"The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody had decided not to see." --Ayn Rand

Zip Code

60610

Industry

Internet, Interactive, New Media, Radio, Video, Advertising, Gaming, Technology, Music, Art, Activism, Education, Venture Capital, Journalism, Entrepreneur, Other

About Me:

People categorize me as: Writer, Thinker, Strategist, Idea Hamster, Campaigner, Fearless Leader and New Technology Evangelist; I deliver marketing, branding, concepts and strategy for clients who seek to leverage their positions across traditional and interactive media.

My strengths include conceptual development, strategy, branding, creative direction, copy writing, and marketing strategy for consumer and business-to-business marketing initiatives, with a specialization in technology, financial services, health care, and professional services, and anything else that clients throw at me.

Noteworthy agency projects have included work for companies like: Merck, AOL/Time-Warner, Microsoft, Universal Pictures, McDonald's, Hewlett-Packard, Bristol-Myers Squibb, US West, Motorola, Emerson, Novell, ABN-AMRO, Abbott Labs, Pearson Education, GM/Buick/Oldsmobile, RW Baird, Deloitte and more.

Generally speaking, I remain intensely curious and have a real passion for consumer insights, and enjoy thinking holistically about everyday business issues and the possibilities that new technology may someday provide us.

At present, I enjoy researching the latest trends in innovation, challenger branding, influencer marketing, social media, personal and systemic creativity, learning, cognition, lead generation strategies, online collaboration tools and anything else that inspires creativity.

Before this? Promotions Manager/Talent Scout for an Indy music label and management company, and Marketing Manager for an IT consulting firm.

On my free-time, I enjoy biking, photography, gaming, Jazz-fusion, cataloging important up-and-coming artists via MySpace, and electronic illustration.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Current projects: Writing for video.

Ideas I'm following: Beyond political and economic concerns, location-based mobile technology, and anything having to do with social media and collaboration tools, trends in creativity and innovation, community-building; government accountability and sunshine initiatives.

Current needs: Collaborators on video and Interactive projects; projects in Florida, California, Texas, Costa Rica, or anyplace to get me out of this god-forsaken COLD until Spring. Plus, your insights on collaboration tools within social media or ECM and creative leadership.

Company Name

MichaelBurns Ideation

Website:

http://www.creative-strategist.com - my dinky site that needs help!

Social Network:

http://twitter.com/creativcatalyst

What I hope to gain from The Chicago Convergence

Ability to talk about new technology innovations that I have been working on for consumer and B2b segments, in addition to technology innovations to enhance civic engagement and public accountability at the local, state and national level.