ARCBOUND - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Account Coordinator
- Audio / Video Specialist
- Video Specialist
Alfio Vasta is an Account Coordinator at Arcbound. In addition to his work on social accounts, he also assists in the creation of audio and video content for clients.
Job Titles:
- Account Operations Coordinator
Amir Aliasgharpour is an Account Operations Coordinator for Arcbound, executing administrative and client-service tasks.
Prior to his work at Arcbound, Amir studied Marketing and Economics at the University of Pittsburgh. Outside of the classroom, he was heavily involved in campus activities, volunteering at after-school programs and participating in business-oriented organizations such as Enactus. He held internship positions at tech companies, and embarked on study abroad programs in London and Berlin through his university.
Amir enjoys sending his friends funny TikToks, cooking family dinners with his siblings, attending concerts, and planning and researching trips he'd like to take someday.
Amir earned his BSBA from Pitt Business at the University of Pittsburgh, where he majored in Marketing and Economics.
Highbrow: He can run a sub 4:50-minute mile
Lowbrow: He's very good at carb-loading, and can polish off a Domino's medium pizza all by himself
Anton is the Head of Web Development at Arcbound. He is primarily responsible for developing and maintaining client websites in addition to creating internal software systems for the company.
Anton brings 7 years of prior professional experience in the field of development to Arcbound. Before his time at Arcbound, Anton worked as an SEO and lead developer at the nationally-renowned marketing attorney agency, Nifty Marketing. His work included developing and maintaining websites for high-profile attorneys across the country, marrying his knowledge of web development with technical SEO to improve client marketing campaigns. He has worked with several non-profits and local businesses to create websites for their organizations as part of their overall marketing and branding efforts.
When Anton isn't working on a website, he is likely spending time with his wife and children, enjoying the outdoors of Idaho, or pursuing his artistic interests as a painter. At the age of 30, he learned how to swim for the first time and has since been swimming competitively, including a local triathlon called the Spudman. He also loves baking, especially sourdough bread, and during the height of the 2020 pandemic, he baked up to 18 loaves of bread a week that he would give to others around the community.
Anton graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Linguistics and a minor in TESOL. His love of languages naturally led him to web development, where is his proficient in English, Tagalog, HTML, Javascript, and PHP.
Highbrow: Anton is a completely self-taught programmer
Lowbrow: He can never remember where he put his keys
Job Titles:
- VP of Storytelling
- VP, Content and Editorial
Ariel Hubbard is VP of Storytelling at Arcbound, where she oversees every aspect of clients' book projects, from developing book plans to navigating the path to publication. She loves helping authors organize a career's worth of powerful insights into an invaluable resource for their audience.
Prior to joining Arcbound, she was a freelance ghostwriter and editor, partnering with executives and thought leaders across a variety of fields to create books on a broad range of topics, including business, marketing, finance, health and wellness, and executive coaching, in addition to works of fiction and memoirs. Her authors' work has been featured in numerous publications-including Barron's, Bloomberg, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal-and has been highlighted in TED Talks and at SXSW and CES.
She has also produced a variety of other content, including speeches, web copy, articles, and marketing and fundraising material for individuals and institutions, including Columbia University, Stanford University, and The New School. Previously, she managed Columbia Business School's development writing team, drafting content on the school's advancements in entrepreneurship, social enterprise, real estate, finance, and more. Her personal essays have appeared on Salon and The Hairpin, among other publications.
On the weekends, you can find her trawling flea and farmers' markets with her kids and plenty of iced coffee in tow. Ariel earned an MFA in Creative Nonfiction form Columbia University, and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Bates College.
Job Titles:
- Creative Multimedia Specialist
- Head of Creative Multimedia
Brent Funkhouser is Arcbound's Creative Multimedia Specialist. Brent works directly with clients to bring their visions to life, producing client podcasts, editing social media videos, and conducting on-site shoots with the help of his team.
