Shaping Next-Generation Experiences

David is a seasoned business leader and entrepreneur. Originally from England and now living in Dallas, TX., David has built two leading experience-driven technology consulting companies over the last two decades. At the point that they were sold to publicly traded companies (EMC and Amdocs respectively), they had a combined market capitalization of more than $250MM. David has had a significant impact on bringing experience research into the mainstream of the technology industry and continues to bring together experts to take the experience transformation business to the next level.

Keith is a business leader with experience founding and growing successful experience-design consulting companies. Keith started his career at Ernst & Young and Sapient and then left to found his first consulting firm, which he merged with a competitor and helped sell the combined business in 2007. He then co-founded and led a second consulting firm which grew even faster than the first. Both companies had a focus on software user experience and delivered projects to the largest companies in America. Keith also founded a healthcare company that used technology to help over 3 million families in the US afford their prescription medicine. A guest lecturer at his alma mater UT-Austin McCombs School of Business and at SMU Cox School of Business, Keith is passionate about sharing his knowledge and giving back to his communities. He's also a member of the Lone Star Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization and has mentored at Health Wildcatters, an innovation hub based in Dallas.

Stephen is a senior financial executive with broad experience in accounting, auditing, financial management, and direct experience with real estate and venture capital. He's been CFO and COO and has been directly involved with a number of mergers and acquisitions. Since his early career at KPMG, Stephen has co-founded several successful businesses, with multiple companies being successfully acquired by billion-dollar organizations. He's also found time to start an MMA mobile app startup to help with Mixed Martial Art instructional videos.

David has a background in ecologically and socially equitable design and trained at the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems in Austin, Texas. This foundation in applied research has allowed him to contribute to projects on the cutting edge of environmental sustainability and public interest design. With a wide-ranging career with years in teaching and architecture, he has held the title of architect, publisher, journalist, and educator. In addition, he's found time as an entrepreneur, co-founding the popular Mouse Book Club, a modern take on classic literature.

A pioneer in the digital design industry, Sanjay designed some of the earliest websites in the UK, including The Times and The Sunday Times newspapers, the country's first ezine and first multiplayer online game. Since 1997, he has founded and run three agencies in San Francisco, including Spring Studio, acquired in 2015 by the multinational bank BBVA, where he led award-winning teams and initiatives to drive the organization's digital transformation. Most recently, he co-founded 17seconds, working with the world's largest financial services firms to develop internal innovation programs and create best-in-class product and service experiences. Sanjay is a frequent speaker on financial innovation, design thinking, and emerging technologies. He has been a speaker and panelist at various events, including Finovate, American Banker Retail Banking, The AI Summit, MFEA star awards, FCS events, BBVA Open Innovation Summit, and BBVA Open Talent. He has also delivered a TEDx talk on the impact of design within financial services. In his spare time, Sanjay enjoys painting and crafting his skills as a DJ.

Jeremy has been working in digital experiences for over 20 years. While he started his career in UX Design, he quickly progressed to managing teams and leading product strategies for large organizations. With a mix of experience working in-house and consulting, he's developed a knack for rapidly seeing the bigger picture and distilling complex strategies into manageable phases of work. With a strong passion for getting teams to focus on employees and customers, Jeremy is a tireless advocate for exceptional experiences.

Mel is an interior designer with more than 22 years of experience delivering creative solutions, nurturing client relationships, and leading collaborative teams through the design process. Her expertise spans corporate offices, branding, and repositioning projects. With her strong technical skills and knowledge, as well as project management experience, her teams enjoy her leadership as an energetic and highly efficient collaborator.

Jacob is a business and design leader focused on experience-driven performance. He's been strategically improving experiences for customers and employees for over 15 years. In addition to product strategy, he's been hands-on with leading marketing, product design, and UX consulting teams. Helping grow innovative businesses is a passion for Jacob — whether Fortune 500 or startup — he's there to support their transformation and business success. Having successfully founded, grown and exited startups, he understands the challenges of making and keeping businesses successful.

Kevin is a craftsperson at heart. His strong work ethic and attention to detail help drive success with his teams, ensuring the geniant vision is vocalized to staff and implemented daily. With more than 17 years of experience, he's stacked up numerous awards from AIA–and he's continuing to push the boundaries of design while seeking ways to solve complex problems for clients through elegant solutions. Giving back, he's supporting several people on their path to licensure as a Supervisor and Mentor in the Architect Experience Program

Paul is an experienced digital leader with extensive leadership experience across industries. He is passionate about leveraging technology and digital services to enhance employee and customer experiences. With proven success in driving growth and innovation through cutting-edge technology solutions, Paul is committed to ensuring that geniant delivers quality, experience-led digital solutions that transform businesses. As the responsible person for geniant's digital offerings, he is dedicated to collaborating with clients to create unforgettable digital experiences that drive business value.

