If there’s a new way to do something, in a way that’s never been done before, Josh is more than interested. He’s compelled to explore and develop it, and is likely establish a new connection in the process. It’s a passion that has shaped his life from childhood to college and onto career choices.
Born in Kabwe, Zambia, Josh was raised in the Midwest U.S. He has always been intrigued with the overlap among technology, science and art forms and possesses a lifelong fascination with music and acoustics. This strong curiosity led him to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, while working in its co-op program for a FORTUNE 500 chemical corporation where he developed tools, standards and procedures and managed capital projects to improve safety and reliability. Josh graduated in 1998, relocated to Houston and continued with the same company.
After several years in a secure, engineering work environment, Josh took a career leap of faith and became one of 30 students accepted for enrollment at the University of Houston’s Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He went on to win first place from the Southwest Region in the 2001 “Making It Real” national business plan competition and graduated in 2002.
Following his part-time work with a privately-owned accounting firm during the Entrepreneurship Program, Josh accepted a full-time position for the next nine years where he served as firm administrator, responsible for IT infrastructure, marketing efforts and systems, HR systems and recruiting, and developing tools for analyzing productivity. Following record growth and with sustainable operations in place, Josh felt the need for a new creative challenge, one at which he could utilize his experience to build his own business.
Embracing the entrepreneurial path, Josh delved into a full-time focus on Zulu Creative, the start-up business he co-founded with his wife, Tina. Josh envisioned Zulu Creative as a key participant in Houston's growing creative economy. Today, Zulu Creative is going strong. As cultural connectors, Zulu Creative focuses on lifestyle businesses and projects, creates memorable experiences for their clients’ customers and works for clients as a turn-key marketing team to offer a cohesive array of services including:
As Chief of Operations for Zulu Creative, Josh is constantly focused on streamlining the business while providing project management, strategy and technical consulting for clients.
Away from work, Josh pursues his interest in music as a Soular Grooves DJ. He especially enjoys Steel Lounge Underground, an annual event at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston that bridges the gap between the local music and art communities, where he works with Derek Jones on development of the concept and the selection of music. Josh also loves to travel and spend quality time with Tina and their young son, Michio.
