A startup company out of Denver, Colorado, is currently defying the trend of companies struggling with current supply chain woes, pandemic-related losses and rising inflation- and the secret to success may be linked to the life story of the company’s CEO.
Brand Brain Media, a media and technology firm based out of the Mile-High City, is currently surpassing expectations as other companies attempt to find solutions to backed-up seaports, rising costs and concerned consumers who are growing more money-conscious.
From the acquisition of Germ-Aide (a company specializing in alcohol-free hand sanitizer wipes) in October of 2021 to the production of films, shows, documentaries, online platforms, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and artificial intelligence (AI), Brand Brain Media is continually diversifying their portfolio of entities and industries to cover a multitude of bases.
Despite a modest company size, the rapid growth to ten figures has earned the company the title of “unicorn startup,” a term coined in 2013 by venture capitalist Aileen Lee that pertains to a private company valued at or over $1 billion, despite the rarity of such a business venture.
At the helm of this plucky corporate vessel is Eric Leopardi, a seasoned voice actor, military veteran and the pioneer of several new ventures over the past decade.
Born in Ohio in 1988, Eric Leopardi is the son of Donna and Emmett Leopardi, and a cousin of Sandlot actor Chauncey Leopardi. One of six siblings, Leopardi was no stranger to competition and began his child acting career fairly early.
“My childhood was scrappy. We were encouraged to compete and continually compared to one another. That’s probably the root of my ambitious personality”
Eric Leopardi via Zoom After serving in both the United States Army and United States Marine Corps, Leopardi quickly worked his way up the voice-acting ladder, from automobile dealerships to more coveted slots such as McDonald’s, NBC, the NBA, Lexus, and BuzzFeed. His range and abilities earned him a slot on the coveted William Morris Endeavour (WME) roster.
Never one to do one thing at a time, Leopardi also founded ISDN To-go, a service that bridged the ISDN technology preferred for voice-overs to a remote service and allowed the industry to no longer be bound to the radius around a recording studio.
“ISDN To-Go was really an unexpected success. I just wanted to do enough business to cover my own ISDN line. The first day, we had 54 signups and for us that was a lot at the time”
According to Business Insider, Leopardi also founded the MICC Group in 2010, originally focusing on web design but later growing to encompass media production, marketing, advertising and agency roles.
“I’m really committed to bringing industry back to the United States. The supply chain delays we’re seeing now are a great excuse to take action on that right now”
Juggling so many things at once can be stressful, and Leopardi often finds his solace in aviation. A private pilot who earned his license during Brand Brain Media’s formation, Leopardi ties his love for the sky to his maternal grandfather, who flew UH-1 “Hueys” during the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam.
“Both of my grandfathers were a really big influence in my life. Flying allows me to connect with them and separate from work for a brief time”
As for soaring to new heights, the future direction of Brand Brain Media is open-ended, but the recently-reported 2021 valuation of $1.03 billion is a good indicator that one can expect the company to continue its ascent into the record books.
“I’m optimistic about the future, but I’m concerned about the current direction. We need to be supporting enterprise and rewarding success. I hope to see that become more popular in 2022”