A lifelong creative, Brent's interest in videography began when he started filming movies on his parents' camcorder in third grade. Before joining the Arcbound team, Brent assisted country music YouTuber Grady Smith in creating content for his 170K subscribers and exclusive Patreon community. In 2019, Brent led the concert production team at the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival, a summer concert series that featured such acts as The Beach Boys, the Travelin' McCourys, and the Oak Ridge Boys.
Brent is an experienced musician and songwriter himself. He has played 400+ shows across nine states since 2015, opening for Judy Collins, Phil Vassar, and Danny Tamberelli along the way. His debut full-length album, The Next Karaoke Star, was featured in Whiskey Riff's popular New Music Friday playlist. While music is the dominant force in his life, Brent is also passionate about history, film, literature, and the outdoors. While he currently resides in Reston, Virginia, Brent is most at home when he's traveling.
Brent received his BA degree from James Madison University. He studied English and holds a double minor in History and Music Industry.
Highbrow: Brent owns a museum-quality collection of artifacts from WWI and WWII, which he occasionally displays in classrooms and at educational events
Lowbrow: Brent regularly attends "Saint Practice Day," a Saint Patrick's Day-themed event held in his hometown pub on the 17th of every month
As CEO of Arcbound, Bryan Wish focuses on growth and business development, public relations, and executing the company's strategic vision.
He has built his career around mobilizing communities and bringing unique voices and perspectives to the masses. From starting a content platform with 800+ contributors, to establishing an investment fund's global community across 30+ countries, Bryan has seen firsthand the power of content and community in fulfilling one's mission.
Bryan saw the opportunity to build a company like Arcbound while working on a book launch for The Creative Curve by tech CEO Allen Gannett. Bryan realized Allen wasn't just launching a book; he was building a personal brand. With that in mind, Bryan set out to build an end-to-end service to create a sustainable platform for leaders who want to unify others with their message. Four years later, Arcbound has worked with 70+ clients, from Fortune 100 CEOs to global investors and bestselling authors.
When he's not building the future of Arcbound, you'll find Bryan hiking in Tahoe or Yosemite, building out his wardrobe piece by piece in local vintage stores, refining his newly found tennis game, exploring the world, or doing some deep introspection by a fire while listening to acoustic folk music.
Job Titles:
- Cofounder
- COO
- Managing Partner
Carson is COO and Managing Partner at Arcbound. In collaborating with mission-driven entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and CEOs, he implements strategies to streamline and optimize operations at the organization and beyond.
He has grown Arcbound's team to nearly 20 full-time team members in just three years, and is working to scale the business and add service offerings, from PR to speaking opportunities, for a seamless personal branding experience.
Carson has extensive experience in operations and people and business development. His ability to adapt and embed himself into teams has amplified the efforts of startups and small businesses alike.
On the side, Carson is the co-owner of a comics and games store in downtown Fairfax, Virginia.
Highbrow: He and his fiancée stick to a vegan diet and grow their own food
Lowbrow: He sometimes sneaks off to Burger King for an Impossible Whopper
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder of Chamonix Crypto
- Director of Personal Branding and Strategic Partnerships
- Personal Branding Consultant
Claudia Miclaus is Arcbound's Director of Personal Branding and Strategic Partnerships. She is leading purposeful personal brand strategies for our clients, while focusing on strategically connecting our European and American markets.
Claudia has held management positions in eight countries across three continents. A natural social butterfly who is passionate about people and deep meaningful work, she ventured into personal branding during a complete identity crisis while working as an executive at a top US fintech startup in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2020, she moved to France to launch a personal branding agency where she worked with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and government officials.
When she discovered her dreams were too big to be achieved by herself, she joined our team full time to connect the world for the greater good. Her biggest dream is to make personal branding mandatory in schools around the world so that everyone can find their arc.
Outside of Arcbound, Claudia is the co-founder of Chamonix Crypto, an NGO cultivating web3 innovation for environmental good. You can find her speaking on vision, entrepreneurship, leadership and web3.
