Patrick Rife

Navigating the Unknown. Building Businesses Along the Way. And Writing About It.

Join me as I embark on a journey to reclaim control, and build businesses that reflect who I am, and where I'm headed.

Founder

Pixilated

Pixilated is a photo booth company based in Baltimore, MD that produces an easy-to-use, shippable photo booth called PixiTAB that is powered by our B2B photo marketing software; PixiCloud. When not acting as the brain for PixiTAB we license the PixiCloud software platform to companies looking to capture 1st party user data at events and venues through photo experiences, forms, surveys, and other experiential marketing activities.

Co-Founder

Baltimore Creators

Our mission: connect Baltimore's business builders. Whether you're an entrepreneur, advisor, or curious learner, Baltimore Creators is for you.

PixiWeb

Event Photo Sharing Simplified: Create custom event websites that allow your guests to post photos directly to a shared event gallery.

Startup Soirée

Startup Soiree was a grassroots entrepreneurial community and event series dedicated to fostering meaningful connections among Baltimore’s founders, creatives, and business leaders. As Co-Founder, I helped create a space where entrepreneurs could engage in candid, no-pitch conversations, exchange insights, and build lasting relationships.

Key initiatives included:

---> Hosting monthly fireside chat events featuring prominent Baltimore entrepreneurs in unique, intimate settings.
---> Developing community-driven content, including a podcast and blog, to share startup stories and insights.
---> Strengthening Baltimore’s startup ecosystem by providing a platform for founders to connect, learn, and grow.

Startup Soiree played a pivotal role in shaping Baltimore’s startup culture, and its legacy lives on in the connections and collaborations it sparked.

Bonsai Fine Arts

Assist museums, galleries and private collectors in caring for their valuable artworks during transit and installation. Lead small focused teams on installations ranging from small sculptural pieces in private galleries to full scale multi-level commercial art installations.

Art Handler

Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, U.M.B.C.

Worked closely with Gallery Preparator to develop the physical museum space as it pertains to incoming exhibitions, hung and installed traveling exhibitions, took part in the registration, crate building and technical manuals for the traveling exhibition "For All The World to See."

Gallery Assistant/Art Handler

Contemporary Museum Baltimore

Provided primary interfacing to museum visitors and patrons. Oversaw Museum social media program. Provided technical and clerical support to higher museum staff.

Gallery Assistant

Entrepreneur Building Business and Writing About the Process.

Helping founders & leaders find clarity in chaos | Ground Control Newsletter

I've spent years building companies, communities, and connections. Now I help others navigate their own path forward.

As co-founder of Pixilated and creator of Startup Soirée, I've lived the founder journey - from scaling and strategy to the human side of leadership. But what lights me up isn't just what I built - it's who I became along the way.

What I Do Now:

I work with founders and leaders who are:

- Seeking clarity in their next chapter
- Building something meaningful
- Ready to align who they are with what they do
- Looking for perspective, not just strategy

My Approach:

Think of me as your mirror and prism - helping you see your path more clearly and illuminating possibilities you might have missed. Through deep listening and perspective shifting, we find the clarity you need to move forward with confidence.

Ground Control Newsletter:

Every Wednesday, I share raw insights about leadership, transformation, and finding your way. No guru speak. No formulas. Just real talk about what it takes to build something that matters.

Let's Connect:

- Ready for clarity? DM me
- Want weekly insights? Ground Control newsletter (link in bio)
- Looking for perspective? Let's talk

"The real ROI of human connection isn't measured in quarters. It's measured in years, in lives touched, in moments of breakthrough."

#leadership #transformation #clarity #growth #authenticity

Late Checkout

As Community Lead, I evolve and scale the Community College experience, lead audience growth strategies, and facilitate smooth course & event rollouts. I also collaborate with broader business units on marketing, Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies, and other educational initiatives, emphasizing LCO's dedication to fostering community engagement and innovative education. Joining this team has allowed me to bridge education and community, re-shaping the future of learning around Community Based Products.

Community Lead

Increateable

Patrick helps community-based enterprises scale impact and value with a newsletter and free consultations (www.increateable.io). Patrick has worked with leadership at prehype, NIKE Inc, Thrivent, and WGMI Community to change the productivity and practice of emerging leaders. He is the founder of Endurance Nation, a 30-time Ironman finisher, including 10 trips to the world championships in Hawaii. Patrick lives in Rhode Island with his wife and amazing daughters.

