Ian Alexander

Bio:

I am a Creative Technologist by trade and the Founder/Lead Strategist at Eat Media. I founded Eat Media 5 years ago with the goal of giving content strategy, creation, management an equal voice at the table with more visually led strategies. Over the past 15 years I have worked with startups, agencies and Fortune 1000 companies developing [content-first] solutions in both print and digital spaces. In earlier lives I helped develop early 3D printing technology, had a business reproducing frescoes and set up digital outsourcing solutions in China.

• Title: Founder/Lead Strategist, Eat Media
• Age: 43
• Location: Westchester
• Contact: @eatmedia

On your about.me page you describe yourself as the Principal/Storyteller at Eat Media.  Where do you find your creative inspiration while working with your clients?

When I hear "creative" I have to fight the urge to start thinking pixels and code and push my thinking towards a creativity that embraces all practices as a total solution. My more obvious creative influences include: Umair Haque, Doug Rushkoff (who we are lucky enough to have as an advisor and office mate) underground hip-hop and the writer David Markson.

As 2011 comes to a close, we’re curious what are some of your favorite startups that were born this year?

Seems there are two types here. The first I celebrated by becoming a customer and the second that I have high hopes for.

• Codeacademy
• Warby Parker

• Gathercontent.com
• General Assembly
• Simple

What do you find most rewarding about your work?  Any specific goals that you set at Eat Media for 2012?

When we (the client and Eat Media team) cross the bridge from a vendor relationship to a partner relationship - its always a rewarding, "big smiles, I'm buying" night. For 2012 we are looking to develop our own products (2 are currently in development), expand into a new office that has a fireplace and heavily invest in talent with nice shoes.