Digital executive at the intersection of creative craft, platform strategy, and AI transformation. I lead teams, build tools, and deliver work that creates real impact for clients and organizations.
AI has been my focus for the last two years, and I approach it as a builder. I conceived and built our AI Studio so we can understand a client and their audience better than they understand themselves, then shape a custom go-to-market play. What once took a full team 30 to 60 days now takes hours, so every opportunity gets our best thinking, the quick wins now and the long game for the customers they serve. Beyond the tools, I brought the whole agency along and put the governance in place, because fluency and responsibility have to scale together. I coined Human-Led, AI-Enhanced Creative: AI is a powerful force multiplier, but knowing how and when to use it is a human skill. Creativity, critical thinking, and building relationships give the work depth and make it last. I lead with intention and own everything I put my name on, AI or not.
Proprietary 4-tool AI intelligence platform built solo. Covers competitive analysis, audience strategy, channel planning, and campaign execution — intelligence passes between tools via JSON session files.
Custom 12-level eLearning platform built to upskill an entire agency on practical, responsible AI use. Early results show strong staff adoption and measurable gains in working knowledge.
Co-founded DKY AI Council. Authored the AI and Data Privacy Policy, AI Mission, and Approved Tools registry. Publishes The Amplifier, a biweekly internal AI newsletter.
Client strategy work at most agencies runs on disconnected tools. Research happens in one place, audience thinking in another, channel planning in a spreadsheet, and campaign execution in a deck. Intelligence gets re-entered at every handoff and nothing carries forward. The result is strategy that restarts rather than compounds.
Conceived, architected, and built four integrated tools entirely solo using Claude Code, GitHub Codespaces, Vercel, Supabase, Next.js, TypeScript, and 17 external APIs. Each tool exports a JSON session file that carries all intelligence forward into the next tool. Nothing gets re-entered. The platform was built around DKY's own methodology and frameworks, not generic AI output.
Analyze -- competitive brand intelligence from up to 17 external data sources, scored across 9 strategic dimensions using the Harvard CI/PL/OX model. Produces executive briefs, competitive grids, and scoring narratives ready to present.
Audience -- persona development, customer journey mapping, funnel stage analysis, and messaging strategy. Replaces 4-8 hours of manual work with a structured 20-minute AI-powered flow.
Allocate -- PESO channel planning and budget allocation with a three-view campaign calendar. AI recommendations are grounded in the brand's actual Harvard scores, not industry averages.
Activate -- transforms upstream research into a full program pathway: creative direction, channel tactics, timelines, KPI frameworks, and a 12-slide client presentation deck that builds as the strategist works.
Used Analyze in a live new business RFP for RanchWorx -- competitive brand analysis against AerWay was run through the tool and included directly in the proposal appendix. Real tool, real client, real stakes. The Studio's estimated external build value is $125K to $175K.
Upskill an entire agency on AI — not with off-the-shelf training, but with a program built specifically for DKY's work, clients, and culture. Something staff could move through at their own pace with real accountability built in.
Full 12-level eLearning platform built with Next.js, Supabase, TypeScript, and Vercel. Features: full curriculum authoring, audio overviews, embedded video, graded quizzes (80% pass threshold), optional hands-on assignments, AI-powered quiz feedback via the Anthropic Claude API, branded PDF certificate generation, and a full admin panel. Donnie personally completed all 12 levels.
Within the first two months of launch, the program reached 63% adoption across staff. Of those participating, 25% were new to AI, making the program a practical entry point as well as an upskilling path. Across the board, staff are averaging a 24% improvement in working knowledge of AI, directly supporting the agency's broader professional development goal.
Co-founded the DKY AI Council with agency leadership. Authored the AI and Data Privacy Policy for both staff and contractor use, the AI Mission and Perspective document, and the Approved AI Tools governance registry -- a living list of every tool personally audited and cleared for agency use. No tool gets agency-wide adoption without Donnie's review against DKY's compliance criteria.
Publishes The Amplifier, a biweekly internal AI newsletter covering tool updates, prompting guidance, practical adoption examples, and industry news. Personally trained staff on responsible and effective AI use. Coined and operationalized "Human-Led, AI-Enhanced Creative" as DKY's operating philosophy -- applied across client communications, new business positioning, and every level of the certification program.
