Bio
Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, I was diagnosed at 19 with testicular cancer. Forced to drop out of college, I underwent aggressive chemotherapy, all while expecting my first child with my high school sweetheart (and now wife of nearly 20 years). Faced with these hardships at such a young age, I started my design career to provide for a growing family.
In 2009, I co-founded Lift UX, a design agency crafting web and digital experiences for media and publishing clients, earning multiple Emmy nominations for our innovative second-screen apps for TV shows like The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men. We operated a number of digital design asset and template brands including UpThemes, 365psd, and Designmoo, used by designers worldwide for design inspiration, production, and WordPress publishing.
In 2017, the agency was acquired by 10up, the leading WordPress development agency with an eye toward infusing design into the company's processes and methods. There, I had the privilege to lead multidisciplinary teams on a plethora of projects for esteemed brands such as Starbucks, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, ESPN, and revered institutions like The Smithsonian, Nobel Prize, and The White House. Perhaps the notable achievement during my tenure was the transformation of the California DMV's digital presence, turning a oft-dreaded experience into one of surprise and delight for the state's 38 million residents.
Desiring a new challenge, I left my corporate role in 2021 to venture into the exciting world of web3, founding UltraDAO, a decentralized creative studio, delivering multi-million dollar revenue within its first few months of life. Our 2021 brainchild, Woodies, is an entertainment brand boasting 9,739 generative digital collectibles with 3D avatars on the Ethereum blockchain.
I'm most proud of achieving our goal to plant one million trees, winning Best Environmental Initiative from an NFT project at NFT NYC 2022, and releasing a major budget Web3 short film—Woodies: Origin, screening at the 2023 Aesthetica Short Film Festival in York, UK.
I've also served as a curator and gallerist, releasing transformative blockchain-powered digital art experiences like Twelve Days of CryptoArt, UltraDAO Curated, and the upcoming Woodies NEMESIS project. Each project serves as a step toward a future where art and technology not only co-exist but thrive together, telling stories that engage and inspire.
Media and Interviews
- Chris Wallace's plan to bring Hollywood production quality to web3
- The Woodies PFP and a Guide to HEN Collecting with Chris Wallace with Kevin Rose
- The future of decentralized IP