Claudia earned a joint degree in Public Law and Economics, and a dual MBA in Sustainable Development and Business Communication. She has completed multiple programs on psychology, neuroscience, leadership, self-expression and communication. She speaks five languages fluently.
Highbrow: she was rescued off the mountain after an eight-hour wait by ten Italian men. (Ti amo Italia).
Lowbrow: Participated in an Italian singing contest and forgot the lyrics during her performance. Don't bother searching for it, there's no trace of it online. (She's a personal brand strategist, after all.)
Job Titles:
- Marketing Executive
- Chief Communications Officer at Armoire
Colleen O'Brien is an accomplished marketing executive with over a decade of experience leading strategic internal and external communications for companies of all sizes-from Fortune 50 corporations to early-stage startups. Currently, Colleen is the chief communications officer for high-end clothing rental startup Armoire.
Previously, Colleen led brand marketing, content creation, and communications strategy for Microsoft's venture fund M12, which invests globally in early-stage enterprise software companies. She oversaw the fund's digital channels and creative development, and served as an advisor to M12's portfolio companies, helping them scale for growth through positioning, media engagement, and reputation management. She also led M12's 2020 Female Founders Competition, deploying $6 million to four female-founded companies in partnership with Melinda Gates's Pivotal Ventures.
Prior to joining M12, Colleen held several marketing and communications roles across Microsoft, most recently as the executive communications manager for the head of Microsoft Azure, while the team grew from 4,000 to 14,000 employees. Before making the shift to enterprise technology, Colleen led Microsoft employees to donate a record $142 million to nonprofit organizations as the communications manager for the company's annual employee giving campaign. She also led product marketing initiatives for Windows and Office, driving consumer growth, lifecycle engagement, and partnerships globally. Colleen produced and hosted Microsoft's Women in Business and Technology podcast, which has been streamed half a million times, and served as a spokesperson on the weekly YouTube series Microsoft Unboxed, which has been viewed over 150k times.
Colleen has an MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business and graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts in film production and a minor in studies of women, gender, and sexuality. She is a certified executive coach and sits on the advisory board of Women in Cloud, a global organization influencing gender policy and practice to better support women-founded enterprise software businesses. Colleen is a member of the Forbes Communications Council and regularly publishes marketing thought leadership. She is also a sought-out speaker on the All Raise Visionary Voices speakers bureau, and has appeared at the PRSA Storytellers Series, the Women in Tech Regatta, and Ideagen's Global Goals 2030 Summit.
Job Titles:
- Head of Operations & Talent
As Head of Operations & Talent for Arcbound, Donovan Spearman manages the company's internal systems-including project management software, financial matters, and accounting-and human resources functions, such as recruiting and onboarding.
Prior to joining Arcbound, Donovan held operations and marketing roles at Dartmouth College, a plant-based dog food startup, and an engineering consulting firm. He has developed an interest in analytic and systematic functions and finds joy in supporting mission-driven companies that work to make a positive change in the lives of individuals and society as a whole. His experience and passion has allowed him to develop strategies to effectively improve operations at Arcbound.
Along with being a part of the Arcbound team, Donovan enjoys staying fit and active with outdoor activities like running, hiking, and surfing; spending time with friends and family; and traveling.
He earned his master's degree in Management from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business. He holds a BA from Dartmouth College, where he majored in Environmental Studies and double minored in Global Health and Markets Management and the Economy. He also competed in NCAA Division I track & field at both institutions.
Highbrow: He holds track and field records at both Duke University and Dartmouth College
Lowbrow: He sounds like a frog when he laughs
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner at Abraham Trust
Janine Lyman is an Account Strategist, overseeing client relationships, client strategies, and the teams that execute those strategies.
