Leader for organizations that are making a dent in the world. Founder at hellofahren.com. Formerly Gokart Labs, General Mills, Ameriprise, Amex. Husband, dad, road cyclist, guitarist, cook, beer nerd. Free agent. My opinions and mine alone.

I love the Web: I am still a true believer in the original spirit of the World Wide Web so I’m what Evan Williams would call a “web person”, not a dot.com person. .\I’ve been hands-on with the web almost as long as there has been a public, commercial internet. First with prodigy and AOL, then on the web. I have literally taught thousands of people what the internet is, how it works, and how to make stuff on it. I’ve been in digital marketing professionally for many years.

I believe the web should make the world better: I believe the internet has kicked off one of the largest cultural transformations since the written word. I believe it’s a tool for human good, not simply more profit. Open standards over walled gardens. Despite some troubling data, overall the internet has been good for the world (so far).

I love the craft of business: I believe good business can be a force of positive change in the world. And, i’ve been fascinated by the mechanics of businesses since i was kid. Accounting For Managers (202) was my favorite business class in college. As a junior nerd, i read Fortune, Value Line and the Wall Street Journal as much as i read Sports Illustrated.

That American Studies degree is actually useful:  I believe history and sociology can teach and guide us through the transformation that’s happening in our culture right now. I use my American Studies degree every day to understand the way history and current events combine to drive personal and organizational choice. It helped me develop a deep curiosity about how digital is changing our culture and our organizations and institutions and an intense desire to understand it, break it down, and simplify it. Thanks to the good folks in the American Studies Dept at Purdue, i can call myself a cultural critic and mean it.

English Majors Unite! I believe that now, more than ever, people are seeking self expression through brands and digital media. So, I bring a writers eye to the work I do with brands and businesses. I love the poetry and beauty of a story well told, especially those done via the written word. But, it includes the stories told visually in photos, painting and digital media, on the stage, or through song.

I Love brands: Its an amazing time to be building brands. I believe the best can empower people to make positive change in the world while delivering real utility everyday. I’ve had a chance to work with some of the best brand builders in America on some of the most trusted brands.

Creation > Consumption: I love makers, the creators who combine ideas, passion and effort to launch new things into the mix. I respect those who take the risk, the ones who aren’t afraid to try.