Community Whisperer

Endurance Nation

The premier online coaching community for triathletes. Endurance Nation is an online Team of more than 600 Ironman and 70.3 athletes from around the world, led by elite coach Patrick McCrann. 

Our innovative Fast Then Far approach, reinforced with 60+ training plans built on quality intervals & zero junk mileage, combined with our Four Keys guidance for Ironman race execution, Endurance Nation has revolutionized the way endurance athletes train, race, and achieve their goals.

Owner, CEO

GetRocketBike

16-week cohort based course to accelerate your cycling fitness to the next level. Get faster, faster!

Chief Rocket Officer

Marathon Nation

Marathon Nation is an online running community for runners of all abilities. We are united by our passion for running, the desire to be our personal and athletic best, and the common challenge of conquering 26.2 miles. 

From our weekly newsletter that reaches more than 10,000 marathoners to our FREE online resources for runners (see the Marathon Nation Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/marathonnation) to our training plans and membership options, we have everything for the budding runner.

Mercury

Partnering with select universities and sports brands to create next generation fan experiences and engagement.

VP of Community

Circle

Account Executive and Community Contributor.

Account Executive

Corporate Volunteer Network

Program: Corporate Volunteer Network (CVN)
CVN is a new (2004) initiative supported by State Street Bank.  The program offers students the opportunity to develop projects within the community that will then be passed to volunteer employees of State Street Bank.  These corporate volunteers will use their job skills to complete the projects.

As director Patrick is primarily responsible for developing the program, building internal/external momentum and spreading the model to other corporations, universities, etc.

Director

Public Synergy Group, LLC

Started this unique consultancy that focused on delivering private sector best practices to Boston Area nonprofits.

Owner

Harvard University

Led a staff of 12 to receive, process, and archive more than 20,000 applications each year.

Admissions Officer

I help communities thrive • I make ✨with @latecheckoutplz • Weekly ideas in my newsletter at Increateable.io

• Community Builder focused on empowering groups to collaborate and create together. 
• High premium on collaborative learning and resource sharing.
• Social entrepreneur with start-up experience in endurance sports.
• International development background in Central Asia &amp; the Caucasus, as well as in US non-profit sector.
• 30-time IM Finisher | 10x Kona | 9:19 Personal Best 

Specialties: Web3 Community Design, DAO OPS, StartUp Consultant

Patrick McCrann

18 years of community work boiled down into 58 short essays...in just 12 months. Who knew writing was harder than an Ironman? 

I started writing online about community a few years ago because I had to. I was tired of watching people make unforced errors over and over again. Until I realized that most folks were just "following the rules" like every one else. 

Copy and Paste is no way to build a community.

In the last 5 years, the business of community has become more of a platform+feature war for your subscription dollars. Makes you wonder how people gathered for millennia without a smartphone, wifi, and always on notifications. 

It's time to get back to the basic principles of community -- principles don't change, even if the methodology, techniques and technologies do. 

I wrote Just Add People so you can get unstuck. So you can just start. So you can connect with the spirit of the work you are doing. 

Done right, organizing people gives you mad energy.  If you're burned out, exhausted, or jaded...odds are you just aren't close enough to the people. 

I'm not saying burn it all down, but I am saying you should consider getting back to basics. Even the most established communities can benefit from a pop-up experience. 

I hope you find a perspective or essay that makes a difference for you. If you do, please pass it on. This book is and will always be free. 

I'm packing up all the extra chapters and ideas and filing them away for a while as I get some rest. Oh, and connect with my people in all this free time I suddenly have. 

Link in the comments...

Community doesn't require a platform (but plenty of businesses will sell you one).  
Community doesn't have to charge money to make money. 




I think it's perfectly fine that this project took an extra 12 months to finish.

95% of your decisions don’t matter. The 5% that do are your unfair advantage. I help results-obsessed athletes & founders master the moments that matter most. Status: @HamptonFounders

Your indoor long ride isn't hard—you're just doing it wrong.

Most athletes get wrecked indoors not because it’s long, but because they skip the little things.

Subscribe to Saturday’s newsletter.

taplio

The Battle

Patrick Rife

Patrick McCrann

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScorePatrick McCrann's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Patrick Rife

Patrick McCrann

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Patrick McCrann's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScorePatrick McCrann's LinkedIn Performance