Management Team / Advisory Board Bios
BRYAN KRISTOF - FOUNDER & CEO
Bryan has over 25 years of experience developing successful small companies & brands. He has held senior marketing positions with public and privately held companies in the USA and Canada, has created two successful marketing agencies and a coworking company.
Originally from Ithaca, NY, Bryan moved to Wilmington, NC in 2001, where he started his family. After three years serving as director of marketing for what is now one of the largest architecture firms in the southeast region, Bryan spent six years working with a local web/graphic design agency. In 2010, Bryan started his own marketing agency, then merged with a local web development company, to form Tayloe/Gray/Kristof (TGK), which grew to become Wilmington's largest full-service marketing firm with over 25 team members. Bryan sold his interest in TGK in 2016.
Bryan started Craftspace in 2017, after helping to create The Cargo District, a thriving, urban mixed-use community of retail and residential spaces constructed from over thirty upcycled shipping containers.
GREGG HOWELL - COO
Originally from Allentown, PA, Gregg has over 20 years of experience in the trucking and logistics arena. After receiving his Bachelors in Business & Economics, he joined his father-in-law in 1995 to help run the family trucking business, located in the Northern VA/DC Metro Area. Gregg's operational management expertise helped lead the company to steady growth. Gregg acquired ownership of the company in 2015, and relocated to Wilmington, NC in 2017 in search of a better quality of life for his family.
RANDY SWARTZ - PRESIDENT
A North Carolina native, Randy has served as CEO of three international companies during a career span of more than 30 years. He received his Masters in Mechanical Engineering and has been honored by the Georgia Institute of Technology as one of their Distinguished Alumni and by N.C. State University as a member of their Engineering Hall of Fame. Today, Randy is an investor and business consultant, and serves as interim president and advisor for Craftspace.
BEN WILKER - ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Ben is a strategic partner and part owner of Craftspace. With over 12 years of experience, Ben received his Master of Architecture degree and is currently a licensed architect in Ohio & North Carolina. Pursuing a dream to move south from Cincinnati, Ohio, Ben and his family settled in Wilmington, NC in 2017. After a year of working with a local architecture firm and serving as an AIA Wilmington executive board member, Ben started Wilker Design Co. in 2018, focusing on digital visualization & 3D renderings.
As architectural partner for Craftspace, Inc, Ben is helping to lead our efforts to bring the first modular-certified shipping container living spaces to North Carolina and the Southeast region.
JULIA JACOBSEN - INTERIOR DESIGN
Julia is a strategic partner and part owner of Craftspace. Originally from Bavaria, located outside of Munich, Germany, Julia moved to the US in 2005, where she spent five years in key sales account positions for laboratory equipment manufacturers. After starting her family in 2013, she created & patented 'Sunsnapz', the first multi-purpose sun protective baby blanket. Julia spent three years overseeing all aspects of the baby blanket company, developing retail partnerships throughout the USA, Canada and Europe.
Julia's passion for interior design emerged in 2017 when she began designing Air B-N-B properties and providing professional home staging services. In 2019, Julia started her own boutique interior design firm creating European inspired and eco-friendly spaces for a variety of residential and commercial clients.
JACQUELINE CHASE - DIGITAL MARKETING
Chase is a strategic partner and part owner of Craftspace. Originally from Fayetteville, NC, Chase began her career in 2013 as a content strategist for eBay, where she crafted search engine optimized listings to drive online conversions. In 2014, Chase joined one of Wilmington's largest full-service digital marketing agencies, serving as senior copywriter. In 2017, Chase started her own creative consulting company and collaborated with Bryan on placemaking and branding for The Cargo District.
PARKER WILSON - BRAND STRATEGY
Parker is founder of Sparked Consulting where her focus is on helping small businesses in the areas of operational best practices, brand messaging, and growth strategy. She received her MBA from UNC Chapel-Hill with a dual concentration in Sustainable Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. With over 10 years of experience, Parker began her career in 2011 working for Lululemon Athletica in Vancouver, BC, where she led development of brand guidelines and in store experience. Parker eventually moved to Charleston, SC to support growth of the brand in the southeast region.
In 2014, Parker co-founded Smockbox, an online retail startup focused on bringing beautifully designed and sustainably made clothing to the doorsteps of parents nationwide. The company was purchased in 2018. Parker is passionate about entrepreneurship and currently serves as board member at the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce.