Before joining the Arcbound team, Janine served as an operations strategist within several startup teams. Janine has championed rebranding efforts, website launches, product branding, company-wide systems conversions, culture management, message refinement, product ideation/development, as well as behind the scenes data analysis, tracking, and development of systems and processes. While her experience spans numerous industries, her mission remains constant and unwavering… She never stops looking for the potential of opportunity.
In a COVID-ridden world, she decided to use her online teaching experience to help students and fellow educators during a very uncertain time. As a math professor, speaker, and mentor, she not only advocated for relevance in the classroom at all costs, but also coached her students to not aim high or aim low, but rather to "aim right". Janine then ventured into entrepreneurship to help set up Invata, which helps learners of all types build an educationally sound and hyper-personalized path to their goals.
Janine is a highly motivated woman who came to the US as an international student (from South Africa). She worked her way through 10 years of college, with 8 jobs at once, and no student debt. Her journey is evident of her resilience, but also her ability to trust herself when it comes to defining and achieving her success. While she relishes the pursuit of humanizing every experience, she also finds peace and confidence while traveling, training dogs, or writing songs and poetry.
In 2009, Janine graduated from Georgia State University with a Master of Science in Mathematics and a Minor in Music (Cum Laude). Prior to that, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (Magna Cum Laude), and also holds an Associates degree in Mathematics and Computer Science (Magna Cum Laude).
High Brow: She spoke to an audience of 4000 at an MLK celebration, with a standing ovation from James Earl Jones.
Job Titles:
- Community & Account Operations Coordinator
Jordan works as a Community & Account Operations Coordinator at Arcbound, working directly alongside the CEO, Bryan Wish, as well as supporting various client initiatives. Jordan oversees a number of special projects and administrative efforts that support the organization's growth.
Prior to joining Arcbound full-time, Jordan worked as a marketing and communications intern at a non-profit that specialized in economic development in his local community. After working at Arcbound as a sales operations intern for two semesters, he was invited to join the team in a fuller capacity.
When not at work, Jordan spends his time on the water fly-fishing and going out to local restaurants to unlock his inner foodie. Jordan grew up in north-central Wisconsin and is a die-hard Packers and Badger fan…. don't try calling him when they are playing.
Jordan graduated from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse where he studied media communication and digital media design.
Highbrow: His senior year in college, Jordan wrote a 50+ page thesis examining male representations in hunting television shows that was nominated by his professors for two awards.
Kit Maier is an Account Strategist for Arcbound, where he shapes clients' short- and long-term strategy so they can meet their goals and make the magic happen. He brings a wealth of experience in digital advertising, management, and customer service to the table.
Prior to his work with Arcbound, Kit was a Facebook and Google Ads expert for Nifty Marketing, an advertising agency primarily focused on the legal and pest control verticals. Previously, Kit was a store manager for Sleep Number, spent time in route sales, and managed multi-million dollar retail stores.
Kit spends his free time with his wife, two kids, and a Goldendoodle named Theo. He enjoys going to concerts, playing Pokémon (the video games and the card game), shredding some tasty licks on the guitar, and dabbling in apparel design. He loves the movie Fantasia, long walks on the beach, and advocating for mental health awareness and more accessible treatment options.
Highbrow: He started an apparel company that donated 20-40 percent of profits to a mental health nonprofit, providing scholarships for those who needed counseling but couldn't afford it
Marjie Shrimpton loves people and words-what they tell you, where they take you, and how you craft their stories. She is an Editorial Consultant at Arcbound, writing and strategizing content on select client accounts and ghostwriting in the book division. She was previously the VP of Content & Editorial, leading the content division and managing our writing team.
Outside of Arcbound and her writing work, Marjie is a Brooklyn-based actor, dancer, and singer working in a range of mediums, from theatre and film to cabaret and voiceover.
Prior to her work with Arcbound, Marjie was the Communications Manager for the women-led law firm Reavis Page Jump LLP, a ghostwriter and editor for several brands across a variety of industries, and a performer, producer, and creative on several theatre and film productions. She formerly worked for Broadway Connection, a theatre arts education organization, and Human Rights Funders Network, a philanthropy network for grant-making organizations that fund human rights and social justice initiatives around the world.
