2005
Co-founding PotomacBeads
I co-founded PotomacBeads. Running a bead company taught me how makers find ideas, choose colors, learn techniques, and turn materials into finished jewelry.
My story
An idea I kept coming back to.
One of the biggest challenges in making your own jewelry is knowing where to start. How do you choose colors, pick a project, or begin designing something of your own? I wanted BeadApp to make those decisions easier and give people more ways to learn, experiment, and grow.
2009
The first app idea
Shortly after the App Store launched, we began tinkering with the ultimate beading app. The technology wasn’t ready, so we built the bead business, data, analytics, photography, tutorials, and systems that support BeadApp today.
2014
Building the data side
I started building the data side directly. Industry leaders gave us permission to include trusted resources. Russ Nobbs of Rings & Things let us bring the gemstone encyclopedia into the app, alongside our YouTube tutorials.
2018
BeadApp 1
We got quite far with the first BeadApp. But the technology still couldn’t make the full idea useful or cost effective.
2021–2024
Deep technology and data integration
I focused on deep technology and data integration, blending the content, patterns, photography, and product knowledge we had built over the years. This is the data BeadApp is built upon: a practical understanding of bead design, products, collecting, and the experience of making jewelry.
- 3,000+ videos — techniques, tutorials, and hands-on learning.
- 800+ patterns — designs and instructions that connect ideas to finished projects.
- 100,000+ photos — the visual detail of beads, materials, and finished work.
- 15,000+ product SKUs — product details, measurements, colors, and finishes.
2025–2026
Connecting products, content, and discovery
I spent much of these two years building e-commerce software. That work helped clarify how designs could connect to product data, learning, ideas, and the materials behind them.
