I currently reside in a near-northern suburb of Chicago, not far from Lake Michigan. I live with my ever-supportive wife/"Super-Mom" as well as two little buggers we like to call "the boys". My family is absolutely my first love and being a Dad is the best thing to have ever happened to me.

When I'm not throwing myself into my work, I enjoy pretty much all outdoor activities including scenic rides on my motorbike or just hanging with the family. I also love what I do—using creativity to solve real-world business challenges. My roots trace back to small villages in southern Italy. My father grew up in Polizzi Generosa, a rural town resting on a large hilltop overlooking the Sicilian landscape. My mother hails from Calabria, a coastal village. My parents share the same story as millions of other Americans. They came in search of opportunity. I was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1971.

My love for creativity and the work ethic that accompanies it stems directly from my parents. I can recall helping them in their local hair salon where my mother would create one-of-a-kind styles for her customers while my father engaged in small talk with all who entered his barbers' chair. It was also at the salon where my love for Visual Communications began. I would spend my downtime eagerly paging through scores of comic books. The covers always drew me in and the stories captured my imagination. X-Men, Defenders and Spider Man, were among my favorites.

I soon realized that the pulp fiction I enjoyed so much was only a gateway to a world if creativity that was much bigger than I could possibly even know. In high school, though I dabbled in sports, my true love was discovering Art. Modigliani, Munch, Picasso, Klimt, Van Gogh, Matisse—I couldn't get enough of how differently these people saw the world and were able to express it through the materials at their disposal. I left high school with the "Class Picasso" title eternally etched in my Yearbook.

Looking back, I was able to enjoy a rich childhood where most of my growing-up (after the age of seven) was done in suburban Long Island—home to Seinfeld, Howard Stern and Billy Joel to name a few. Long Island was a magical place to grow up. Minutes away from diverse culture of Manhattan and summers at the beaches NY provided me a steady diet of stimulation and recreation. After high school came art school. Pratt proved to be another wonderful place of stimulation and growth as well as providing me with a solid foundation in design. Though I knew I wasn't getting the typical college education (staying up all night working, welding, and drawing nudes), I knew it was something special that I would someday appreciate. My days at Pratt also spawned my love affair with computers. At first it was almost a novelty, but as with all true love it has grown into something deeper that transcends boundries.

This brings me to current times. I made the leap to Chicago and interactive at about the same time. After starting in the creative business in print and broadcast media, I became captivated by the potential of the online space. The prospect of working in a multimedia environment where users could get instant and meaningful gratification was simply too much to pass up. In 1997 I made the decision to dedicate myself to interactive and I haven't looked back. In my spare time, I still work on personal endeavors including brand identity, illustrations and other contract opportunities.

But what I really love is a good idea. Regardless of the medium, a good idea matters most—I'm always in search of one.