Meet the Founder

Experience

Founder, Poetry Tile - Merchandise Mart
Chicago, IL — Present

  • Curates and imports exclusive tile collections from around the world.

  • Leads brand strategy, product design, and client engagement

  • Offers unique terracotta, handmade ceramics, graphic porcelain, luxury hospitlity bathroom furniture, trending terrazzo, and natural stone materials and installation.

Founder, Blue Pearl Stone Technologies
LaGrange, IL — 2000–Present

  • 20 years of residential marble/tile interiors: importing, fabrication, and custom installation

  • Currently operates a half-acre facility with showroom, manufacturing, and stone yard

  • Awards: Coverings CID Grand Prize for Best Residential Natural Stone Project(U.S.)

Founder, SSI - Commercial Stone Commercial Facades
Chicago/LaGrange -Various Projects — 1985–2003

  • 15 years in large-scale exterior stone facade projects,interior flooring, lobbies, and restoration: design, engineering,and project management in the Midwest.

  • Specialized in sourcing, importing, and installing natural stone for high-profile commercial and institutional buildings.

  • Awards: Honored with the Turner Construction Award for Best Subcontractor of the Year: Ameritech Center, Lohan Architecture; Other Notable projects: Buckingham Fountain restoration, Weese, and Associates; U of C, Center forAdvanced Medicine Exterior/Interior , GSA Federal Building (Exterior Facade), Old State of Illinois Building Floor and Wainscotting main floor Lobby, Chicago Sinai Temple facade, Northwestern Mutual Building Milwaukee, facade Opus, Blue Cross Blue Shield Exterior Plaza and first Floor Lobby Walls. Museum of Contemporary Art - Exterior Limestone Facade, Water Tower Place -Interior Elevator Lobbies. The Aquarium - Chicago various exhibit Rooms.

Education

  • MBA - Kogod School, International Business – Rome, Italy 3.65

  • Foundation degree - University of Chicago - Entreprenurial Studies 4.0

  • University of Denver – Art, Dance, and BA in Economics

  • Columbia College – Film Studies

  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) – Interior Design, Continuing Studies

  • Hawaii Preparatory Academy