Madison, Wisconsin, United States
I am a founder and operator with a 15-year track record of scaling technology companies from apartment startups to venture-backed, $100M+ revenue generators with millions of users. My roles have been defined by navigating the full lifecycle and ups and downs of building high-growth businesses in dynamic global industries, rooted in building highly effective people-first organizations. I'm a generalist that wears many hats and manages the full gamut of fiscal (finances to investors), operational (people ops to company processes), and legal (contracts to diligence) along with nearly all other aspects that come with strategic leadership, and have led nearly a dozen M&A and partnership processes ranging from asset sales to full corporate acquisitions. COMPANIES: After over a decade as COO, I now serve as a fractional CFO and Executive Advisor of the mobile games studio PerBlue, which is one of the most successful and longest running independent mobile game studios in the US. I'm also the Co-Founder and COO of Playback Rewards, a rewards-driven discovery platform for mobile gamers. COMMUNITY: Building community and connecting people has always been a passion of mine. I spent a decade helping foster the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Madison where I played a foundational role in launching and leading organizations including Capital Entrepreneurs (a community group uniting hundreds of entrepreneurs), the Forward Festival (Wisconsin's largest tech and entrepreneurship festival), and StartingBlock Madison (a 50,000 sqft entrepreneurial hub). CONSERVATION: I enjoy spending time in nature around Madison and throughout the Driftless Area. I currently serve on the board of Groundswell Conservancy (which protects 14,000+ acres of natural spaces around Madison) where I bring the same entrepreneurial spirit to efforts in land stewardship and conservation. I am also passionate about prairie restoration and protecting native ecosystems. I have degrees in Computer Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I received an Early Career Achievement Award from the UW-Madison College of Engineering and have been named to the Madison Magazine "M List" which recognizes the top entrepreneurs and technologists in Madison, the Wisconsin Alumni Association's "Forward Under 40", and InBusiness Magazine's "40 Under 40". PerBlue was named a "Top Workplace" by the Wisconsin State Journal, a "Best Place to Work" by Madison Magazine, and "Madison's Favorite Tech Startup" by the Isthmus.
Playback is a rewards and loyalty platform for mobile game players that improves game discoverability and enables game publishers to find and engage with new players more effectively. It was founded by a team of mobile game industry veterans who recognized a critical gap in the mobile user acquisition landscape. We launched Playback to fill that void, creating a rewards and loyalty platform designed specifically for the mobile gaming ecosystem. In my role, I lead all aspects of the company’s operations and financial functions.
Multifold Labs is an extension of Playback Rewards that focuses on identifying and validating market problems, and then uses AI-native execution and rapid iteration to build and ship high-impact products to solve them. Our projects have ranged from an AI-shopping companion (Perusable) to an AI-powered legal compliance platform (PolicyPolish). I've even hopped back in the dev trenches to help build some of the projects.
PerBlue is a venture-backed mobile games studio based in Madison, Wisconsin. We make free-to-play midcore RPG and Strategy games played by millions of people around the world, including Disney Heroes: Battle Mode. From our bootstrapping roots that began in our college apartments in 2008, we've grown to become one of the most successful and longest running independent mobile game studios in the US, with a talented team of employees throughout North America and products that have generated $100M+ in revenue. I currently serve in a fractional CFO and Executive Advisor capacity, overseeing PerBlue’s financial strategy and M&A processes (buy, sell, partnerships) while also providing high-level strategic operational support to the leadership team.
As COO for over a decade, I built and led our People Ops function, spearheading a strong people-first culture which has been regularly recognized as a Best Place to Work. I've hired hundreds of creators and engineers over the years and helped empower them to do their best work. I also managed the fiscal and strategic operational complexities of a remote-first high growth business in a dynamic global industry, and helped navigate the company through the inherent ups and downs of the rapidly shifting space. I'm proud of the impactful and resilient company we built and of everyone on the team that has been part of our journey. PerBlue was named a "Top Workplace" by the Wisconsin State Journal, a "Best Place to Work" by Madison Magazine, and "Madison's Favorite Tech Startup" by the Isthmus. PerBlue was also recognized on the "Empact100" list as a top company in the US run by entrepreneurs under 30 and awarded "Best Game" by Samsung.
Groundswell Conservancy is a results-oriented land trust dedicated to protecting special places in south-central Wisconsin forever. Since 1983, the organization has permanently conserved over 14,000 acres of wildlife habitat, working farmlands, and natural areas. As a member of the Board of Directors, I serve on the Finance Committee and help oversee the organization’s strategic long-range goals, focusing on initiatives that act on the climate crisis, protect native ecosystems like the Driftless Area, and create equitable access to nature for the local community. My work supports Groundswell’s mission to ensure that our region's rich agricultural soils and diverse natural landscapes are preserved for future generations.
Founding member of StartingBlock Madison. Served as Board Chair from 2018-2021 and concluded board term in 2022. StartingBlock Madison is a 50,000 sqft entrepreneurial hub in Madison, WI. After years of planning that began in 2012, the space opened in June 2018 and serves as a hub of entrepreneurial activity. StartingBlock represents a massive community effort — from Madison’s young entrepreneurs, city and business leaders, and our educational and government institutions — focused on creating a home base with the critical components that local innovation entrepreneurs need to start and grow businesses, create jobs and stimulate the regional economy.