Stephanie Polkowski joins Phoenix Innovate from the team at Avanzado and brings 12 years of experience in client account management. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. 

In the post-pandemic business world, many businesses are struggling to keep up with consumer and commercial demands. During much of 2020 and the first half of 2021, consumers’ disposable income and online shopping habits placed major strains on supply chains across all industries. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the retail world. E-commerce has grown two to five times faster in the past 18 months than in the year preceding the pandemic. Warehouses and fulfillment centers across the country struggle to re-fill shelves with consumer goods in high demand. 

Ken Guldi’s well-rounded set of skills will fit in well within Phoenix Innovate’s vibrant culture. Ken brings 33 years of experience in all aspects of what it takes to execute print and mail solutions for our clients. In his Operations Management role Ken will be able to utilize his talents combined with the resources of Phoenix to ensure we continue to meet or exceed our clients’ expectations. 

Last March, as the impacts of the coronavirus lockdowns were just beginning to be seen, we wrote here imploring nonprofits to hunker down, stay true to the mission, and keep on fundraising. It’s been a wild ride since then, but as the world starts to open back up, now is a good time to revisit that sentiment — and to craft a strong plan to move forward. 

With more than 17 years of experience and a strong leadership mindset, Brent is the definition of a self-starter. He joins the Phoenix Innovate team as director of web development from Avanzado, where he was the director of software engineering.

It takes a deft hand to navigate project management and customer engagement. And we’re happy to say that Devin Smalley, Phoenix Innovate’s new director of program management, has the skills and experience to handle the task. 

Phoenix Innovate has made an all-asset purchase of Avanzado LLC of Farmington Hills, MI and will bring on board 14 people.

Recently, Mark Gaskill, our vice president of research and marketing solutions, had the chance to sit down and chat with WJR’s Vanessa Denha Garmo. They discussed marketing strategy for nonprofits: how to make the most of your organization’s unique story, and how you can make your donors long-term partners in your organization’s mission. Below are some highlights from Mark and Vanessa’s conversation. 

As the coronavirus wears on worldwide, the conditions it has created is changing our behavior. The world has gone increasingly digital: conferences and meetings are now held virtually, grocery stores offer an increasing array of contact-free purchasing, and our favorite businesses and non-profits have faced an abrupt drop in revenue. Although data are still being released, early studies can tell marketers quite a lot already about the shift in consumer behavior, both in retail and fundraising spheres. 

Metro Detroiters have always known the power of collaboration. From the assembly line to the board room, we’re most successful when we work together. 

I’m happy to announce that Crain’s Detroit Business has named us as one of 100 Cool Places to Work in their annual awards. This makes three straight years for us!