders are also lifelong students.
The peers I met there have become mentors and friends who continue to shape how I lead as a CEO, husband, father, and neighbor. In both 2020 and 2024, I was honored to be recognized as a Vistage Leadership Award Finalist, serving as a reminder that growth doesn’t happen alone. It takes community, humility, and a willingness to keep learning.
Conscious Capitalism: Purpose as a Strategy for Growth
I’ve always believed that leadership is primarily about relationships. That’s what first drew me to the Conscious Capitalism movement, which challenges leaders to align people, purpose, and performance.
I shared that perspective in “Leading with Love”. This talk explored how clarity, trust, and love can coexist with accountability and measurable results, and why leading with heart doesn’t make you soft, it makes your mission sustainable.
THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON: TEACHING & MENTORSHIP
I’ve been honored to support students at The University of Akron as an adjunct and advisory board member for the Fisher and Taylor Institutes. My focus has been connecting real-world leadership and strategy to the classroom, and opening doors for the next generation of builders and problem-solvers.
Capiches: Stories That Shape Us
Capiches began with a simple impulse: capture the stories and lessons that shape us, starting with my father’s. It’s grown into a living project where personal history meets shared wisdom, reminding me that leadership is learned most deeply through the lives around us. My hope is to keep building a place where stories spark reflection, connection, and courage.
Projects may end, but the stories they spark keep shaping what comes next.