Aces Interview: Kelly Ogilvie
/The interview series I started last month during 30Fresh has resonated so well with readers that I've decided to extend the series indefinitely! From now on, these interviews will be a look into the lifestyle of people I admire who are doing amazing things for their community and world. To see all of these interviews, look for the Aces tag.
Today in Aces, please meet a dear friend and true hustler, Kelly Ogilvie!
I've known Kelly for almost ten years now, and he's been an incredible role model for me and so many others since. He's like a big brother I didn't know I had! I met him for the first time while I was an intern at the Downtown Seattle Association and he was serving on former Mayor Greg Nickels' team. Less than a year later, we both ended up at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, where he served as Director of Government Relations and I served as the Chamber's events director. He left the Chamber to found Blue Marble Energy with a focus on turning algae blooms into a renewable fuel source. He's now working on another startup, Quemulus (read more in his interview) and on Social Milli, a social media consultancy.
Having met him when I was maybe 22, I couldn't comprehend how someone just a little older than me was accomplishing so much and yet had his eye on leaving an even greater impact on the world. I admire his passion for giving back to his community, on a local and global level, changing the world for the better. Don't be surprised if you see Kelly on the stage at TED or the World Leaders' Summit someday, because I sure won't. I can say that Kelly has always been someone for me to look up to, and any success I have has been fueled by seeing the things he's done in just a few short years.
What's on your playlist right now?
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis "Can't Hold Us". I love the song because it has an aspirational quality to it. That, and the fact that at the end of his video he lands on the Space Needle and hoists a flag. He reps so hard for Seattle; how can you not get behind that?
Describe your style.
My parents subscribed to the Cary Grant school of fashion and instilled some basic ideas:
Buy a few nice things you can afford, not lots of things, and;
A man should wear the suit, the suit shouldn't wear the man.
So I'd say my style is professional-casual. Devil wears Chucks. Blazer and blue jeans with a timepiece. Minimal bling.
Who inspires you?
Neil DeGrasse Tyson. He's an astrophysicist who's dedicated his life to making science accessible and exciting for people. He's a great story teller and makes a compelling case for scientific literacy.
What are you reading?
I just finished the book Ender's Game. A movie based on it is coming out this year (w Harrison Ford), and I have to say it's one of the best fiction books I've ever read. It's set in a dystopian future where young kids are genetically engineered to be geniuses, and used to fight in wars. The book has a twist that you just don't see coming. Highly recommend it.
What are you most excited about in the coming months?
Quemulus (cue-mu--lus, like the cloud) launches is a few months! We're going to provide an easy (and free) way for people to save, send & receive money. The goal is to make money an extension of our social networks, and to give people an alternative credit option. For example, if someone doesn't want to go to a bank or apply for a credit card, they can go to their network with Quemulus to raise $$. June is the target launch date! Quemulus.com is the signup page for BETA users.
Thank you!
Read all of my Aces interviews here.
