We once stood on this stage as the world virtually crumbled around us. Or seemingly crumbled. The very first Cusp Conference was held, after a few years of thinking, imagining, designing, worrying, and planning, on September 10 and 11, 2008.
As we were sweating every detail of the initial conference set-up on September 9, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 300 points. The next day, as we nervously welcomed our first 280 attendees, Lehman Brothers announced a loss of $3.9 billion and its stock price dropped seven percent. By the time the Smoking Popes closed out Cusp 2008 on September 11, Lehman’s stock price had plummeted another 40 percent. The shit was hitting the fan.
And what a pile it turned out to be.
The massive financial crisis that resulted from fraudulent trading in subprime mortgages / credit default swaps / collateralized debt obligations by poorly regulated, undercapitalized banks with excessive risk profiles crippled the US economy and ultimately hammered the global economy. The geniuses behind the disaster were given massive rewards in the form of taxpayer funded bailouts, while average people impacted by the mess were left swinging in the breeze. Somehow, in spite of the efforts of those ‘in charge’—some of whom are now contemplating removing the very financial regulations that were designed and put in place to prevent another financial disaster—we found ways to move forward.
And since those staggering events, we’ve faced new challenges. Some might argue that the geopolitical, environmental, economic, and social challenges we face today are equally daunting, or that the future might see us encounter existential threats on an unimaginable scale. Gulp.
But here’s the good news.
Design is about moving from an existing state to a desired state. When circumstances change, when challenges arise, when opportunities present themselves, time and time again humans have shown an incredible ability to reimagine, rethink, reinvent and move forward. The spirit that drives people to not only imagine but build better futures is what Cusp Conference is all about.
Ideas are generated.
Products are invented.
Systems are developed.
Services are conceived.
Businesses are built.
Solutions are created.
And challenges are overcome.
By design.
Welcome to Cusp 2017.
Dave Mason
Kevin Krueger
Kelly Komp
Andy Eltzroth
Pamela Lee
Skot Waldron
Multiple, Inc.
Cusp Conference 2017 Hosts
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Dave Mason
Dave Mason was born in England and raised in Canada.
The things he learned as a CJFL quarterback, while working in a women’s prison, a forensic psychiatric hospital and a subatomic physics laboratory and while coaching high school football naturally prepared him to start a design firm immediately after graduating from college in the late 20th century. He subsequently co-founded internationally recognized Chicago/Vancouver-based SamataMason in 1995. He's currently Principal and Strategy Director at Multiple Inc.
Honored for excellence in virtually every significant design publication and competition, Dave’s work has also been exhibited at The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg, Germany. He has served as a juror for numerous international design competitions including Communication Arts Design Annual, The Mead Annual Report Show, AR 100 Annual Report Show, Taiwan International Poster Competition and Applied Arts, and as a guest speaker at design and business schools, conferences and events throughout Canada, the United States and Asia. In 2010 he was named a Fellow by the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada.
In addition to Multiple, Inc, and Cusp Conference, Dave has also co-founded a number of ventures including OpinionLab Inc., the leader in web and mobile voice of customer feedback systems (acquired by Verint / Nasdaq VRNT), PowerPlayer Inc., a company dedicated to helping youth hockey coaches teach young athletes through feedback, and ForthLevel, a corporate off-site rental facility in Chicago's West Loop.
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Kevin Krueger
Kevin Krueger is an accomplished brand communication designer.
Principal and Creative Director at Multiple Inc., he's a former partner in internationally recognized design firm SamataMason. His work for a diverse range of clients such as the PGA Tour, Whirlpool, Devon Energy, International Truck, and Motorola has been honored internationally in numerous competitions and publications including AIGA Communication Graphics, The Art Directors Club, The Type Directors Club, Communication Arts, Applied Arts, Graphis and How Magazine.
A graduate of Ohio University, Kevin is a former Chicago Chapter board member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), a frequent lecturer at design schools and organizations, and has served as a juror for numerous design competitions.
In addition to Multiple, Inc, and Cusp Conference, Kevin is a co-founder of PowerPlayer Inc., a company dedicated to helping youth hockey coaches teach young athletes through feedback, and ForthLevel, a corporate off-site rental facility in Chicago's West Loop.
And yes, he was bitter about the whole LeBron thing.
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Andy Eltzroth
Principal and Business Development Director at Multiple Inc., Andy Eltzroth served as a designer, project manager and account executive in San Francisco and the Midwest prior to co-founding Tandemodus with Kelly Komp in 2006.
An Indiana University graduate with a BFA in graphic design, Andy has provided strategic direction for a wide range of organizations including Eli Lilly, Dow AgroSciences, the Center for Leadership at Northwestern University, Pearson Education and True Value Hardware.
In addition to Multiple, Inc, Andy is also co-founder of ForthLevel, a corporate off-site rental facility in Chicago's West Loop. He spends the majority of his off-work hours doting on his growing family, coaching softball, and crushing fastballs.
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Kelly Komp
Principal and Creative Director at Multiple Inc., Kelly Komp graduated from Ball State University with a BFA in Graphic Design. A former co-founder and Creative Director of Chicago-based Tandemodus, his award-winning strategic thinking and communication design capabilities have brought clarity and energy to organizations such as DePaul University, University of Chicago, Great Lakes Protection Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Spertus Institute, and Scott Foresman.
In addition to Multiple, Inc, Kelly is also co-founder of ForthLevel, a corporate off-site rental facility in Chicago's West Loop.
He’s a former Chicago Chapter board member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and instructor of Design for the Web at Chicago Portfolio School. And he credits his experiences slinging tacos, shagging golf balls at a driving range, filing records for a law firm, operating a forklift and bagging ice in a 20° factory with providing him with a love of not doing any of those things today.