Bruce has been working in the digital design and innovation space since 1995. Working across dozens of Fortune 500 companies, he founded and ran three agencies and building several world-class design teams in the process. Bruce co-founded Spring Studio in 2001, growing it to become a leading San Francisco-based design agency. In 2015 Spring Studio was acquired by the multi-national bank BBVA to seed their global design organization and bring agility to the bank's digital transformation. At BBVA, Bruce helped lead design and innovation programs that served the bank globally. In 2018, Bruce left BBVA to co-found 17seconds, working with many of the world's largest financial services companies, helping develop effective innovation programs and creating best-in-class products and services. Bruce can often be found training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when not working.

Peter has a history of using his multifaceted talent and insightful design expertise on a wide variety of projects. He has completed projects ranging from luxury penthouse condominiums to media and technology company headquarters. Peter is a graduate of Syracuse University, and while studying, he received the AIA Henry Adams Certificate of Merit and earned the opportunity to work with the school’s Dean of Architecture on exhibitions. Peter led submissions for the 2017 and 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennials, receiving the Roberta Feldman Social Justice Award from AIA Chicago’s Foundation for the later project, Sounding Boards Garden at Harmony.

Greg brings 20 years of expertise in design strategy, execution, and leadership. He has led complete platform redesigns for large-scale Fortune 100 companies, conducted innovation programs for large banks, and helped ideate and create numerous start-ups. He previously ran San Francisco’s Emerging Tech Meetup, bringing together the leaders in the innovation space in the Bay Area. When not designing, he occasionally DJs and is a good resource for all your television and film recommendations and trivia.

Grant is a strategic business leader with a deep passion for revolutionizing companies and reshaping entire industries by focusing on the perfect coupling of people, technology, and environments, ultimately making the world a better place. He has a wide range of business experience working in consulting for over a decade, including strategy, business unit operations, software development, sales & marketing, and mergers & acquisitions. With his unique skills, Grant helps business leaders achieve their goals and unleash the power of experience transformation daily.

Brian's passion for design was ignited during a trip through Europe, where he was fascinated by the seamless integration of modernity and history through thoughtful design. This initial spark of interest guided him through his academic pursuits, beginning with his undergraduate studies at Georgia Tech and its Parisian sister university. Brian's love for design deepened as he pursued his master's degree at IIT, where Chicago's rich tapestry of creativity and architectural marvels fueled his thesis on the potential of emerging technology to make exceptional design accessible to all. Following this, Brian further expanded his expertise by completing an MBA with a concentration in Real Estate Investment and Finance from DePaul University. His professional journey before joining geniant includes significant contributions to various projects in the realms of workplace, residential, and adaptive reuse both in the United States and Europe.

With over a decade of experience in the architecture and construction industry, Jaime Magaliff has become a distinguished figure in shaping living, working, and leisure environments through innovative design. Her belief that architecture is more than just buildings—it's about creating spaces that fundamentally transform daily life—drives her commitment to excellence and innovation in every project. Her outstanding contributions to the field have not gone unnoticed. Jaime's work has garnered attention and accolades, as featured in esteemed publications such as Crain’s Chicago and Fast Company. Beyond her practice, she actively shares her insights and passion for architecture as a guest lecturer at prestigious platforms, including AIA Chicago and Neocon, inspiring both peers and the next generation of architects.

With a steadfast focus on unraveling the complexities of ambiguous spaces, Kelly is dedicated to crafting context-specific solutions for both organizational and consumer challenges. Her passion lies in demystifying the unknown—turning unusual questions into comprehensible answers and uncovering the intricate ways people interact within their environments. While her professional journey has taken her from consulting with the Fortune 500 to in-house at Google, her academic background is rooted in Applied Anthropology, with a Master of Science in 2007. Her graduate program, rich in client-driven projects, was instrumental in honing her skills in co-discovering and addressing the needs of diverse populations. Beyond this specialization, her academic pursuits have also encompassed graduate-level studies in Business Management, Marketing, and Organizational Behavior, equipping her with a multi-dimensional understanding of human-centric issues.

Anna is passionate about strategic brand and digital product experiences that matter in people’s lives. She has led ground-up design efforts at early-stage consumer finance and health-tracking start-ups. Previously, she served as Director of Brand and Interaction Design at Smart Design, where she coached multi-disciplinary teams on digital evolution and innovation programs for Fortune 100 companies. You’ll find her baking and trying to get back into metalsmithing in her spare time.

