Time Machine
Early Life / Upstate
Life for me started in Big Flats, New York, a small upstate rural town that borders the more well known cities of both Corning and Elmira. The arts, namely music, was a large part of my upbringing. I also frequently volunteered for the SCCA at Watkins Glen International. Though my love of art and design feels like something I inherited, my love for motorsports was almost certainly a bi-product of growing up so close to such an accessible and historic racing circuit.
University &Â Design
I attended and graduated from Jefferson University (formally Philadelphia University) with a Bachelors of Science degree in Industrial Design. I thought I wanted to be a car designer, but discovered that designing beautiful forms (regardless of function) was actually what I truly enjoyed. This led me to pursue a specialization in furniture design given the near limitless form expression furniture design allows for. While at Jefferson, I launched my first commercial product with Umbra, which went on sale for two consecutive years at Target stores nationwide. I also interned at Fleetwood Fixtures, taking projects from the concept through to production in the fast paced environment of retail interior design.
Armstrong World Industries
Upon graduating, I was recruited by Armstrong World Industries as a designer in new product development. This role included designing interior product, hardware, and systems for Armstrong's wide array of product families. I worked in team focused environment both within the design studio and broader marketing group to deliver these products to market, and worked with building owners and architects for custom installations locally. Last but not least, I also created, managed, and released the design group's annual trend research reports for the broader marketing business.
Livesay Studio
In late 2017, I began creating high end furniture under the alias Livesay Studio. Â The studio's first piece, Pangaea, was launched through the Wexler Gallery of Philadelphia. The piece was also made available on 1stdibs, Artsy, and through the shortly lived real-life 1stdibs Gallery in Hudson Yards, New York City. Today, the studio sits a bit dormant as things unfortunately didn't pan out as expected. This story will be revived at some point.
Grand Prix Studio
In late 2018, I co-founded and launched Grand Prix Studio, formerly known as Ikoniqa, a motorsports centric digital creative studio. The studio currently works with a wide range of teams, racers, performance brands, and racing series across many types of motorsport disciplines. The ability to combine my design/marketing skillset with my love for motorsports has been nothing short of amazing thus far as the studio continues to grow its footprint year over year.
Kart Racing / Semi-Pro
Over the summer of 2021, I got to fulfill a childhood dream of mine by racing competitively for the first time. Like most drivers starting their career, I raced 125cc karts in a popular regional championship. This is something that as a kid I simply never had the opportunity (or money) to pursue, but through Grand Prix Studio, I was fortunate enough to make this a reality. Motor racing is unfortunately a stupidly expensive sport, but kart racing is such a pure and inviting starting point for anyone looking to begin their professional motorsports journey as a driver.
Things I've Picked Up Along the Way
