With 37 years of experience in data processing and IT, Mike Mahalak brings a wealth of skills and practice to his role as Vice President of Information Technology in Print and Development. He brings proven expertise in variable digital print solutions, application solutions, database development, database architecture, data security, warehousing, fulfillment, performance tuning, compliance auditing and team leadership. 

Many brands have diverse sales partnerships in which businesses and consumers purchase their products or services. It’s estimated that more than 75% of the worldwide trade (WTO) flows through some kind if indirect sales or distribution channel reselling the product and/or services of a primary brand.

Krissy Varney, Phoenix Innovate’s crack new technical writer, draws from more than 20 years of experience as an IT manager, project coordinator and communications specialist. Prior to joining Phoenix, Krissy worked for Dialog Direct in several different IT roles from 1999 to 2021. 

The healthcare industry in America is facing an extraordinary staffing crisis. A 2021 Mercer study forecasts a shortage of nearly 450,000 home health aides and nearly 30,000 nurse practitioners. There will likely be continued shortages across the healthcare industry, a combined effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, already extant staff shortages and employee burnout. 

Stephanie Polkowski joins Phoenix Innovate from the team at Avanzado and brings 12 years of experience in client account management. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. 

In the post-pandemic business world, many businesses are struggling to keep up with consumer and commercial demands. During much of 2020 and the first half of 2021, consumers’ disposable income and online shopping habits placed major strains on supply chains across all industries. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the retail world. E-commerce has grown two to five times faster in the past 18 months than in the year preceding the pandemic. Warehouses and fulfillment centers across the country struggle to re-fill shelves with consumer goods in high demand. 

Ken Guldi’s well-rounded set of skills will fit in well within Phoenix Innovate’s vibrant culture. Ken brings 33 years of experience in all aspects of what it takes to execute print and mail solutions for our clients. In his Operations Management role Ken will be able to utilize his talents combined with the resources of Phoenix to ensure we continue to meet or exceed our clients’ expectations. 

Last March, as the impacts of the coronavirus lockdowns were just beginning to be seen, we wrote here imploring nonprofits to hunker down, stay true to the mission, and keep on fundraising. It’s been a wild ride since then, but as the world starts to open back up, now is a good time to revisit that sentiment — and to craft a strong plan to move forward. 

With more than 17 years of experience and a strong leadership mindset, Brent is the definition of a self-starter. He joins the Phoenix Innovate team as director of web development from Avanzado, where he was the director of software engineering.

It takes a deft hand to navigate project management and customer engagement. And we’re happy to say that Devin Smalley, Phoenix Innovate’s new director of program management, has the skills and experience to handle the task. 

Phoenix Innovate has made an all-asset purchase of Avanzado LLC of Farmington Hills, MI and will bring on board 14 people.