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Shay Howe

Chief Marketing Officer at ActiveCampaign

Shay Howe is a seasoned product leader with a diverse background in design and engineering, dedicated to providing simple solutions to complex problems.

With a Bachelor's Degree in Digital Multimedia, Web Architecture & Design from the University of Advancing Technology and additional studies in Digital Multimedia at Rhodes State College, Shay has a strong educational foundation in the field.

Shay's professional journey includes notable roles such as former Executive Advisory Board Member at G2, Chief Marketing Officer at ActiveCampaign, Mentor at Techstars, Partner at Prota Ventures, and Co-Founder at ChicagoCamps, LLC.

With extensive experience at ActiveCampaign, Shay has served as the Senior Vice President of Platform Strategy, Vice President of Platform Strategy, and Vice President of Design, showcasing his versatility and expertise in various domains.

Furthermore, Shay has contributed significantly to companies like Yello.co as the VP of Product, Lead Honestly as a Co-Founder, and Belly as the VP of Product, highlighting his strategic leadership and product development skills.

Shay's early career includes roles such as User Interface Engineer at Groupon, Design Director & Instructor at The Starter League, Product Designer & Front-End Engineer at Lightbank, and Web Designer at Lever Interactive and Web-Op, reflecting his hands-on experience across different aspects of design and technology.

In addition to his corporate engagements, Shay has been actively involved in the startup ecosystem through roles like Entrepreneur In Residence at Techstars, Co-Organizer at Refresh Chicago, and Advisory Board Member at DESIGNATION Labs, demonstrating his commitment to fostering innovation and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Shay Howe's passion for problem-solving, coupled with his expertise in design and engineering, makes him a valuable asset to any organization seeking innovative solutions and strategic leadership.

Highlights

Apr 23 · linkedin

Ten years ago today, my book “Learn to Code HTML and CSS” came out.

In the ten years since the book came out there have been some incredible moments, and in honor of the book's anniversary, I want to share my personal top three:

  1. The week the book came out, my mother called me crying, overwhelmed with pride, from Barnes & Noble, Inc. In tears myself, I tried to convince her not to buy the book as I had already sent her a copy. She bought it anyway, and to this day, a framed cover of the book hangs in my parent's house.

  2. Shortly after its release, I found out the San Quentin State Prison was using the free online version of the book for The Last Mile program to help those incarcerated learn to code and get jobs once released. Hearing the students had limited time in the computer lab, I arranged to have printed copies of the book sent to the prison so they could study outside the lab. It took a month for the books to get x-rayed, reviewed, and approved by security, and when the students got the books they sent me a video to thank me. Their excitement still makes me smile.

  3. It had been on my bucket list to speak at SXSW. After the book came out, I got the official invite. I was nearly speechless when walking from the green room to the stage when security stopped me, saying the room was at capacity. A SXSW employee jumped in and let security know I was the speaker so I could get into my own session. After I walked on stage, got to the podium, and plugged in my laptop, I looked up at over 1,000 people in the room. There wasn’t an empty seat or wall to stand by. It was a feeling I'll never forget.

When I wrote the book it was never for the money (the opposite even, I got a lawyer to negotiate giving the book away for free online from day one). I wrote the book for moments like the above.

Now a full decade later—over 100,000 a month visit my website to read the book, and I still get notes of appreciation. It's incredible.

There is a long list of people to thank for helping make the book possible, let alone a success—so long it warrants its own post. If you touched the book in any way, sincerely, thank you. I owe you greatly.

Shay Howe
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Location

Chicago, Illinois, United States