Meet David
Hard Won Experience
I help leaders surpass their goals, using strategy and tactics that are rooted in curiosity and deployed with conviction.
I have a deep background in Fortune 100 leadership, startups, mid-market companies, and family-owned businesses. I’ve advised, founded, or invested in 50+ companies over four decades.
I’ve been where you’re going: I’ve raised money, sold companies, acquired companies, helped employees buy a company, formed boards of directors, built partnerships within industry, and spent years in venture capital investing.
I’ve touched the B Corp world by forming a public benefit corporation, and love that ecosystem and their values.
I have also been a hands-on operator: building teams of leaders, launching products, building manufacturing operations from scratch, driving daily marketing and sales, as well as serving as the CMO (chief marketing officer).
Years ago I wrote code, and today I still love a good spreadsheet and can edit marketing copy with ease.
While I started my career in technology, both hardware and software, I have now worked in retail, hospitality and food, construction, apparel, infrastructure development, real estate, and consulting practices.
I am especially passionate about employee ownership, benefit corporations, and anyone manufacturing in the U.S.
I recently helped the owner-leaders at Kitsbow Apparel expand their business, implement lean manufacturing to reshore production, and gain confidence in their own individual capabilities. Paying their production team a living wage, within 2 years they first matched, then beat their labor costs previously paid offshore in Vietnam and China. In 2022 they gained a 30% increase in new customers, without significant spending in ads. Their accomplishments, not mine.
I do similar work alongside my clients, adjusted and refined for their specific challenges and goals.
I love travel, new places, exploring the outdoors, endurance sports, and nearly every kind of food (I make most of the meals in my family). I consider myself to be a very lucky human.

A Parallel Life
In addition to my business life, I have also led a career in emergency services and adventuring in the outdoors.
I have served my community as a firefighter/EMT for decades (first licensed 42 years ago) as well as working both paid and volunteer in wildland fire, mountain rescue, wilderness search, and teaching CPR/First aid.
I’ve worked as a climbing instructor, bicycle tour guide and cook, and served as safety director for numerous organized sports events.




