👋 I’m Dave, a creative and brand executive with 25+ years leading teams across product, design, and marketing. Known for turning ideas into outcomes and teams into high-performing engines for growth, I’m equally at home in the boardroom and the creative studio - with a leadership style defined by heart, hustle and vision.

I'm a force multiplier – amplifying team performance and organizational impact, grounded in empathy and optimism. My experience across entrepreneurial ventures, agencies and brands has taught me this: the more worlds you stand in, the sharper your perspective becomes. And as AI reshapes what it means to create, my cross-disciplinary experience has become my greatest advantage - helping teams adapt, grow and deliver powerhouse results.

That same passion for creativity and growth has shaped every chapter of my career — from startups to side hustles to personal projects. Beyond the boardroom, I built a successful creative agency and record label, wrote and published a book, toured with bands you may or may not have heard of and remain part-owner of a shuffleboard club in Brooklyn. It’s this unique mix of experiences that enables me to move fluidly between worlds — equally effective as a creative visionary, a strategic partner to executives, and an inspiring presence for teams and customers.

Outside of work, I love being dad, playing ice-hockey, watching docs and making sure local restaurants thrive.

I’m the kind of person who likes getting to the airport early or giving up my seat on the subway. Small gestures, sure — but I’ve found the little things are really the big things. That same belief shapes how I lead: when people feel safe, heard, and valued, teams and organizations do their best work.

Maybe it comes from my grandfather, a New York City cab driver for 35 years, or from my studies in Sociology — empathy has always been my lens, and key to building successful, resilient, and creative cultures.

And while empathy sets the foundation, the proof is in the work. Here are a few things I’m proud to have had a hand in creating — projects that brought big ideas to life and made a real impact.

Dave is a team player and knows when to take the chances that deliver impact on the business.

— Ming-Tai Huh, Head of Product at Square

He isn’t afraid to take big swings and make incredible work that’s beyond what’s expected and are literally things folks want to hang on their walls.

— James Schonzeit, Head of Product Design at Square

Dave is one of the most human centered leaders - always keeping his awareness fixed on the people who he leads, the people he works with, and the people that would benefit from the work.

— Dushane Ramsey, Head of Marketing, The Gap

He has an unparalleled passion and care for our customers. He’s the kind of partner and collaborator researchers hope for.

— Carol Camilleri, Research Lead at Square

I can easily say he is the BEST manager I have ever had. He truly leads with kindness and consistently uplifts, encourages and helps guide all of those around him.

— Rachel Hatley-Starnes, VP of Design and Culture at Willow Tree