Professional Summary
Creative director and experiential systems designer with 30 years of experience building immersive environments across art, entertainment, and corporate spaces. Shapes narrative, spatial design, and execution strategy, then owns the production spine that makes it real: scope, seven-figure budgets, vendors, staffing, schedules, safety, and onsite execution. Rebuilt Theatre Bizarre from a money-losing backyard event into a financially sustainable, internationally recognized immersive production drawing 5,000 guests a night through a 50-plus department operating structure. Spent 12 continuous years leading broadcast motion design inside a regional sports network through two rebrands. 11-time Michigan Emmy Award winner, currently advising a consumer AI robotics company on product experience and maker workflows.
Core Strengths
Creative and Experiential: Creative and art direction, experiential and environmental design, immersive concept development, brand and show systems, motion graphics, animation, broadcast design, scenic design and fabrication oversight, large-format graphics, post-production, compositing, and visual effects.
Production and Operations: Executive production, seven-figure budget ownership, vendor and contract management, staffing and department design, scheduling, run of show, safety and permitting, onsite execution from build through strike.
Leadership and Communication: Team building, hiring and directing specialists, cross-functional alignment, stakeholder and client presentations, pitch and proposal development.
Emerging Technology: AI product experience and behavior design, knowledge-base systems, prompt engineering, generative-AI production workflows, maker and developer workflows, and hardware prototyping with Raspberry Pi, Jetson, and Linux.
Experience
Founder, Creative Director and Executive Producer
1995 – Present- Lead creative direction and production across experiential design, broadcast and motion design, brand systems, fabrication, installations, and campaign delivery for clients including GM, Audi, Volkswagen, Ford, Epic Games, Blizzard, and the Buffalo Nighthawks (NLL).
- Produced full-arena tournament graphics for the WSOE series with eStars at the HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor (2019 to 2022): panorama walls, per-player screens, Jumbotron and matchup graphics, and floor, wall, and tunnel animations for titles including Hearthstone, Fortnite, Rocket League, and Valorant, collaborating directly with game publishers' art teams.
- Advise X-Origin, a consumer AI robotics company, on product experience, behavior and personality design, knowledge-base systems, and maker workflows (2026 to present); featured as an artist on the AIPi product site.
- Developed an end-to-end generative AI production workflow that treats AI as a component generator feeding fully layered, revision-proof Photoshop and Illustrator files that assemble to true high-resolution print scale.
- Translated engineering CAD data into consumer-readable 3D animation for automotive market research on unreleased features, with Ford as the primary multi-year client.
Senior Motion Graphics Designer, On-Air Marketing and Promotions
Nov 2015 – April 2026- Designed and executed branded media day environments for the Detroit Tigers, Pistons, and Lions, owning scenic design, LED system architecture, 3D environment design, custom animation, crew hiring and coordination, and onsite production, plus coverage graphics for the Red Wings.
- Built multi-surface LED environments with independently controlled walls and reflective-floor integration, using LED as both display and active lighting while triggering live visuals during shoots.
- Directed and produced the Emmy-winning April in the D seasonal campaign and led the concept-driven Tigers Spring Training campaign.
- Created the complete brand identity for the I Ran the D 5K and developed logos, show packages, and marketing across the network's 12-year evolution; contributed to two network-wide rebrands.
General Manager and Partner
2001 – 2022- Brought in as a full partner to professionalize the organization during its move to the Detroit Masonic Temple, turning a money-losing backyard event into a financially sustainable, internationally recognized immersive production drawing 5,000 guests a night.
- Built and ran a 50-plus department leadership and budgeting structure across 21 performance spaces and 8 stages, directing 9 department heads, 50+ managers, and nearly 1,000 performers, crew, and volunteers.
- Owned a seven-figure annual budget, vendor contracts, payroll, and venue agreements; managed a 75-person security team alongside onsite EMTs, coordinating with the fire marshal, Detroit Police, and city officials on all safety and compliance.
- Expanded the organization into year-round programming including festival installations, ticketed pop-ups, parade builds, and public activations.
Co-Founder and Creative Director
Aug 2019 – Present- Co-founded and lead a national membership organization (110+ members, 4 chapters), planning and coordinating logistics for 70+ events across Michigan and beyond, including international expeditions in Costa Rica, Japan, and Vietnam.
- Created the Great American Monkey 1000, a 1,000 km motorcycle adventure for 50 riders navigated entirely through a hand-fabricated narrative mail art system of physical letters, telegrams, and ephemera from a fictional explorer.
- Wrote and produced the Guild's printed field handbook, designed the complete brand system (patches, uniform, merchandise, collateral), and built the merit badge, rank, and mentorship structure alongside the chapter leadership model.
Art Director
2014 – 2017- Defined and led the creative vision for a nationally distributed weekly PBS series, establishing and maintaining the show's graphics package and visual identity across diverse subjects and episodes.
Co-Writer, Director and Producer
2009 – 2010- Co-created and produced a self-financed original immersive musical built from a raw industrial warehouse, directing circus and burlesque performers and a 10-piece original orchestra; the production sold out, was held over, and was revived by demand.
Additional Experience
- MVP Collaborative: Motion Graphic Artist / 3D Exhibit Design (2000–2003). Established the company's first in-house motion graphics department; 3D exhibit and reveal environments for auto shows serving GM, Audi, Volkswagen, Ford, and Kelly Services.
- Sanctum.FM: Event Producer / Show Host (2010–2016). Live events and radio programming: talent booking, venue logistics, live streaming, and brand identity.
- Los Minstrels Del Diablo: Performer / AV System Designer (2001–2013). Live synchronized audio-video performance duo; commissioned by Kevin Saunderson to create all tour visuals for the Elevator World Tour.
- StreamDynamics: Media Specialist (2009–2019). Client-facing video interfaces, display graphics, and encoder hardware and delivery systems.
- NBC 24 Toledo: Art Director (2008–2009). Station identity and news and advertising graphics across broadcast, web, print, and digital billboards.
- Trillium Teamologies: 3D Animator (1998–2004). Animation and in-arena display content, including the Detroit Auto Show.
- Midwest Video: 3D Graphic Artist / Multimedia Director (1997–2000). Built the motion graphics and multimedia department from the ground up.
Tools and Technical
Creative: Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro; Cinema 4D; broadcast and live-event production pipelines; projection and media delivery systems; Midjourney and Leonardo.
Production and Operations: Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Airtable, Asana, Jira, Dropbox; budgets and workbacks, run of show, and vendor coordination.
Emerging Technology: Generative-AI production workflows, prompt engineering, AI behavior and knowledge-base design, and hardware prototyping with Raspberry Pi, Jetson, and Linux.
Awards and Recognition
- 11-time Michigan Emmy Award winner. Telly Award recipient. Knight Arts Challenge Grant recipient. Make Magazine Editors' Choice Award recipient.
- Invited Speaker, Burning Man Global Leadership Conference (2017). Featured Artist, X-Origin AIPi. Theatre Bizarre named in "100 Things All Detroiters Should Do Before They Die."
Education and Certifications
- Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, Certificate in Broadcasting and Communications. Schoolcraft College, Graphic Design coursework.
- Avid Certified Editor. Adobe Photoshop Certification. Lightwave Masters Class.