Drew Ungvarsky
Founder, CEO, and Executive Creative Director
Grow
Norfolk, VA USA
“You can’t not deliver. You’ve got to come through on your promises, so find another way, even if it’s not what you thought you were going to do.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationDrew Ungvarsky
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Growing up, he loved coding and had the goal of one day making video games.
Attended Old Dominion University where he graduated with his degree in computer science.
Throughout college, he worked for different departments on campus to help them make websites.
He learned how to program in Flash and created a website promoting his ability to create websites.
After he started getting a lot of clients, he decided to hire an additional web designer who helped him tackle the workload.
Eventually, this “side gig” turned into a full-fledged business—his first client was his favorite band, which then led to him creating websites and promotional materials for other entertainers.
In 2006, he rebranded the company as Grow Interactive, hired a few more employees, and began working on building out their client base.
Grow is now an industry-leading creative agency that has worked with clients such as Google, Spotify, and EA Games, and has received top honors in international award shows like the Cannes Lions.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Founder, CEO, and Executive Creative Director
I am the founder of a creative agency making industry-leading digital experiences for brands.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Technology
Entrepreneurship
Being Creative
Day to Day
I usually get to the office at 8 am and work till 6:30 pm. Prioritizing family time and balancing that with work life is important to me. My daily routine typically consists of meetings and checking in with the different teams on the status of projects. There are a few initiatives that I am directly in charge of like setting the companies culture, having a clear and successful business strategy, etc.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for professionals
Be willing to do some work for free or for a fee less than what it is worth when starting out. It is all about whether that sacrifice is worth it in the long run, which can be hard to predict. You just have to weigh your options.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"I'm not going to be able to pay you for your work because my business is failing. The only way I can pay you is if you keep doing the work to help me get out of this hole."
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
Interviewed By
Old Dominion University Roadtrip
Old Dominion University students and alumni
