Businesses I've Started

While double majoring in piano performance and computer science, I started Cleveweb.com to fund my schooling and housing, while providing web design, development and hosting services to about 15 different companies in the greater Cleveland, Ohio area.

Through this experience, I was forced to learn all aspects of the business, as well as the seriousness of investing one's own money and time into a business that cannot afford to be wasteful.

Initially, I provided virtual hosting services via a rented rack, but later I brought in high speed network connections to my office and hosted services on several high powered linux boxes that I administered and maintained.

This portfolio of projects helped me land a full time contract and later employment with Progressive Insurance in a Senior and then Lead-level role.

Key Results

• Increased online product inquiries by 750% within first year of launch
• Built searchable art gallery database with 80+ artworks and 25+ artists
• Delivered full website with animated product demo increasing lead conversion by 40%

I created Cleveland Entertainers with business partner and Guiness World Record holder ricksmithjr.com to provide entertainment services to families and businesses in northeast Ohio.

Customers included Cleveland Indians (now, Guardians), Cleveland Cavaliers, Jewish Community Federation, and 100s of small and medium sized Businesses

I sold my part of the business in 2007, and while today it continues as a high-touch human-driven business, it was originally a self-service portal where entertainers could see booking requests and customers could book entirely online.

Key Results

• Generated 500+ entertainment bookings annually through optimized SEO
• Managed operations for entertainment company booking 500+ events annually
• Integrated Salesforce CRM automating 70% of booking workflow processes

Heartpoints.org is a non-profit that aims to create a blockchain currency for "good", that would encourage folks to do good works for people, and in exchange, get help from others, or simply promote the idea of helping others through their attainment of heartpoints.

Key Results

• Built blockchain-based "proof-of-good" currency prototype with off-chain validation
• Motivated a team of 5 to ideate and experiment on making the world a better place