Andrew James's Linkedin Analytics

My career began at the Second City with developing program architecture and project managing learning sessions for the world's top Fortune 100 companies, that were based on effective communication, collaboration, active listening, reading the room, and supporting those around you - all tenets of improv which are all directly applicable to life and business. These curious yet impactful qualities of venturing into the unknown with confidence and no script has helped shaped me as a person and is what inspired me to leave Chicago and start my furniture design company, ABDB Designs, with now-award winning designer Djivan Schapira. Five years after our founding, we pivoted the business and positioned Schapira's brand of retro-futuristic artistic furniture directly into the collectible design market by curating his first solo show, where one year later he would be signed by world-renowned Todd Merrill Studio. One year after that, I had the opportunity to take on my current role as Associate Director at Todd Merrill, with my role including sales & deal management, active project management for custom commissions and gallery videography, artist management, brand strategy, exhibition curation, and relationship management.