As an adult, I helped build a number of well-known, billion-dollar companies:

• I was part of three-person team that acquired, led, scaled, and transformed a $75 million leveraged buyout of IMAX, the giant-screen theater company, into an over $1 billion market capitalization company with a world-recognized brand name.
• I was the EVP, Operations of Westcon Group, a global technology distribution company which grew from $1.7 billion to $3.0 billion in annual revenue during my tenure.
• As COO of Coupons.com, I drove the day to day operations during the company’s growth from less than $20 million in revenue and 100 employees to over $150 million in revenue with over 450 employees and a $1 billion valuation.

Then I watched my oldest daughter struggle to sell Girl Scout cookies and I also became frustrated by the lack of empowering influences for my two girls. So I bought a copy of Writing Children’s Books for Dummies and decided to create a novel series to inspire kids (especially girls!) to open their first lemonade stands or businesses and to empower them with an entrepreneurial mindset.

I’m a passionate advocate for youth entrepreneurship and the co-author of Penguin’s You’re The Boss: A Kid’s Ultimate Guide to Starting Your Own Business, a non-fiction kids’ guide to starting a business that was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. I also co-authored the Macmillan and Penguin-published The Startup Squad book series which was recommended by the American Library Association (ALA) as a diverse and inclusive read to teach young people about money.

I’m the founder and executive director of The Startup Squad Foundation, a fiscally-sponsored nonprofit dedicated to teaching entrepreneurship to girls from underserved communities.

Working with children opened my eyes to their remarkable creativity. Drawing on my professional experiences, I now help adults and organizations become more creative and innovative by learning to think like 10-year olds.

I deliver powerful keynotes, book talks, and workshops that elevate corporate creativity and innovation by driving people to innovate like a child and deliver like an expert. I have spoken to thousands of adults and kids across three continents during my career and was featured on Good Morning America for my work.

I also speak at schools, libraries, and corporate family events to introduce kids to the entrepreneurial mindset and how it will help set them up for a lifetime of achieving their potential.

I live in Silicon Valley and, when I’m not travelling, can be found eating gummy bears with my wife while watching my two daughters sell lemonade from the end of our driveway.