Initiated and architected DKY's broader AI transformation strategy under Project Apollo and the DKY Intelligence framework. Defined the human-led, AI-enhanced service model. Designed five targeted AI agent environments aligned to future service tiers (Sprint, Flywheel, Navigate). This work repositions DKY from a traditional hours-based agency to a value-based, AI-enhanced strategic partner.
I build the platform vision first and align it with business goals: what the work needs to accomplish, then place the right specialists in the right seats, then execution from concept through launch. I think in systems and workflows, and the structure underneath is what makes a complex product feel effortless to use. I tie UX straight to performance, so design earns its keep in conversions. I treat a launch as the starting line. That's when you learn whether the idea held, read the data, dial in what works, and fix what doesn't.
Digital strategy and UX leadership across four PWA platforms serving Honda's dealer network in PowerSports, Power Equipment, and Marine divisions.
Digital strategy lead across 15+ national building materials brand sites. Enterprise AEM replatforming strategy, HubSpot CRM adoption, Arriscraft Binder, and integrated campaign leadership.
Full-cycle platform strategy, UX/UI, and management for ADMadvantage.com and the SHIFT LMS. Directed the re:generations campaign destination pages that drove 119K sessions and 9,550 conversions.
Digital strategy and UX/UI leadership across four interconnected PWA platforms built on .NET for Honda's dealer network in PowerSports, Power Equipment, and Marine divisions: the Demo App, Eval Tool, AIM (Auction Intelligence Module), and the Auction Platform. The Demo App was the trust-builder that led to all subsequent Honda work.
Full UX strategy, wireframing, SOW authorship, and vendor management via Emergent Software. Each platform serves a distinct workflow need across Honda's dealer divisions. Strategy, approach, and full-scope SOWs built for AIM and Auction platforms, with ongoing contribution to the AIR platform strategy and roadmap.
Authored a $112K+ Discovery SOW for an enterprise Adobe Experience Manager replatforming initiative covering 22 brand URLs currently managed by Emergent Software. Vetted Umbraco and Sitecore before recommending AEM. Vendor comparison: Dotsquares/AEM $564K-$649K, Monkeyjump Labs $425K-$475K. Roadmap: PIMcore/SAP integration in 2027, full AEM migration in 2028.
Made the original recommendation to General Shale on adopting HubSpot as their CRM -- performed competitive analysis against Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and Constant Contact. DKY became a HubSpot Agency Partner as a result. Led UX/UI designs and development oversight across all multisite environments, campaign landing pages, and web enhancements. Primary client lead on all digital projects.
Integrated campaign leadership across paid search, Meta, Pinterest, and CTV. Google Ads: $0.99 CPC vs $7.85 industry average, 125 downloads, 14 leads per month. Meta: 1.8% CTR, $0.29 CPC. Pinterest: 107% of impression goal. CTV: 98% VCR. Brand lift: 15% recall. Organic social: 12.5% engagement rate vs 1.3% benchmark. Lookbook pages: 93% engagement rate.
10 or more years of full-cycle platform strategy, UX/UI design, and management for ADMadvantage.com. The 1.5 rebuild was a war-room project with Tim Karlberg and Holly Donato that redesigned navigation entirely around farmer actions: Sell, Buy, Sustain, Learn, Locations. Integrated Salesforce API. Led ADM In the Driver's Seat podcast: audio sessions via SimpleCast, WordPress companion articles, and companion email per episode.
Led platform strategy for ADM's SHIFT learning management system. February 2025 results vs prior year: registrations +170%, log-ins +180%, lessons worked +836%, lessons completed +991%. Fertilizer Calculator and other interactive tools also in scope. Email benchmarks held strong: 37-38% open rate, 2-8% click rate per send.
Directed campaign destination pages for ADM's re:generations integrated campaign. Results: 119K sessions and 9,550 conversions on a $481K media investment. ADMadvantage.com February 2025: 27,100 sessions, 68.2% engagement rate with a 5% month-over-month increase.
Campaigns are where strategy meets proof. I lead cross-channel programs built on a clear story and measured against real outcomes. I want the creative to move people and the numbers to back it up. I also believe an agency should run this discipline on itself, so I built our own marketing into a growth engine rather than leaving it to chance. I set the direction, bring in the right channel experts, and keep everyone focused on the outcome that matters.
