Matt Spangard
Matt Spangard
 

Matt Spangard

CPO/CTO — Product, Innovation & Technology Leader.

I lead teams to build transformational products, marketplaces and businesses.

I have helped organizations innovate worldwide for more than two decades, building and leading both local and distributed teams from around the world.

I have co-founded many startups — usually serving as head of product (CPO) or technology (CTO) — and I have worked with some of the largest, most innovative organizations on the planet, such as Amazon, IBM, Yahoo!, P&G, General Mills, NASA, NIST and the US Patent Office.

 


I’ve worked with
organizations of all sizes,
from startups to titans.

 
 
 
 

Download TideRide, my latest passion project & mobile app.

TideRide is an iOS app that identifies the perfect times to ride the beach on a Onewheel or eBike in the next 36 hours.

It takes into account tide and weather data to optimize your ride.

TideRide works worldwide and is available for iPhone and iPad.

 
 
 
 

Achievements

I built and led the teams that:

  • Created the world’s largest open innovation marketplace.

  • Created the world's first AI financial advisor.

  • Created the technology that became the Ring Video Doorbell.

  • Created a tool for the US Patent & Trademark Office to help companies identify IP threats and opportunities.

  • Created an early IoT product and platform that was funded on Shark Tank.

  • Created a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) marketplace to help university tech transfer offices license their intellectual property to corporations.

Other noteworthy achievements:

  • I have developed both digital and physical products.

  • I have spoken on the topic of innovation at summits across the country and with media outlets such as CNN and NPR.

  • I co-produced four seasons of an Emmy award-winning television series about innovation.

  • I have won numerous awards in the following fields: digital, journalism, advertising, television and short film.

 

Charlotte, NC

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Career overview

 
Highlights
Blubird (2023-Present)

SaaS that provides Web3 founders and investors with the tools to seamlessly deploy and manage tokens, raise capital and securely tokenize Real-World Assets.

My role: CTO.

What I do: Lead technology and development of our platforms.

From The Future (2023-Present)

Crypto, Web3 and blockchain product development studio.

My role: Co-founder & CTO.

What I do: Lead technology and development; co-lead product innovation.

Antelope (2019-2021)

Digital transformation and product go-to-market consultancy.

My role: Co-founder & Managing Partner.

What I did: Led digital transformation and product development.

Digitarian Ventures (2017-Present)

Launchpad for new business ventures as I transitioned out of daily operations at Enventys Partners.

My role: Founder & CEO.

What I do: I created Digitarian Ventures to provide strategic digital product and innovation consulting. I also launched several consumer brands under the Digitarian Ventures umbrella: 5506’ Outfitters, Pain Free Athletes and Drone Brigade.

Enventys Partners (2002-2018)

Vertically-integrated product development, crowdfunding and ecommerce marketing agency.

My role: Partner & CTO.

What I did: As a founding partner, I was responsible for everything digital, serving as a product and software engineering team lead and manager. During my 16-year tenure, I created dozens of new technology ventures for both clients and Enventys spin-offs.

Everyday Edisons (2005-2018)

Formerly An Enventys Partners Business

Emmy award-winning television series about innovation and the product development process. Think Shark Tank meets MythBusters.

My role: Co-executive Producer.

What I did: Led our digital strategy and drove distribution through PBS, Hulu and international partners, ultimately licensing the four-season series in nearly 100 countries. I successfully secured carriage by managing 300+ program manager relationships around the world.

Edison Nation (2008-2018)

Formerly An Enventys Partners Business

World’s largest open innovation marketplace. Went public on NASDAQ before being acquired.

My role: Co-Founder & CTO.

What I did: Built and led the team that created the platform. I drove all aspects of development, including engineering, design, community growth and public relations — handing off the latter two as we grew in order to focus on spin-off platforms, such as Edison Nation Medical.

Access Innovation (2015-2018)

Formerly An Enventys Partners Business

Access Innovation was an online marketplace connecting intellectual property from universities and research institutions worldwide with companies who rely on innovation to fuel growth.

My role: Co-Founder, CPO & CTO

What I did: Owned the product experience, served as technical sales lead and led the engineering team that developed the platform.

 
 
 

Skills

 

I believe strongly in continuous learning and have picked up some unique skills over the years.

 

Business

Entrepreneurship

Leadership

Start-Ups

Marketing

Strategic Partnerships

Change Management

Managing Distributed Teams

Innovation

Open Innovation

Product Innovation

Brand Innovation

Product Development

Brand Development

Physical Product Development

Product Management

Digital

AI

Digital Product Design

Web3

Crypto

Blockchain

Platform Development

Agile Methodologies

MVP Theory

Ecommerce

Project Management

CX / UX / UI

Programming / Coding

Information Architecture

Digital Marketing / Advertising

SEO

i18n / Internationalization

Unmanned Aerial Systems

sUAS Operation

Aerial Photography

Aerial Cinematography

Aerial Mapping

Creative

Writing

Photography

Cinematography

Television Production

Video Production

Media & Public Relations

 

I am an avid designer,
photographer and maker.

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Select investments, board & advisory roles

Blue Blaze Brewing
Investor / Founding Member, Board of Directors

Virtuix
Investor

Blubird
Investor / Technology Advisor

 
 
 

Education

 
It’s a great school but don’t ever drink the water from the Old Well.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

I spent one year at the University of Illinois before seeking greater adventure. Despite 36,000 undergraduates, it felt like I knew everyone after a few months.

I transferred to UNC-Chapel Hill as a sophomore and studied abroad for a semester at the University of Wollongong in Australia as a junior.

I earned a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill.

 
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Interesting Certifications

I hold an sUAS pilot (commercial drone operator) certificate.
Federal Aviation Administration License: 3979868.

I am a Certified Bitcoin Professional.
C4 Certificate ID: 2eff30.

 
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A B L — Always Be Learning

Whether through my own research or online education platforms, I’m always learning.

From new programming methodologies to new technologies to everything in the always-evolving crypto world, there’s way too much innovation out there to put yourself in a box.

 
 
 

References

From: Mike Kozono, Staff Engineer, GitLab

“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!”
 

From: William Braunlin, Patent Agent, Sunstein Kann Murphy & Timbers, LLP

“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.”
 
 
 
 

Get in touch

 

Email
matt at spangard dot com

 

Social
LinkedIn
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Squarespace? Really? Yep! The right tool for the job isn't always the most complex one.

Copyright 2025, Matt Spangard.
All rights reserved.