Mike Reiber
Mike has more than 25 years experience in market strategy development and new product launches for Toro, Whirlpool, Wilsonart and other Fortune 500 building products manufacturers and retailers.
Mike founded Axiom in 1993 while he was a second year MBA student at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Since that time, he has pioneered several market launch strategies and measurement tools that are commonly profiled at the nation’s top business schools.
Mike is a passionate DIYer. He has completed 23 major remodeling and landscaping projects since he bought his first home in 1986.
Kathleen Hennessy
When it comes to home and garden products, Kathleen is not only a communications pro, she’s also your target customer. She understands how to reach your consumer.
Kathleen spearheads Axiom’s social, print and broadcast media relations groups. Each month she and her team field more than 800 media inquiries, send out more than 500 tweets, drive content on nearly ten Facebook pages and attract more than 6,000 people to their blogs.
For more than 15 years she has been cultivating her passions in gardening, cooking and home improvement. She’s helping clients like Bailey Nurseries and Toro generate awareness that continues to grow.
Prior to her arrival at Axiom, Kathleen honed her skills as a TV news producer for one of the nation’s largest newsgathering organizations.
Ask her about her own personal test garden!
Dave Sniadak
Never one to contain his thoughts to the traditional four-sided box, Dave Sniadak brings punchy, eccentric ideas to the Axiom roundtable. As Project Manager, Dave coordinates a multitude of media events for clients – from publicity to production. Additionally, this former TV ‘Hybrid Journalist’ is the creative mastermind of Axiom’s video division.
An aviation enthusiast, Dave likes to fly, but loves to just hangout at airports even more. He’s a proud father, husband and intense slow-pitch softball player – fear the knuckleball!
Andrea Bredow
This tornado rolled into town and took the PR world by storm. As former meteorologist and journalist, Andrea spent 10 years in the newsrooms of Fargo, ND and Omaha, NE. A bona fide news junkie, Andrea loves to be connected to what’s going on in the world. She made the leap from television to public relations in 2008, working at hospitals with renowned physicians and cutting edge medical technology.
As Project Manager, Andrea coordinates media relations, events and social-media for clients.
Andrea made her way back ‘home’ to Minnesota in 2010 after her tour of the Midwest. In her free time, Andrea spends her time volunteering for the American Red Cross and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Andrea has been known to be spotted spending her time on a patios around town enjoying a glass of red wine. During sever weather season you can also find her glued to radar or out chasing storms.
Rob Beachy
Rob Beachy has more than 30 years of experience in marketing, manufacturing and new product development for General Electric, Gould, and Toro. Rob holds numerous patents from lawn and garden products to power tools, batteries, lighting and medical devices.
Rob teaches new product development courses throughout North America to companies like Boeing, 3M, Whirlpool, Red Cross, AARP, Hershey, Schlumberger, and Coca-Cola. He teaches at the University of Virginia and is a guest faculty at the University of Minnesota Carlson School Entrepreneurship Program.
Rob pioneered co-development market research combining traditional qualitative research methodology with brainstorming and internal company experts, turning customer driven ideas into functional concepts in “real time.”
Mike Ferrara
Mike Ferrara has more than 30 years of experience in dealing with the newest home and DIY products. He currently heads up Axiom’s production division, where he develops content for morning TV and radio programs throughout the country.
Prior to founding Axiom, Mike worked as a consumer products columnist for daily newspapers and as a department editor for several magazines, including Home Mechanix and Organic Gardening.
AKA TechnoDad & The Lazy Homeowner, Mike goes by many names but he is never afraid to step in and get his hands dirty with a new DIY project.
Steve Retka
As someone who is always looking at life through a camera lens, Steve Retka takes advantage of any opportunity to be creative and brings that vision to Axiom.
As Axiom’s Social Media Coordinator, he actively assists on projects and isn’t shy about offering an idea or taking on a challenge. He is a millennial who spent his teenage years addicted to social media, and has turned that passion into a career. Still a student at heart, he never stops keeping up on the latest trends in emerging media.
If he’s not taking pictures, you can usually find him analyzing the latest tech trends on our Daily Axioms blog.
Shelly Gustafson
Upon moving back to the Twin Cities in 2006 Shelly immediately set her sights on Axiom as a place to make her mark. Resilient and headstrong, ask her to do just about anything and she’ll find a way, even if it involves giving up the occasional Saturday.
Born and raised in Saint Paul, Shelly often debates the merits of Minneapolis’ fairer twin and reminces about the Puget Sound on a rainy day.
An English grad from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, Shelly believes her additional achievements in Sociology and Women’s Studies give her a unique view of the world and a lighter touch in a fast-paced communications world. We couldn’t agree more.
When not burning the midnight oil at Axiom, Shelly enjoys traveling and relaxing with friends and family across the US. This year alone she acquired four new passport stamps.
Mark Smiler
If you are looking to talk trash, Mark’s your guy.
He has spent his career advising companies throughout North America on their waste hauling, recycling and other environmental endeavors, including: Wastequip, Olathe Industries, The Toro Company and Shamrock Industries. Mark managed Toro’s Environmental Solutions Program and coordinated the efforts between community leaders and Toro. His efforts lead to a seamless program that highlighted Toro’s product messaging and improved the local community. In 2003, he became an Account Manager at Wastequip, Inc. where he worked closely with waste hauling companies, recyclers, scrap metal companies and municipalities in an eight state area.
When is comes to waste management topics, Mark is your guy. He knows all the people to contact to get the job done right.
Linel Reiber
Linel is Axiom’s resident home economist. She has held various product development positions at Quaker, General Mills, and Nartis. Linel holds a degree in food science and home economics from Mankato State University.
Louis Stoll
Louis has more than 30 years experience in business development, service marketing and supply chain operations.
