The Team

Penelope Trunk, Co-Founder
Penelope Trunk has been building online communities since the mid 1990s. She climbed corporate ladders in the software marketing industry and then founded three companies of her own.

Penelope began writing business advice when Fortune magazine published an open call for a woman to write about her own life as an executive. Penelope auditioned with a piece about her brother’s lame business ideas, and a piece about her boss’s sex appeal, and she won the job. Since then, she has written for publications that include Time magazine, the Boston Globe and 200 newspapers worldwide.

Penelope has spent roughly ten years each in Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and New York City. Recently, taking her own advice about how to leverage scientific research to choose a job and a place to live, she landed in Madison, Wisconsin. She spends a lot of time digging her car out of snow.

Penelope is dedicated to helping people find success at the intersection of work and life, because that’s what she wants for herself. She thinks of career advice as a group effort, so please email her. Or at least check out her blog, where she posts daily tips for making work life and personal life one happy, synchronized adventure.

Ryan Healy, Co-Founder
Ryan Healy is a recent graduate of Penn State's Smeal College of Business. He began his career as a financial consultant with IBM Global Business Services, where he developed an interest in Human Resources and work-life issues, specifically as they related to generational differences in the workplace. In March 2007 he founded the Generation Y career blog, Employee Evolution, and has since established himself as a workplace expert for the young workforce.

Ryan is now a Co-Founder of Brazen Careerist, and resides in Madison, Wisconsin. He spends the majority of his time working closely with the Brazen Careerist development and production teams to create a unique community of bloggers, readers, coaches and organizations. He spends the rest of his time traveling the country and speaking with corporate clients.

Ryan is passionate about creating change in the workplace. He believes everyone can, and should enjoy their jobs. Recently he was selected to attend as one of 25 nationally recognized Human Resource thought leaders, a Future of Work Conference sponsored by Accenture. Ryan regularly speaks at conferences, organizations and universities on topics ranging from workplace flexibility to bridging the generation gap. He has been quoted in print publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Business Week and has appeared as a spokesperson for the new generation of workers on CBS's 60 Minutes and National Public Radio.

Ryan Paugh, Co-Founder
Ryan Paugh graduated from Penn State University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s in Journalism. He joined Merck & Co, Inc. in the corporate communications field, where he became interested in workplace issues facing Generation Y. He also took an interest in how social media can impact the way we approach our careers. He founded Employee Evolution with Ryan Healy, where he found an outlet for his curiosities.

Paugh currently lives in Madison, WI and is a co-founder of Brazen Careerist, Inc. His passion is making Brazen Careerist into a community for young professionals to make their voices heard.

Paugh has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press. He speaks to companies, organizations and students about issues affecting Generation Y and how to leverage social media to better your personal and professional lives.

Photis Patriotis
Born in Bulgaria, Photis Patriotis moved to Philadelphia with his parents, scientists who came to the United States for its opportunities. From them he learned the importance of risk taking and always reaching for his goals. The tough crowd and tight-knit social atmosphere of Philadelphia taught Photis how to fight for what he wanted and maintain strong, life-long relationships, both personally and professionally.

Photis enjoys fast-paced, exciting work environments in a variety of fields. He has worked with cancer researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center and at Columbia University to develop high-tech software. After graduating from college he spent three years working for Toll Brothers, Inc. in the home construction & manufacturing industry where, by the time of his exit, he was leading million dollar engineering projects.

Photis loves to travel. He has toured the United States with a punk rock band, and often travels back to his home countries of Bulgaria and Cyprus. Some of his other passions include motorcycling, quality seafood, and feverous argument and conversation.

Dan Healy
Dan graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Business Administration, and a specialization in Marketing. In 2005 Dan started his first company called Sloopy Holdings Unlimited where he oversaw sales and new business development. Dan also gave guest speeches to business and entrepreneurship classes at Ohio State.