• Jake Trussell

    Listener Maker Communicator

    “Whether designing a brand, running a campaign, or producing music, my objective is to create resonant experiences.”

     
     
     

  • Biography

    As a multifaceted creative entrepreneur, Jake Trussell is known for his work in various fields including creative direction, music production, and communications strategy.
     
    He's the founder and Creative Director of Metabolize, a strategic communications agency that uses human-centered design to engage audiences by metabolizing business complexities into concise, resonant stories.
     
    He's also the founder of Mashit, a record label that has produced over 20 vinyl and digital releases, earning critical acclaim for its “forward-looking” (URB Magazine) approach “at the crossroads of the … international DJ scene … pushing underground dance culture forward” (Time Out Chicago).
    Legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel chose Mashit as a “Label of the Month” after noting their releases had been “killing dance-floors across Europe and the US.” He then invited Trussell to mix a session of Mashit tracks for his show.
     
    As a recording artist and DJ, Trussell has gained international recognition while touring globally, releasing more than 50 records, and composing film scores. He's been called an “alchemist of sound” by Boston Magazine and a “pivotal figure” by XLR8R Magazine for his innovative recordings and DJ style. The Chicago Reader called his music “clever” and “futuristic” pointing out that he's a “DJ [and] producer of growing influence.” He also writes about music at Mood Bling.
    For most of the 2010s, he served as Creative Director for Chicago’s economic development organization chaired by the Mayor, working to position the city as a global business destination (rated #1 for investment for each of his last 7 years there).
     
    Trussell currently serves as the vice chair of the board of directors for the Arts and Business Council of Chicago, a nonprofit organization serving Chicago’s cultural workers and enterprises to ensure community vitality and an equitable creative economy.
     
    He holds a BFA in Interrelated Media from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and an innovation certificate from IDEO U.

  • Philosophy

    Create Resonant Experiences

    Listen

    to goals, needs, and problems to be solved

    Make

    solutions using the right media for the job

    Communicate

    compelling stories that resonate with audiences

  • Thoughts

    Mood Bling

    Writings on music in the liminal space between underground & mainstream where no genre is off limits as long as there's magic

    Design Innovation

    Writings on human-centered design, creativity, and the process of metabolizing complex ideas into resonant experiences

  • Drop a Line

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