A message from our CEO, A new chapter...

A lot can change in 2 years. We all have a story or two due to the trajectory we were forced to take in 2019. For me, I began a new endeavor. I had no idea what the future would hold, but I had to do what many of us were forced to do. I had to either close a successful business I started from the ground up spanning 2 decades ago, or figure out a way to keep moving professionally. I chose to keep moving, and, through a lot of heart and hustle, I have gained more in two years than I thought possible. I’ve learned from some of the most talented consultants, inventors, engineers, CEOs, investors, NGO’s, attorneys, and entrepreneurs. Some I would have never met had I not been forced down a new path those few short years ago. I have been fortunate enough to partner with some extraordinarily talented and noble professionals, and despite the risk of the unknown, I wouldn’t change a single thing. 

Many of you may know me as a professional in the branding and worldwide convention space. I am grateful to many of you for the relationships we have built together over the years, so I feel it is important to share that I am officially stepping away from the convention, destination management, and production industry for the first time in 18 years. We will direct our last on-site convention in October.

I am thrilled to announce that I have decided to focus on new product design for both indoor and outdoor spaces alike. In a way, I’ve come full circle. Before my time in the convention production profession, I was a manufacturer’s rep. and a brand director with a Fortune 500 company and have since been reminded of how transformative it is if we bring the right products to market that are environmentally friendly and that will help to solve problems. After all, this was the origin of how our first collection, Genesis was launched through us. 

So here we are! Last April, we officially launched, bringing to market our first Genesis collection, a premium series of Gold-Standard handheld solar lanterns by Studio Calathea. They are functional, waterproof, aesthetically pleasing, foldable, and easy to transport. We have since extended into several established and emerging markets. After launching, I spent day after day listening to the resellers and the consumers about what really mattered to them, so I made a few essential design changes, and off we went! I dove into research and development, and now, the collection will be in more than 30 stores by the end of June.