Mr. Aardema has decades of entrepreneurial experience in business formation, ramp-up, management, branding, communications and operations, including science and engineering, real estate redevelopment (brownfields), finance, materials supply, manufacturing, construction, public relations/media, and management consulting companies.

Mr. Aardema has led initiatives in market and operations analysis, branding/re-branding, restructuring, recruiting, rolling out and winding down companies and subordinate operations, programs and projects.  His work has included public, political and regulatory relations including press strategies and releases, presentations, negotiations, permitting, and media production.  Mr. Aardema has also participated in business capitalization at seed, venture capital, mezzanine, and corporate banking levels in due diligence, business planning and forecasting, investor presentations, and management.

Mr. Aardema co-founded Community Service Media, Inc. in 2004 as a public relations and integrated media agency producing community outreach campaigns, digital, and traditional media for public and private clients in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, and New Jersey.  Mr. Aardema has directed, managed, and worked on strategy, creative writing and media development, editing, production review and quality assurance for campaigns in television, radio, billboard, internet and print media.  Aardema has a special interest, talent, and experience in video creative, scripting, production, and post-production as a story-teller/writer, producer and director of enterprise, campaign, and commercial video.

Mr. Aardema founded Strategic Management Arts, Inc., SMARTS and Strategic Marketing Arts, Inc., SMARTS in 2008, and serves as President & CEO of both brands.   Strategic Marketing Arts is a full service traditional and digital media marketing agency serving commercial and civic clients.  Strategic Management Arts serves commercial and civic clients in agile strategy training, applied Strategic Doing, and leadership and communication skills.

Carr is the Chief Wrangler of a regional business accelerator in the heart of Oregon Wine Country. The Chehalem Valley Innovation Accelerator’s purpose is to build economic and community capacity in the region by helping startups and existing business succeed and grow. The Accelerator also focuses on building regional workforce and talent. With extensive experience in strategic planning, project and process management, and leading teams, Carr embraced Strategic Doing to effect change in a highly collaborative world – especially when engaging groups of citizens, government and non-profit organizations, and industry. Together with the University of Oregon’s Institute for Public Research and Engagement (IPRE), Carr is leading a regional effort to establish Strategic Doing as the common framework for forming collaborations that create measurable outcomes.

A graduate of Duke University, Carr holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Carr has broad, international experience in companies of all sizes and stages – large enterprises, small businesses, startups, IPOs, and turnarounds. He has held executive positions in sales and marketing, business development, investments and acquisitions, and information technology across a variety of industries including manufacturing, legal and professional services, finance, food and beverage, education, and agribusiness. Carr has served as an officer and director in public and private companies and currently owns two small businesses. Carr is a director on the board of two foundations focused on transforming education for the 21stCentury, a director for a mutual savings bank, and twice the President of the local chamber of commerce.