Jake Trussell

About Jake Trussell

Jake Trussell is a listener, maker, and communicator known for translating complexities into concise, engaging narratives. “Whether designing a brand, running a campaign, or producing music, I aim to create resonant experiences,” says Trussell, who has led impactful projects across the nonprofit, entertainment, museum, higher-ed, and civic sectors. He\'s been invited to speak at institutions including Harvard University, Northwestern University, the Illinois Institute of Technology, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, and the Grammy Town Hall.His marketing & communications agency, Metabolize, uses human-centered design to digest complexities into concise stories that engage audiences. His client list includes Epiphany Center for the Arts, the Government Finance Officers Association, and Arts and Business Council of Chicago.As Director of Marketing and Communications at the Intuit Art Museum, he designed strategic communications aligned with the Museum\'s mission to invite audiences to explore the work of artists traditionally outside the mainstream art world.As Creative Director for Chicago’s economic development organization, chaired by the Mayor, Trussell positioned the city as a top global business destination, maintaining the number one spot for corporate investment from 2013 to 2019. He developed the ChicagoMade program, drawing thousands of event attendees and generating extensive media coverage, while also leading ThinkChicago, a tech talent initiative that helped double the talent pool.His commitment to fostering creativity and innovation extended to his role as Vice Chair of the Arts and Business Council of Chicago, where he led the development of a new strategic plan and designed a marketing campaign that generated over 2 million impressions. He also founded Mashit, a record label that has released over 20 vinyl and digital records, where he oversees artist collaborations, production, and marketing. Legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel named Mashit a “Label of the Month.” As a music producer, DJ, and film composer, Trussell has been hailed as “an alchemist of sound” by Boston Magazine. He’s performed worldwide and released over 50 records on labels such as XL Recordings and Ninja Tune, and has collaborated with artists including Diplo, Steve Albini, M.I.A, and Damo Suzuki of Can. His music has been praised by media outlets including New York Magazine, Pitchfork, The Boston Globe, TimeOut Chicago, and the Chicago Reader.

Experience

1. Creative Director

   Metabolize

   Mar 2018 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   Your work is complex.Your story shouldn’t be. Metabolize is a marketing & communications agency using human-centered design to metabolize complexities into concise stories that engage audiences.Work includes strategic planning, branding (naming, identity, positioning, messaging), multi-channel campaigns.(web, print, social, event, PR), content development & curation (writing, photography, music), website design and development, experiential marketingClients include Epiphany Center for the Arts, Intuit Art Museum, Government Finance Officers Association, Arts & Business Council of Chicago, The Scion Group, Greenhouse Innovation, Basil Consultants, Wolfson Design Build, and PEER Families

Education

• Massachusetts College of Art and Design

  BFA, Media and Performing Arts (Interrelated Media)

  1994 — 1998

• IDEO U

  Insights for Innovation Certificate

  2016 — 2016

• edX

  Prompt Engineering for Generative AI Certificate, Computer Science

• edX

  Blockchain Certificate

  2018 — 2018

Skills

• Css
• Blogging
• Propellerhead Reason
• Editing
• Sound
• Ableton Live
• Photoshop
• New Media
• Drupal
• Art Direction
• User Interface Design
• Logic Pro
• Music Production
• Creative Direction
• Mac
• Business Development
• Microsoft Office
• Avid Media Composer
• Writing
• Leadership
• Audio
• Cms
• Experience Design
• Web Project Management
• Layout
• Email Marketing
• Photography
• Reason
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Multimedia
• Audio Engineering
• User Experience
• Javascript
• Logo Design
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Project Management
• Html
• Video Production
• User-Centered Design
• Video