Thomas Knoll
Corporate Innovator | Professional Facilitator
Boulder, Colorado
Summary
Mr. Knoll is a proven senior executive specializing in Business and Corporate Development, Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. He’s known as a highly adaptable, innovative, ambitious business developer who knows the critical relationship between strategic planning, execution and fulfilling team and organizational objectives. He produces above market average results and exhibits continual success in achieving immediate, interim and ultimate organizational objectives. Throughout his career, he’s displayed skill and ability taking superior care of business concerns that are widely recognized and highly regarded.
Experience
The Innovators CoLab
Founder and CEO April 2009 - Present
The Innovators CoLab is a collaboration of Chief Innovation Officers and growth leaders from some of the most recognized companies in the world. We help our members solve big innovation and growth management challenges and in the long run build the most cutting edge growth engines for their industries.
The Werx Group
Managing Partner April 2009 - February 2016
The Werx Group is an innovation and strategy development project that designs and builds Innovation Management Structures that drive revenue growth and business development in service of fulfilling challenging, complex business missions.
Earned certification in the World Database of Innovation from Innovators Equation (iEQ), a research project conducted with over 2,000 organizations. iEQ is big data for Innovation Management Best Practices of the highest performing organizations worldwide.Rapidlee Marketing Partners
President September 2013 - February 2016
Rapidlee Marketing Partners represents and advises clients on business development, distribution and strategic corporate initiatives with Amazon.com. We help our clients with product portfolio management, advertising, marketing management, product and brand equity, logistics and operations with Amazon.
Specializing in innovative, sustainable, LOHAS (Lifestyles of Healthy and Sustainability) and environmentally friendly manufactured products and services.Green Guru
Advisor 2010-2014
Advise eco-conscious B-Corp (Benefit Corporation) on sustainable business practices. Designed five year sales, marketing and operational plan including acquisition strategies.
Westcomb Outerwear
Sales Director September 2011 - April 2013
Led U.S. sales and marketing efforts for technical outdoor, ski and lifestyle apparel company. Doubled revenues in first year, tripled in second. Earned multiple awards, honors and recognition from strategic media.
Westcomb designs and creates innovative, stylish, performance-driven outerwear for men and women that is 100% made in North America and 100% committed to performance.C.A.M.P. USA
Managing Director July 2006 - March 2010
Established and led US subsidiary for Italian climbing, outdoor recreation and industrial safety manufacturer earning a top 3 market position within four years of launch.
CAMP USA is the exclusive US importer and distributor of CAMP Technical Adventure Equipment, the US subsidiary of the 125 year-old Italian climbing, outdoor and mountaineering brands CAMP and Cassin.C.A.M.P. USA
Director of Sales and Marketing January 2002 - June 2006
Designed and built US sales and marketing company for global outdoor and climbing brands CAMP and Cassin. Grew revenues by over 35% per year, expanded distribution from under 50 dealers/resellers to over 400 and rapidly launched B2C web direct business resulting in significant sales and gross margin growth.
CAMP USA is the exclusive US importer and distributor of CAMP Technical Adventure Equipment, the US subsidiary of the 125 year-old Italian climbing, outdoor and mountaineering brands CAMP and Cassin.Earthwerx
Founder and President January 2000 - September 2013
Founded new business to distribute and market outdoor, ski, active lifestyle and LOHAS/natural foods products and services. Managed import and export business for ten manufacturers and designed and executed corporate strategy for each client. Established customers' brands achieving leadership position in multiple markets.
Kelty Pack
Sales and Service December 1996 - January 2000
On team that launched adventure travel gear product range and new division. Helped launch company into new child carrier market that resulted in long term profitability. Provided forecast and demand analysis to product line managers. Assisted with relocation of corporate offices from St. Louis, MO to Boulder, CO that ultimately led to a rapid staff expansion.
Tommy and I worked on a highly successful project to help us orient to our offers in the marketplace and in different market segments. Tommy's ability to produce a strategic vision and complex business missions to orient processes and practices are unmatched. I look forward to working with Tommy again very soon!
— John Harms: Chief Operating Officer - VTO Capital LLC
Professional Development
Conducted by The Aji Network
Ongoing 2008 - Present
The Aji Space is a new class of offer for ambitious businesspeople providing exclusive, superior and strategic knowledge essential for producing competitive advantages and superior value with offers, practices, narratives and strategies for top 1% incomes and enterprise values.
It offers continually changing selections of nearly 1,000 strategic assignments, projects, talks, distinctions, writings, fundamental strategy, coaching and checklists used successfully by ambitious businesspeople working with The Aji Network for over 30 years.
Conducted by The Aji Network
Completed June 2015 - January 2016
The purpose of The Executive’s Mission-Focused Course is to help executives think effectively, strategically and competitively enough to fulfill new and challenging business missions as well as their personal financial ambitions, in the most rapidly changing, complex, technologically advanced and competitive global marketplace in human history.
Conducted by Innovators Equation
Completed August 2015
Innovators Equation has studied thousands of corporations to find what repeat innovators have in common. The tools leverage this data to help companies build evidence-based Innovation Management Systems and to enable human progress.
10 years, 2000+ Companies, and 300 of the most recognized experts have uncovered the first statistics behind which corporate innovation structures work.
Conducted by The Aji Network
Completed 2006 - 08
The Aji Source Fundamental Strategy is a 12-part “fundamental strategy” -- a fundamental plan of action for top 1% performance -- and the “strategic knowledge” to execute it successfully.