Annual integrated campaign program culminating in the award-winning ProPricing iPad App. New brand theme and full print, digital, and identity execution each year.
Led creative, digital, and UX direction across the Winnebago corporate site, the WinnebaGoLife lifestyle blog, and the Project Tahoe board-level prototype.
Transitioned the agency away from outsourced lead generation. Built the landing page, integrated HubSpot and GA4, and managed paid search campaigns generating 21 MQLs in Q1 2026.
Led the annual integrated campaign for Cargill's grain marketing program across multiple years. Each cycle: new brand theme, complete print and digital execution including brochures, websites, direct mail, and digital ads. Art directed photo and video shoots in the field with growers and dealers.
Took a complex grain contract data system used by Cargill's field sales team and translated it into a simple, intuitive iPad experience. Led the project from concept through final design, including UX wireframes, iOS technical specifications, and development coordination with Object Partners. The app contributed to a 40x increase in grain contract program enrollees. It earned NAMA Best of Show in Advertising (2014) and Best of NAMA in Multimedia (2013-14).
10 or more years managing and evolving the Winnebago corporate website. Designed and produced all print brochures, product detail pages, and digital assets. Art directed model-year product photography for 22 or more motorhome models annually. Platform grew to 290K monthly visitors with 35% year-over-year growth.
Conceived and led UX/UI design and development of the Winnebago lifestyle blog celebrating RV living culture. Grew to 70K monthly sessions. Email: 38% open rate, 12% click rate across 95K monthly sends. Managed developer Nik Rowell throughout the build and ongoing operation.
Directed a board-level interactive Adobe XD prototype for Winnebago's Advanced Technology Group showcasing their all-electric RV initiative. Covered market opportunity analysis, consumer research, technology architecture, interior design direction, and a phased roadmap for bringing the vehicle to market. Presented directly to executive leadership.
DKY had relied on a third-party lead generation vendor (RSW/US). Proposed and executed the transition in-house: competitive analysis of five to seven agency competitors, new UX/UI wireframes, WordPress landing page with HubSpot CRM integration and GA4 tracking. MQL pipeline growth exceeded the prior vendor's volume by 15% within the first quarter.
Three simultaneous campaigns: B2B (5.08% CTR vs 2.41% industry average, 10 MQLs), Faith-Based (12.13% CTR, 10 MQLs), and Outdoor (22.93% CTR, $2.25 CPC vs $3.33 industry average). Total Q1 results: 2,862 clicks, 79 conversions, $2.34 average CPC on $7K spend. 21 MQLs total.
This is where the executive and the maker meet. I sit on the leadership team and still get into the work myself, the strategy and the build, the right brain and the left. I care as much about where the agency is headed as about the quality of what goes out the door, and I do not believe you have to choose. When something is not working, I would rather propose the harder, better path than manage the comfortable one. I lead the digital department, set the standard for how we work, and keep the bar high on everything we ship.
Saw an agency that had run the same way for 18 years and led the overhaul that let it scale. Self-initiated and self-led across infrastructure, project management, and operating frameworks, with the right SMEs owning each piece. Finished two months before COVID forced the industry remote.
Bell Lumber (One Bell consolidation strategy), Hands to the Plow (multilingual ministry platform, 9 languages), Standard Iron (enterprise redesign), Bethany Global University, Lazy Bear Lodge, Integrity Windows & Doors (Agile methodology, UI design).
For the first 18 years of my tenure, DKY held at 16 to 18 people and ran the business and managed projects the same way it had since day one. Leadership wanted to grow but could not see past the roadblocks. I saw that growth meant modernizing the whole agency: the technology, the workflows, the processes, and a shared vision every staff member could get behind.
I researched how the strongest small and mid-sized agencies operate, shaped the future state, and presented it to leadership. In late 2019 I wrote and presented a proposal to replace three core systems at once: office-bound iMacs, physical job jackets, and a legacy Mac Pro server. I led all of it, from research and vendor negotiation through onboarding, and brought in the right specialists to own each piece alongside me.
