About Amplify
Meet Our Team!
Michael Medema
Founder & President of Amplify - Innovation & Entrepreneurship
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10x Serial Entrepreneur.
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Over $500M in Company Valuations.
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30+ Years of Experience in Digital Marketing, Sales, & Data Analytics.
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20+ Years Mentoring & Consulting for High-Growth Startups.
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Winner of Multiple Inc. 500/5000 Awards.
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Professor at Elmhurst University & Benedictine University.
Brandon Lyon
Head of Digital Marketing at Amplify - Innovation & Entrepreneurship
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5x Entrepreneur.
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20+ Years of Experience in Digital Marketing, Google Analytics, Google AdWords, Social Media Advertising, & Web Design.
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10+ Years of Experience Bringing Companies to Amazon.
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Revlon, Almay, Mitchum, Elizabeth Arden, & more!
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Founder of Community Collective & Collective Media.
Sam Martyn
Director of Business Development at Amplify - Innovation & Entrepreneurship
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5x Entrepreneur.
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3+ Years of Experience in Email Marketing, Web Design, Social Media Marketing, & Operations Management.
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Co-Creator of the
Elmhurst University E-Celerator & the Elmhurst University Graduate Certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship..
Add Mission Statement & Vision Statement
WE'VE BEEN IN YOUR EXACT SHOES!
We've started several businesses.
We've scaled businesses rapidly.
We've successfully sold businesses.
We've made mistakes and failed.
We are serial entrepreneurs!
We know what it takes to survive the constant roller coaster ride with startups and small businesses. Let's work together on your business needs, and accomplish your dreams!
We exist to help startups and small businesses achieve their own goals and aspirations. We know first hand how amazing it is to take an idea, prepare it, launch the business, and scale your idea to levels that you've only dreamed of!
Meet Our Founder
Michael Medema is a serial entrepreneur that simply lives for new adventures. Either setting up new companies, launching them and scaling them into national companies, or simply exploring the world. With such real world experience and knowledge, Michael is your perfect mentor, coach, partner, and teacher, to build your idea or existing business into a long-term success.
Michael is also very active within the Chicagoland entrepreneurship community. Whether he is helping colleges and universities develop programs and courses, or is guest speaking at universities and other entrepreneurship associations like Innovation DuPage, Chicago Innovations, and the Chicago Digital Marketing Association, Michael is always looking to help develop entrepreneurs!
MICHAEL'S PERSONAL SUCCESS STORIES
Sold start-up for $45 million
Co-founded a leading national digital marketing company in 2003 and scaled it to $25 million and sold it for $45 million in 2007. And he did this in 4 short years!
Sold start-up for $8 million
Co-founded a leading international digital marketing company in 2001 and sold it for $8 million in 2003. He grew from 2 employees to over 75 employees in 2 short years with offices in Chicago, California, New York and London.
Created a start-up within an existing company
Co-founded a digital marketing agency inside one of the largest lead generation company in the country. He created the services, client base and then hired a talented team to manage the business all in less than 1 year at a value of $6.5 million.
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Founded national digital marketing company with leading clients
Founded a leading national digital marketing company in 2009 and today it's still running. His clients are leading brands like 24 Hour Fitness, BMW, Honda, Lyft, Uber, Airbnb, Liberty Mutual, AAA and many others. Not a bad client base!
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Co-founded and launched online education company in 4 months
This company teaches the art and science of the personal introduction with their online courses. Taking a company from an idea to launch in 4 months proves that Michael can help create and launch your company quickly and effectively.
MICHAEL'S WON NUMEROUS AWARDS
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Inc. 500/5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America - 2019, 2018, 2017, 2013, 2007, 2006, 2005 - Michael scales companies rapidly and organically.
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Inc. 50 Best Workplaces in America - 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 - Michael creates award-winning company cultures that supports growth.
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Most Influential CEO of the Year in Data and Digital Marketing - 2018 - Michael is known all over the country as a top data and digital marketing expert.
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Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America - 2017 - Michael loves innovation and works with teams to be creative and highly innovative.
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Top 50 Leading Innovative Companies of the Year - 2017 - Michael is one of the leading entrepreneurs in the country.