It enables ambitious businesspeople to produce competitive advantage, superior value and top 1% annual incomes, enterprise value and capital-at-work to fulfill their lifestyle, financial and business ambitions.
It is a fundamental, or underlying, plan of action used by top 1% performers and professionals in all domains of competitive action as a foundation for designing their “specific strategies”.
Conducted by The Aji Network
Completed 2005
The Sales Course helps salespeople and sales managers think effectively, strategically and competitively enough to fulfill new and challenging business missions needed to increase their productivity and/or a business’ revenues as specified by executives and senior managers, as well as their personal financial ambitions, in the most rapidly changing, technologically advanced and competitive global marketplace in human history.
Conducted by The Aji Network
Completed 2000 - 02
The Business Professional’s Course (The BPC) is a two-year course that enables ambitious businesspeople to learn uncommonly powerful business distinctions and practices necessary for producing competitive advantage, superior value, top 1% annual incomes of $400k to $4m, enterprise value and capital at work to fulfill their lifestyle, financial and business ambitions.
Over the past 20 years, students in The BPC have enjoyed an average 80% growth in their incomes and an average 152% annual rate of return.
Conducted by American Recreation Products (Kelty Pack, Inc.)
Completed 1997
Publications
The TUcK (The Uncommon Knowledge) Project
Project Leader and Author
The TUcK Project is a 390-page body of work that assembles common descriptions of business concerns in an uncommon way.
Knowledge Essay: Politics as a Domain of Concern for Business
Project Leader and Co-Author
This essay explores the importance of Politics in business.
Innovation and Design Thinking: Key Claims and Observations
Project Leader and Co-Author
The Innovation and Design Thinking Essay and Project produced a body of work and new knowledge around the concerns of design and innovation as it relates to competitive businesses.
© The Werx Group
Marketplace Drift and Competitive Forces Require Constant Innovation
Project Leader and Co-Author
This paper explores the importance of constant Innovation in a fast paced global business environment.
© The Werx Group
Author
Published in BizWest Media, this article describes how innovation is changing amid the pandemic.
© The Innovators CoLab
Author
Published in the Future Shapers, we observe how the pandemic is effecting growth and innovation investments and budgets.
© The Innovators CoLab
Author
Establishing core elements of any innovation and growth effort are elementary. This article describes the most important 'cornerstones' for a corporate innovation team to create prior to executing.
© The Innovators CoLab
Skills
Marketing
Kurt Gray
Owner and Operator
Tommy Knoll is a man of vision and
foresight. His ability to translate
cultural trend into business practice
is rare and refreshing. Tommy's style
is open process and he keeps his
work oriented towards longer range
goals and objectives. He is a good
team mate, a hard worker and he
gets along great with people. I'd
recommend him
Strategy
George Schmidt
VP Sales Operations and Enablement at Dassault Systemes
Over the past year I’ve worked with Tommy to produce new thinking, direction and focus for several new business designs and market offers. Tommy’s perspectives and contributions have opened new ideas and directions for my own ambitions for which I appreciate and am acting with today. Specifically Tommy and I worked our fundamental market offers, our personal, financial and business ambitions and a significant project to leverage our networks of networks to produce a body of work (over 390 pages) that assembles common descriptions of business concerns in a very uncommon way. Tommy your insights and care are infectious and I appreciate the person you are. Thank you.Business Development
Lee Tenneboe
Logistics Manager
I had the pleasure of working with Tommy for several years for their tradeshows. Tommy is a mellow, laid back kind of guy who is an absolute delight to work with. But make no mistake, he knows his stuff and gets things done with efficiency and diplomacy. I would highly recommend Tommy in whatever endeavor he takes on and I hope I have the opportunity to work with him again!Sales
James H. (Jim) Moss, JD
Attorney, Risk Manager and Expert Witness: Recreation Law
From zero to millions. In a few short years Tommy Knoll took CAMP USA from nothing to a presence in the outdoor industry. I’ve worked with Tommy for seven years and watched him grow the company using hard work, but more importantly skill, tenacity and thought. Tommy was always ahead of the game, moving fast when necessary and waiting most of the time for the rest of the world to catch up.Leadership
Michael Hodgson
COO and Strategy Wonk at Locally.com
As a journalist and business owner, I had opportunity to interact with Tommy Knoll on numerous occasions and always had the utmost respect for Tommy's sense of business ethics, strategic vision, global perspective, personal integrity, and team play. His style of leadership was one of enabling others, while seeking to deflect praise from himself to those around him. Should the opportunity arise, I would not hesitate to go shoulder to shoulder with Tommy on any business project or ventureMarketing Strategy
Jess Donoho
CEO Workreation
In a world of clock punchers and mindless business drones, Tommy Knoll stands out as a man who assesses his business, makes a plan and executes it. He gets things done. As the sales coordinator at Kelty he provided my company with exceptional support. In later years, I worked for Tommy at CAMP. He saw an opportunity, partnered with an Italian company and built a national brand with few resources other than hard work, business savvy and tenacity. CAMP is on the landscape of American technical climbing because of Tommy. I not only consider Tommy an invaluable business colleague, but a good friend. He has my highest recommendation.Education
Missouri State University
Communications, Business and Marketing
Missouri State University is a public, comprehensive metropolitan system with a statewide mission in public affairs, whose purpose is to develop educated persons.
Christian Brothers College
High School
Christian Brothers College is a Catholic, Lasallian high school preparing young men of diverse academic, social, racial, religious and economic backgrounds for college and for life.
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