Marjie earned her B.A. from Barnard College of Columbia University with a double major in Dance and Human Rights. When she's not busy on stage or on screen (her laptop, that is), you can find her traipsing around Prospect Park or taking in some jazz.
Highbrow: She has worked alongside Tony Award-winning playwrights, actors, and choreographers
Job Titles:
- Content Writer & Developer
- Writer and Developer With
Melissa Boles is a Content Writer and Developer with Arcbound who believes that storytelling is humanity's most incredible miracle, and uses her marketing and social media experience to help clients tell their very best stories.
Prior to joining Arcbound, Melissa was the Marketing Manager at BookClub, and spent time as a content writer and marketer for several authors, tech companies, and communications firms. She has also worked in workforce development, with political candidates and campaigns, and in higher education. In 2019, Melissa was a member of the Vancouver Business Journal's Accomplished and Under 40 annual class, and a finalist for the George C. Marshall Public Leadership Award. Melissa earned her BA in Social Sciences with focuses in English, Anthropology, and Political Science from Washington State University-Vancouver, and holds an M.Ed. in College Student Personnel from Western Carolina University.
Outside of Arcbound, Melissa writes poetry, fiction, and stage plays. Her chapbook, We Love in Small Moments, was published in 2021, and two of her one-act plays were produced in the 2021 Oregon One-Act Festival. She loves tattoos that tell a good story (and the ones that don't!), music that is heavy on the piano, and trying out new places to live. Melissa resides in Salt Lake City, UT (for now!).
Highbrow: Melissa is an avid reader and owns somewhere between 600 and 800 books. She hopes to stock a community library one day
Lowbrow: She has not read all of the books she owns, which the Japanese call tsundoku, and which she calls "can't stop watching old episodes of Law & Order: SVU."
Job Titles:
- CEO & Founder of the Mighty
I believe in the power of stories, the strength of communities and the beauty of the human spirit.
I learned the craft of storytelling as an award-winning journalist and executive at ABC News, NBC News, The New York Times and AOL. Traveling through nearly 50 countries brought me so much joy. But then I found myself on a more meaningful adventure when my young daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease, Dup15q syndrome. What helped my wife and me most was connecting with other people. We learned what community was all about.
Job Titles:
- Content Writer and Developer
- Writer and Developer
Mitchell Glazier is a Content Writer and Developer at Arcbound, where he works to shepherd fascinating insights from the world's most thought-provoking leaders from the brain to the page. His mainstay strategy consists of bringing heart, truth, and creativity to the table to translate clients' lives and expertise seamlessly into the digital realm.
Before joining Arcbound, Mitchell taught poetry as an adjunct instructor in Columbia University's Undergraduate Creative Writing Department; tutored high school athletes in English at The Armory Foundation; and served countless meals as a waiter at Applebee's in his home state of West Virginia.
A poet in his off hours, Mitchell's writing has appeared in Washington Square Review, Recliner, and On the Seawall, among other places. Outside of the virtual office, he enjoys mentoring fledgling poets, quoting Sylvia Plath lines over bowls of pasta, and editing for the literary magazine American Chordata. He lives in New York City.
Mitchell earned his MFA in Writing from Columbia University's School of the Arts, specializing in poetry.
Highbrow: He once met Anna Wintour, who, after a brief chat at The Met Museum, approved of his life choices
Lowbrow: Despite his love of New York City's fabulous restaurants, he still craves an evening at Applebee's every now and again
Job Titles:
- Content Writer and Developer
- Writer and Developer
Morgan Beavers is a Content Writer and Developer for Arcbound, serving all content-related client needs. She is especially passionate about helping clients achieve a sense of authenticity and joy in sharing their messages on today's biggest stage: social media.