I started with the infrastructure. Working with Technology by Design as our managed IT partner, we replaced the daisy-chained legacy server with a Synology RAID system on site, redundant offsite backup at DataBank, and supported 1GB fiber network drops. Standardized MacBook Pros on a three year lease cycle replaced the desktops, and a VoIP platform with chat and video replaced the physical phones.
To retire the physical job jackets, I researched all-in-one project and resource management tools built for agencies and brought in Tracy McCrory as a PM consultant. She was hired full time and became VP of Project Management. From there I standardized the full tech stack across creative, communication, productivity, and security, with firewalls, password managers, and staff security training led by outside experts, plus standardized workflows, file naming, and creative delivery.
With the systems in place, I built the frameworks that gave the work a shared language. The Wheel and Spoke model put a client's brand at the hub, supported by content and a website, with Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned channels as the spokes. The Digital Playbook turned best-practice onboarding into a repeatable process for scoping work, defining audiences and personas, mapping journeys, setting KPIs, and earning client sign-off at every milestone.
The transformation was complete by February 2020. Two months later COVID hit, and DKY went from fully in person to 100% remote in two days without missing a beat. Clients came to us for help making the same shift at scale, and the agency grew from roughly 18 to 34 people in the year that followed.
In 2024, with the agency approaching 50 people, I saw that Workamajig could not scale with us. I evaluated more than 20 platforms, authored the recommendation, and led the move to Wrike with Workamajig kept as the accounting backbone. Working with Wrike's integration team, I built custom APIs and Workato workflows, writing some of the connections myself, so Wrike became the agency's source of truth and tied into Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Zoom, and Dropbox. I still own the full ecosystem of 90 or more platforms, our security posture, and the managed IT relationship today.
Full website consolidation audit and digital strategy for the One Bell initiative. Assessed three legacy sites and delivered two future-state sitemap architectures and page-level UX wireframe outlines. Core strategic repositioning: from product-category supplier to end-to-end infrastructure partner. Defined SME roles and secured client approval. Now in execution.
Global Christian ministry platform in 9 languages with 30 or more resources and thousands of downloads. All UX/UI by Donnie, development by Bjorn Hagstrom. Four initiatives: GearTalk Bible Reading Plan (custom web app with user auth, 4 Scripture streams per day, audio, and progress tracking), 9-language flag selector with cookie memory, donations platform overhaul (GiveWP, Stripe, ACH, cause-specific giving cards), and TranslatePress multilingual CPT architecture.
Phase 2 enterprise website redesign: 15-template modular design system, WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, HubSpot and JazzHR integrations, post-acquisition brand consolidation. Personally pitched the Phase 2 vision and execution plan. Assembled and led UX/UI and development partners through delivery.
Full website redesign: UX strategy and wireframing, developer RFP and selection, Agent Zero UI design management, 19-plugin audit, and mandatory code freeze and UAT enforcement -- held firm against client pressure to launch early. Prioritized a clean, stable launch over an expedient one.
From the beginning of my career, I have tried to follow a few simple principles: follow your passions, trust your instincts, back them with strategy and intention, and stay true to who you are.
I believe most client challenges are solutions waiting to be uncovered. That is the part of the work I enjoy most: taking something complex, messy, or undefined and shaping it into something simple, useful, intuitive, and engaging.
At heart, I am a creative. My career has taken me from web designer to art director, experience architect, digital department leader, and member of the executive leadership team. Through every stage, I have kept building. Brands and campaigns. Websites and platforms. Digital experiences. Agency systems. AI tools. Training programs. New ways of working.
I am wired to look for what is next, learn it deeply enough to use it well, and then bring others along with me. I care about the craft, but I care just as much about making the people and teams around me stronger. Teaching what I know has become one of the most rewarding parts of my work.
Away from work, my wife and I spend most of our time chasing our kids from hockey rinks to soccer fields to softball diamonds. When we get a break, we are usually outside somewhere: on a lake, around a campsite, or hiking through a state or national park. We are a busy family, but we try to stay present and make the most of the time we have together.
I also love working with my hands, whether that means cooking for family and friends, building something out of reclaimed wood, or taking on a home project that is probably a little more ambitious than it needs to be.
That thread runs through most of my life: I love to build, I love to learn, I love to teach, and I especially love a challenge. I try to bring the same energy to my work, my family, and the people around me: be present, give all of yourself to all that you do, keep growing, and do the work with authenticity and care.