Ken Hanson

Ken Hanson is the founder, CEO, executive creative director, and brand strategist for Hanson Dodge Creative, America's leading brand experience designers focused on the active lifestyle consumer. Hanson Dodge Creative has 90 employees with an emphasis on Design, Technology and Branding. Clients include many of the world's leading active-lifestyle brands including: Trek Bicycle, Old Town Canoes, Zebco Reels, Saris Bike Racks, CycleOps Power Meters and Indoor Cycles, Horizon Fitness, Wolverine, etc.

I was the founding president of AIGA Wisconsin. I worked with a very talented board to bring thought leadership to the design profession for almost 3 years. It was challenging, fun and very rewarding. AIGA is a great organization. And the Design Profession will always be my first love.

This was the first official incarnation of Hanson Dodge Creative before Tim Dodge became a partner. We were focused on "Design that works." We still do, but now design means even more. And design has become misunderstood. We were adventurous. Working in virtually every industry. Expanding scope at every every opportunity to make an impact. Quite a few of the people from that incarnation are still at Hanson Dodge Creative.

This was a photography collective that I helped found. We exhibited our work and nationally known photographers Our openings were spectacular. Live music, happenings and poetry. People playing broken radios while performance artists created rooms where you could watch them think. There were performances where all of the performers carried flashlights and that was the only stage lighting. We were accepting no boundaries what so ever.

This was my first real job. We promoted concerts. I did all of the graphic design. Advertising, posters, Theater Fronts, Billboards. It was a great place to work with exciting people. I learned a lot from these people. Especially the boss, a guy named Lewis Friedman, who now owns and races horses under the same name "Edgewood" out of New York. He taught me that you could do things your own way and that eccentricity can be an asset. He was pretty amazing and I owe him a lot.