Prior to her work with Arcbound, Morgan served as the Director of Marketing and Communications for a high-end, boutique real estate brokerage in western Wyoming; as a youth group home counselor; a craft coffee barista; and a university writing and literature instructor.
Morgan is a dedicated and passionate mental health advocate. She is currently working toward her master's degree in Mental Health Counseling and is excited to continue integrating her love of writing with her desire to support others in living their fullest lives, both professionally and personally.
She holds a BA in Public Relations from the University of Georgia and an MA in Environmental Literature from the University of Montana. Morgan lives with her partner in Missoula, Montana, where she enjoys ultrarunning and various outdoor pursuits.
Highbrow: She was invited to be a high-society debutante in her Georgia hometown (she said "no thanks")
Lowbrow: She enjoys backpacking for days on end, with no shower in sight
Job Titles:
- Bestselling Author, Investor, Speaker, & Consultant
Nir Eyal is the bestselling author of "Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" and "Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life."
He has taught at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. His writing on technology, psychology, and business, appears in the Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, TechCrunch, and Psychology Today.
Nir blogs regularly at NirAndFar.com. Subscribe to his Free Weekly Newsletter at http://bit.ly/2VPgTmd
Nir is also an active investor in habit-forming technologies. Some of his past investments include: Eventbrite, Anchor.fm (acquired by Spotify), Product Hunt, Pantry, Kahoot!, Refresh.io (acquired by LinkedIn), Happy Bits, Presence Learning, 7 Cups of Tea, and Pana.
Job Titles:
- Senior Content Writer and Developer
As Senior Content Writer and Developer, Sam Hedenberg works closely with clients and the Arcbound team to develop strategy and content for social media platforms, newsletters, articles, websites, and other promotional materials. Sam draws on his experience in the education and journalism fields to ask probing questions, make data-based content decisions, and facilitate an excellent client experience.
Prior to joining Arcbound, Sam worked as a high school English and journalism teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools. He advised several nationally ranked high school publications and was named the 2015 Adviser of the Year by the Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers. Sam earned his BA in Print Journalism from the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism and holds an m.Ed in Special Education.
In his free time, Sam is an author and essayist. He's published two nonfiction humor books: the Amazon bestselling The Endless Bummer: In Search of the Perfect Family Vacation and You Can't Stay Here: Tales from Behind the Bar. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and three children.
Highbrow: He grew up in South Jersey and is a cheesesteak connoisseur
Lowbrow: He's a rabid Philadelphia sports fan and has been known to yell at the TV when the Eagles are losing
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder & COO at Hiptrain
Experienced operator of high growth, category defining companies and consumer-facing marketplaces. Passionate about building and developing diverse, high-performing teams.
Began my career in the US Navy. After graduate school I spent 5 years in consulting and the last decade operating, advising, and sometimes investing in early stage tech companies.
Job Titles:
- Author and Director of DEI & B at Newsella
Zohra is the author of "Take it with a grain of salt," released in May 2021. The book shares lessons that Zohra learned through experiences like a divorce, losing a parent, navigating her self-worth, managing a disability, and more. Since writing is her passion, Zohra is also working on two other books, titled, "If I was your mother," and "Twinflames: Let go gracefully while holding on soulfully". Both books will be completed by end of 2022. For details on the book(s) and regular reflection posts, check out www.zodamoney.com
While writing is Zohra's passion, her purpose revolves around enhancing people's experiences through programs, strategies, and initiatives. Her portfolio of experiences spans as a people developer, coach, program builder, board advisor, and leader who devises Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive plans that enable us to improve the lives of our professionals. As she builds enriching experiences through programs and initiatives, concepts at her core are growth mindset, being diverse in everyday actions, inclusive in everything we do, and making accessibility a must and not nice to have.
Finally, Zohra is a doctoral candidate at Vanderbilt, pursuing a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D) focusing on learning and leadership. Her goal is to take learnings from this degree and bring transformative changes that create higher productivity and enable people to bring their whole selves forward.