COHERENCE = CLARITY
About Our Team
Ajax’s Story
Thought leader, speaker, serial social entrepreneur, mindful business advisor, and regenerative business evangelist.
Ajax is a polymath who has synergized being a world-class athlete and a successful business leader with a 40-year meditation practice into a focused mission to bring coherence to the global economy one person and one organization at a time.
He believes coherence is the foundation that human and business success is built on (see blog and podcast for a much deeper exploration of coherence). Peak performance and flow are terms often associated with this higher level of human and team performance.
Prior to his business career, Ajax was a world-class rock climber and outdoor adventure athlete. He remains active today.
Among Ajax’s many successes he has developed two multimillion-dollar athletic clubs from the ground up and did a turnaround for another. He has started two manufacturing companies. As president, he grew a healthcare company from $7.5 million in revenue to $15 million in revenue well over doubling profits. Another healthcare company provided patient, provider, and physician education on behalf of pharmaceutical clients. He has executed several senior interim management roles.
Since 1994 Ajax has worked exclusively with triple bottom line businesses and values-led non-profits. In 2012 he founded a regional non-profit focused on localism and triple bottom line economic development. As an advisor, he has added value to numerous organizations across a broad array of industries. Ajax is a proven catalyst of several industry changing innovations.
Ajax has been active with the Social Venture Network (now Social Venture Circle), Balle (now Common Future), Green America, American Sustainable Business Council.
Steve’s Story
Raised in the typical 1960’s blue-collar, nuclear family, Steve was surrounded by friends and neighbors who bought into the “American Dream” paradigm of post WWII America. Taught to believe that if one worked hard and long, usually for one company or firm and at one profession or trade, at the end of your working life (age 55!) one would be rewarded with a golden retirement and long years to enjoy the rest and relaxation one so richly deserved after years of toil.
Deep down he realized the falseness of this and wanted more. He took the road less taken and what a difference it has made! Steve’s most important roles are as a husband, father and son. Steve’s professions (to date): musician, carpenter, library technician, attorney, writer, yoga teacher, martial arts instructor, elected municipal official, childcare worker, emergency room/ICU nursing specialist, emergency medical technician, local Zoning Board of Appeals chairman, assistant Village attorney, lecturer and consultant. And those are only the jobs he’s been paid for!
Steve has practiced law (litigation, mass-torts, environmental and municipal law among others) for the last 30 years. His legal experience has afforded him great insight in the workings of organizations and their people. His 20-year municipal experience as both an elected and an appointed official has given him insight into the workings of government. In his various positions he was responsible for broad oversight and management of various departments of a village in New York. His responsibilities included budgetary analysis and oversight, interactions with other municipal and federal agencies and management and allocation of the Villages human resources.
Steve has practiced Zen Buddhism for almost 50 years, and has maintained an active meditation practice. He has lectured on ancient yogic and Buddhist texts and has a 20-year yoga practice. Steve is a former endurance athlete, participating in cycling and running events, as well as being an alpine mountaineer and rock climber. He has a deep love of the Caribbean basin, and has many friends there. He has studied the history of the Caribbean, particularly the Virgin Islands and is involved in the decolonization efforts currently underway for Puerto Rico and the USVI.
His life experience has taught Steve that knowing that one has value, that one’s life has value and meaning is the bedrock of a fulfilling and happy life. Believing that everyone deserves this chance, he knows that only through the integration of individuals and organizations where both are valued can this be accomplished.