Josiah is a product executive focusing on design and technology to help Fortune 500 and growing tech startups innovate and launch successful digital products. His years of experience have ranged from UX Design to developing prototypes and augmented reality solutions. With the ability to define a strategy and then design and develop a solution, Josiah is a rare combination ready for any challenge. He also runs the best poker tournament platform this side of Jupiter.

Caroline leads Growth and Innovation for geniant’s Physical Space practice, helping organizations reimagine how environments can support the way people work, connect, and thrive. She brings deep expertise in experience strategy across the built and digital worlds, aligning design ambition with business goals. With a unique ability to connect bold ideas with practical outcomes, Caroline drives strategic partnerships and accelerates growth across sectors. Her work is rooted in a human-centered approach—ensuring that every space Geniant designs is not only functional and beautiful, but also meaningful and measurable.

Nicole started her career graduating Summa Cum Laude and receiving the Alpha Rho Chi Medal for leadership and service at Ball State. From there, she earned her master's degree from Clemson University. Today, she's leading technology initiatives, shepherding the studio's transition to a BIM drawing program, and taking an active role in training. As a project architect, she has contributed to several award-winning projects. More recently, Nicole has led sessions on Eastlake's wellness research for Architectural Record and BIM project workflows for Vectorworks.

Karen is a seasoned HR leader with 25+ years of experience in people strategy and business partnerships. She's passionate about developing leaders and creating inspiring work environments. Her expertise includes coaching, development programs, process improvement, M&A due diligence/integration, and talent projects across various industries. Karen's leadership has helped establish HR processes for esteemed enterprises and startups.

David is a seasoned business leader and entrepreneur. Originally from England and now living in Dallas, TX., David has built two leading experience-driven technology consulting companies over the last two decades. At the point that they were sold to publicly traded companies (EMC and Amdocs respectively), they had a combined market capitalization of more than $250MM. David has had a significant impact on bringing experience research into the mainstream of the technology industry and continues to bring together experts to take the experience transformation business to the next level.

Keith is a business leader with experience founding and growing successful experience-design consulting companies. Keith started his career at Ernst & Young and Sapient and then left to found his first consulting firm, which he merged with a competitor and helped sell the combined business in 2007. He then co-founded and led a second consulting firm which grew even faster than the first. Both companies had a focus on software user experience and delivered projects to the largest companies in America. Keith also founded a healthcare company that used technology to help over 3 million families in the US afford their prescription medicine. A guest lecturer at his alma mater UT-Austin McCombs School of Business and at SMU Cox School of Business, Keith is passionate about sharing his knowledge and giving back to his communities. He's also a member of the Lone Star Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization and has mentored at Health Wildcatters, an innovation hub based in Dallas.

Stephen is a senior financial executive with broad experience in accounting, auditing, financial management, and direct experience with real estate and venture capital. He's been CFO and COO and has been directly involved with a number of mergers and acquisitions. Since his early career at KPMG, Stephen has co-founded several successful businesses, with multiple companies being successfully acquired by billion-dollar organizations. He's also found time to start an MMA mobile app startup to help with Mixed Martial Art instructional videos.

An Ottawa native, Bill Shenkman serves as the chairman of The Shenkman Group of Companies, investing in a wide variety of ventures, including commercial and residential real estate, manufacturing businesses, and technology-based partnerships. Outside the business realm, Bill is active in philanthropic endeavors and acts as Chairman of The William Shenkman Foundation. For over 100 years, three generations of the Shenkman family have successfully owned and operated businesses in Canada and worldwide.

Arshaad Mirza is the Co-Founder of Delivery Solutions (acquired by UPS). He reimagined the ecommerce space - disrupting shipping with experience-driven same day, curbside, buy online pickup anywhere third-party orchestration to best serve both retailers and consumers. As an End-to-End service, Delivery Solutions streamlines the fulfillment process all while providing the invaluable opportunity for retailers to extend their brand to provide delightful experiences to their consumers. He believes that every interaction a consumer has with a retailer should be held sacred, wrapped within the retailer’s brand and everything it stands for. He spends his time making that a possibility for incredible retailers who hope to enhance their online shopping and shipping experience for their customers. Prior to his current role, Arshaad was the Co-Founder at LASH delivery (acquired by HEB), Co-Founder of Bright Corner (acquired by Geniant and Dell EMC). He also ran the global Service Management progr

Gene Petrie is the former CEO of Software Architects, a technology consulting firm driving $100 million in revenue, specializing in developing software applications for Fortune 1000 companies. Gene was a co-founder of the company and served as CEO during the entrepreneurial as well as growth phases of the company. He led an effort to sell the company to a large global technology company. Subsequently, Gene has been an active investor in advanced technology companies in the fields of artificial intelligence, experience and design, space, biotechnology, disinformation detection, and cyber security.