Hi. My name is Sam. Or Samantha. Or Manfa if you’re my two-year-old sister and you can’t pronounce a “th” sound. I like to make stuff. I’ve been making stuff ever since I was a kid. When I was going through my Ghostbusters phase in elementary school, I made my own P.K.E. Meter out of cardboard. I was that kind of kid.
At age 9, my parents enrolled me in art classes at The Baum School of Art, and then I made drawings and paintings. Unknowingly, I was setting a precedent for what I thought was a good way to spend my time. When I got older, I started making stuff for other people–not just drawings and paintings, but other things, too. For the past 8 years, I’ve been creating marketing campaigns, building websites, and sewing handmade promotional packages (see picture on left). In essence, I’ve been living the life of a freelancer and entrepreneur, spending my time making cool stuff for a select group of happy clients.
I came to design from an unlikely path, having studied music at the Eastman School of Music before completing a mechanical engineering degree at the University of Virginia. Of course, my degree tells me that I am extra qualified to make Really Cool Stuff, and I plan to share that Really Cool Stuff with you on this site. In addition to making Really Cool Stuff, I enjoy making the world a more sustainable place. You might find me out and about doing just that through my consulting firm,
iSpring. You also might find me in the pages of
Grid Magazine or on stage performing with my band,
The Wittchen Initiative.
And when I’m not doing one of those things, I’m probably riding my bike, playing frisbee or drinking a beer. Catch me if you can (most likely in the vicinity of Philadelphia), and maybe I’ll make something for you.