Louis currently consults with leading companies in plans that change industry behavior.
Recent projects include: introducing high-level disinfection services to the healthcare and building industries, changing building design practices for low voltage communications infrastructure, changing sourcing strategies for medical electronics, changing staffing strategies for software development of medical devices and a program to change medical billing practices for US physicians.
Louis is passionate about woodworking and loves describing his love of taking rare and exotic woods and turning them into a pile of sawdust.
Nick Egner
Nick has had a passion for storytelling and cinematography for as long has he can remember. Ever since he was old enough to beg Dad to “take movies” with the family Betamax video recorder, he has been hungry for that next captivating shot.
This Illinois native is now back in the Midwest and has joined Axiom’s video production team after spending several years in San Diego, CA. There he attended college, worked relentlessly in customer service, and made numerous short films.
Geared up and ready to shoot, Nick is looking to set his mark in the booming field of on-line video marketing and production.
John Drieman
An industry veteran with a fresh approach, John isn’t your typical ‘old timer.’
John’s been an integral part of the kitchen and bath industry for 30 years. The former publisher of Best Kitchens and Bath Magazine, John is now working on a series of books.
In an earlier life, John was a Senior Editor at Home Mechanix Magazine and Editor-in-Chief of House Beautiful, Home Remodeling & Decorating Magazine. Simply put, John’s been on both sides of the editorial and creative fence.
Tap into the resources of an industry expert and put him to work for you.
Fred Feeney
Fred has more than 30 years in sales, marketing and new product development with Ohio Steel, Priority Design and a number of sporting goods and handtool companies. Fred is an energetic marketing professional with proven track records at Sears, Lowe’s, Home Depot and Wal-Mart.
A serial entrepreneur, Fred has invented, launched and licensed a variety of sporting goods products.
Gale Steves
Gale Steves has more than 30 years experience in home construction and remodeling trends. During her tenure as Editor-in-Chief of HOME Magazine, she worked on more than 150 showcase homes, published countless magazine issues and authored several books on home design.
Gale’s expertise includes trend analysis, product design, and trade partner research. She has been called upon to teach numerous webinars and sales training seminars by building trade associations, trade magazine publishers and government entities.
Cathy Wilkinson Barash
When it comes to gardening, Cathy’s a trendsetter. She pioneered the edible plant movement before it became fashionable. She wrote the industry’s first ever book on evening gardens. She featured edible plant varieties in her front garden before the term edible landscaping was coined.
Author and photographer of 13 books, Cathy is best known for two of her titles–Evening Gardens and Edible Flowers from Garden to Palate–
which was nominated for the Julia Child Cookbook award. She has written articles for major papers and magazines across America and was executive garden editor for Meredith Books (Better Homes & Gardens).
Cathy served two terms as president of the Garden Writers Association and is a nationally acclaimed speaker.
Harvey Robbins
Having trouble with the ego, super ego or id? How about teamwork? Are your leaders forcing people to follow? How is your nuclear reactor? Besides a degree in nuclear physics and a doctorate in clinical psychology, The Doctor is a world-class speaker, author (Turf Wars, Why Teams Don’t Work, The Accidental Leader to name a few), and educator. Every team needs improving. Every Leader needs training. The Doctor has helped organizations as diverse as the IRS, Nabisco and the CIA.
Do your manager and key contributors know when to collaborate? Are the leadership skills in your company world class? How well do you communicate and manage change? If you have teamwork issues, The Doctor is in.
Paul Gardner
Paul spent the last four years as a state legislator in the Minnesota House of Representatives after directing the Recycling Association of Minnesota for almost a decade. After working for 13 years on recycling, composting, and household hazardous waste issues, including writing some of the laws that govern them. Paul knows the needs of stakeholders in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.
If a client needs to know what it takes to get consumers, the media, or lawmakers to pay attention to their waste-related issue, Paul’s your man. Just don’t ask him about composting at lunch. You might get more than what you bargained for.
Kellee Magee
Knock knock. Who’s there? It’s probably Kellee, our favorite Door Opener, who plugs into Axiom projects when needed. With more than 20 years of experience in a broad spectrum of roles for nonprofit organizations, Kellee is a master at connecting and engaging people who want to do meaningful work together, either in person or online.
Part professional matchmaker, part jill-of-many trades, she’s applied her creative talents to designing and executing interactive events, and brainstorming the approach that gets YOUR clients to open their doors to you. Much of her recent career has been spent working within the lawn and garden and nonprofit financial industries, and she has a personal passion for supporting small business owners.
A native Californian, Kellee came to what she affectionately calls the ‘frozen tundra’ in 2007 by way of metro Chicago, Washington DC, and a stint living and working in Italy, where her love of prosecco as the ‘perfect beverage’ was developed.
Marshall Masko
Marshall, on our Advisory Board, functions as our Executive Producer, responsible for leading the Company’s infomercial and direct response marketing and sales efforts. He has extensive senior management and marketing experience in direct response, retail, consumer products, international, and medical device marketing, as well as strategic and business planning in a variety of businesses.
Prior to this, he was Senior Vice President of Marketing (direct response and retail) for the NordicTrack Company, responsible for growing the company’s overall sales from $90MM to $550 in four years.
He also introduced the Nordic Flex Gold strength training machine which represented a $52MM business in its first year of launch.
So you want to be on the team?
We know how it is just starting out: no substantial experience, no money, but a desire to learn. If you want to do good work, just for the summer or for the rest of your life, send us a note. We’re always looking for bright, energetic people with a desire to succeed.
If you’ve gone to school and picked up some internships along the way, that’s even better. If there’s a project or two that you’re particularly proud of, by all means include that in your pitch, be it a video, slideshow or just an article. We look forward to hearing from you!
