CPO • CTO • BOARD & ADVISORY • INNOVATION
I’m Matt Spangard. I build the teams, products and platforms that move businesses forward.
I bring a founder’s instinct, an operator’s discipline and a world of experience.
EXPERIENCE AT EVERY SCALE
... NIST, The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, HSBC, Hulu and more.
SELECTED IMPACT
From consumer products to new ventures and global platforms — a few examples of where I’ve turned ideas into impact.
Co-founded Edison Nation and built the team behind the world’s largest open innovation marketplace. Its products generated $750 million in retail sales before the company’s public acquisition.
INNOVATION AT SCALEBuilt and led the team that created the technology that became the Ring Video Doorbell, bringing digital thinking into the physical world.
CONNECTED LIVINGBuilt and led the team that created the world’s first AI financial advisor, translating emerging technology into a new consumer experience.
FINANCIAL GUIDANCE REIMAGINEDAs a founding managing partner and CTO at Enventys, led digital product design and software engineering, helping create hundreds of products and dozens of technology ventures for clients and company spin-offs.
ENTREPRENEURIAL IMPACTLed the team behind an early IoT product and platform funded on Shark Tank. Developed both physical and digital products across multiple ventures.
INVESTOR-BACKED INNOVATIONCo-executive produced four seasons of Emmy award-winning Everyday Edisons, with distribution in nearly 100 countries through PBS, Hulu and international partners.
INSPIRING FUTURE INNOVATORSBuilt and led the team that created a tool for the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, helping companies identify intellectual property threats and opportunities.
INFORMED IP STRATEGYCo-founded and led product and engineering for Access Innovation, a SaaS marketplace helping university technology transfer offices connect their intellectual property with corporate licensing opportunities.
ACADEMIC INGENUITY ACTIVATEDLead technology and development at Blubird, a SaaS platform that has tokenized more than $32 billion in carbon emissions reduction assets and other real-world assets since launching in 2024.
TOKENIZATION AT SCALELEADERSHIP
I bring clarity to complex challenges, give teams room to do great work and keep the focus on what matters to the business.
A founder’s experience and an operator’s perspective on the decisions that move a business forward.
Connect customer needs with commercial opportunity, shaping customer experience and UI/UX from idea to market.
Translate emerging technology into useful products — and lead engineering teams through agile delivery.
SELECT BOARD SERVICE
Founding Member
Vice Chairman
EXPERIENCE
Lead technology and platform development at Blubird, building SaaS tools that help Web3 founders and investors deploy and manage tokens, raise capital and tokenize real-world assets.
Since launching in 2024, the platform has tokenized more than $32 billion in carbon emissions reduction assets and other real-world assets, turning blockchain capabilities into practical tools for asset owners and businesses.
Co-founded a Web3 and digital product development studio, helping clients move from concept validation and product strategy through design, engineering and launch.
Lead technology and development, and co-lead product strategy, applying blockchain where it adds value and traditional digital approaches where they fit best.
Founded as a launchpad for new ventures and strategic digital product consulting while transitioning out of day-to-day operations at Enventys Partners.
Launched several ventures and apps, including 5506' Outfitters (retail brand), Drone Brigade (service), Pain Free Athletes (digital storefront), TideRide (app) and Child Colorblind Test (app).
Current focus is on pushing the limits of AI models and agents, particularly as they apply to product strategy, development and distribution.
As a founding partner, led digital strategy, product development and software engineering at a vertically integrated product development, crowdfunding and ecommerce marketing agency.
During my 16-year tenure, I created dozens of new technology ventures for clients and Enventys Partners' spin-offs.
Built and led the team behind the world’s largest open innovation marketplace. Drove engineering, design, community growth and public relations, later transitioning community and PR to focus on spin-off platforms including Edison Nation Medical.
Edison Nation was a spin-off company developed by Enventys Partners, ultimately going public on NASDAQ before being acquired by a larger public company.
Owned the product experience, served as technical sales lead and led the engineering team for a marketplace connecting university and research institution intellectual property with companies seeking innovation.
The platform supported automatic IP ingestion, technology evaluation, matchmaking and licensing.
Access Innovation was a spin-off company developed by Enventys Partners.
Led digital strategy and distribution for the Emmy award-winning television series about innovation and product development.
Licensed the four-season series in nearly 100 countries through PBS, Hulu and international partners, managing more than 300 program manager relationships worldwide.
Everyday Edisons was a spin-off company developed by Enventys Partners.
STILL BUILDING
The best way to stay close to product is to keep making things. A look at some consumer apps that I've been building from idea to market.
TideRide
iPHONE & iPAD · WORLDWIDE
TideRide brings tide and weather data together to help Onewheel and eBike riders choose the right time to ride the beach. A personal passion, translated into a useful everyday product.
Child Colorblind Test
DESIGNING FOR FAMILIES
Child Colorblind Test uses shapes instead of letters in Ishihara-style color plates, making color vision screening approachable for children who haven’t started reading.
IN THEIR WORDS
“I would jump at the opportunity to work with Matt again!”
“It has been a pleasure working with Matt because of his open and collaborative management style. As a developer, being able to talk through the technical challenges of a problem with him allowed us to efficiently find the best solution. He dives deep into projects like he does with his hobbies (if there’s something to know about Jeeps, cameras or drones, he’ll know it). I would jump at the opportunity to work with Matt again!”
“If you have the opportunity to engage him, do so. You will not regret your decision. I recommend him without reservation.”
“When I joined Access Innovation as CSO, one of the strongest selling points of the company was the versatile and user-friendly software platform that Matt and his team of software engineers developed to facilitate interaction among university innovators, corporate end-users and our team of technology evaluators and match-makers.
Once I joined the team and began working with Matt, I was amazed by his ability to rapidly enhance the platform, tailoring it to the needs of the end-user.
Working with Matt was a pleasure. He is very bright, verbal and people-oriented, with a can-do attitude and ability to juggle multiple projects and goals simultaneously.
He has a rare combination of technical savvy and the ability to communicate with end-users with all manner of backgrounds.
If you have the opportunity to engage him, do so. You will not regret your decision. I recommend him without reservation.”
THE PERSON BEHIND THE PRODUCTS
Explore my photography
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, I’m also a designer, photographer and maker who’s happiest exploring how things work — and what they could become.
That curiosity extends from cameras and drones to AI and new programming approaches. I’ve shared perspectives on innovation at summits across the country and with CNN and NPR, and earned awards across digital, journalism, advertising, television and short film.
I believe in continuous learning. There’s too much innovation happening to put yourself in a box.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bachelor’s degree in New Media and Public Relations.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Foundational Studies.
University of Wollongong, Australia
Global Residency.
Beyond the classroom
Commercial Drone Pilot (FAA Part 107 Certificate).
Certified Bitcoin Professional.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
For CPO, CTO, Board Director, Advisory Board Director and Director of Innovation opportunities, let’s start a conversation.
matt@spangard.com