Christian Spinillo
Christian, a New Jersey native, is an award-winning technology leader, previously holding leadership roles at multiple start-ups and award-winning advertising agencies like Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Doner. Throughout his career, he has focused on large scale product platforms and experiential marketing, exposing him to many alternative interfaces. Over the last 4 years, Christian has focused almost entirely on voice-first technologies, having written multiple patents for voice-first products and platforms. In 2019, Christian co-founded VoiceSquared, a measurement and personalization platform for voice experiences. When he’s not focused on VoiceSquared, you’ll find Christian farming with his wife, Kate, and son, Luca, on 30 acres in mid-Michigan. They own and manage Ham Sweet Farm, where they raise pastured heritage hogs and poultry.
For more, keep up with Christian at christianspinillo.com.
Presentations
Leadership By Design 2019
Praise the Lard! Farming Saved My Life
Years of 80+ hour weeks finally took their toll on me, and I lost complete control of my bipolar, and subsequently who I was. I forgot that my good fortune as the son of a 15-year-old Italian immigrant exposed me to a connection with food and the earth seldom found in this country. I knew that I needed to get back to having my hands in the dirt and growing my food. Fast forward to farming 35+ hours a week while still holding down a VP level position at a leading start-up, and six years later running a farm with my wife and son.
Ham Sweet Farm is now a 30 member meat CSA, which stands for Community-Supported Agriculture, and one of a handful of small farms across the country working to preserve and save the American Guinea Hog, a heritage hog breed considered “threatened” by The Livestock Conservancy. In addition to the CSA, you’ll find Ham Sweet Farm pork on menus from anywhere from mid-Michigan to Chicago.
