STILL
Every moment, every piece of work is a snapshot that represents the dynamics of a brand. Brands should never sit still. On the other hand, positioning a brand or product takes strategic planning and requires one to sit still, be patient and concentrate on achieving goals.
SAFEY :: EMERGENCY SYSTEM FOR STUDY AbROAD
The origins of SAFEY Emergency System are the result of yet another pivot made my myself and colleagues at a telecom company. We recognized the opportunity to bring the robust technology developed for members of government and NGOs that travel to dangerous and remote places around the globe and market it toward the study abroad and international education community. Certainly if this tech is solid enough to work in war-torn developing nations, it will be sturdy enough to handle a semester in Paris, right? SAFEY is now one of the leading travel safety apps for education abroad.
SAFE!
It was an exciting time creating the brand and helping to shape the UX for SAFEY Emergency System and then bringing it to market. Dealing with natural disasters and terrorist attacks may not be the type of work that is ‘above the fun line’, but it is important work and rewarding to know that it helps people stay safe and informed.
Piccell Wireless :: Connecting students abroad
PicCell Wireless was created out of the need for international and study abroad students to have a familiar wireless experience while in unfamiliar places. Founded by a couple students in Florence, Italy that were frustrated by their options, the inspiration was to better serve the clients like themselves that seemed to fall through the cracks in the wireless industry's giant monolith. Operations began in 2002 reselling a single network provider and grew to over 25 countries around the world.
{pik-sel}
In my many years working as Director of Communications and Marketing at PicCell, I took great satisfaction in keeping thousands of wayward people in touch whilst abroad.
Top secret tidbit: The ‘Pic’ in ‘PicCell’ comes from the word piccolo, the Italian word for small.
GOODPHONE :: A PHONE COMPANY THAT HELPS YOU HELP OTHERS
Imagine a wireless company that matches your contributions to a charity of your choice with each monthly payment. This was the inspiration of GoodPhone, a start-up ‘passion project’ initiated by my colleagues at Piccell Wireless, targeting domestic service in the USA.
Service is good
‘Altruism is innate, but it’s not instinctual. Everybody’s wired for it, but a switch as to be flipped’ -David Rykoff
GoodPhone was a start-up that unfortunately was never flipped on, but it was a brand that I believed in very much and it was a joy to bring it to the brink.
FLUID 9 :: Post-MODERN production
Fluid Nine was a production and post-production house in Seattle in the early-mid 2000s. We made a ton of creative local commercials, music videos and real estate promotional content. Some of the favorite projects include working with local legend Sir Mix-a-Lot and Shock G from The digital underground, aka Humpty Hump. The company suffered from mission creep, and moved toward web development and away from it’s core strengths in video content creation, but what an incredible experience and valuable lessons learned.
“It’s a student project”
When you don’t have a permit or written permission, but you have to get the shot! But seriously, I rose through the ranks from a PA to audio to camera to producer and director at this small creative firm and it never even felt like work.