Today we’d like to introduce you to Miles Chilson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have always been fascinated with the way people interact with our possessions, the relationships we build with them, and the frequent misunderstanding of another’s connection to something. I often considered how the generational gap between my grandma born in the 20s, and me in the 90s. This is especially prominent when it comes to technology. What inspired the Chilson Design Collaborative was a mix of several people and thoughts that I took and began to consider in everyday life. 1 – How can we change the interaction and understanding of technology in the current age and as we look to the future? 2 – In what way can we design and invent technology that is universally understood. 3 – How can we begin to give voice to small town innovation like that of where I am from. I was born in St. John in the USVI and was void of most technology for much of life. However when I began to use it and interact with it daily, I was very observant on its effect to me and those around me. I was inspired to work with that observation and growing up in the small town of Amherst MA, it was clear that while there are brilliant ideas within the community, they are never as loud and proud as that which we see from cities nearby. I knew I had interesting ideas and I knew others did too, but the Design Collaborative was a chance for people of any profession to create a round table discussion in hopes of perfecting a project. My best ideas have come from collaboration, so I figured if I had a round table with a doctor, a designer, a prototypist, an artist, and an electrical engineer or any other profession, the discussion and interests of each of them would shine when it came to creating something amazing.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing is easy, in the beginning it’s a power struggle for time and financial needs but in reality I’m pushing towards a goal that I think is not only empowering but has great application. We live in a divisive time, let’s talk to one another and share ideas. Communication and compromise has been the key to making things come together.
The Chilson Design Collaborative – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As a company, The Chilson Design Collaborative is very a very small seed, with potential to become something amazing. My goal is to provide a space to share ideas, generate new products, and take on the questions we ask ourselves often but maybe not as much as we should. The goal is to be a round table of professionals working together towards a common goal. Whether it be client based or internal, the heart of what we do is collaborate. Alongside that we want to focus on investing and taking part in interesting projects that represent business ideas or product ideas in areas that aren’t as well known.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
In all honesty, I have had the great luck of taking part is some amazing projects, whether it be building bamboo bikes for low income families in Alabama, or fulfilling the dream of owning a Tesla, driving it cross country and founding the New England Tesla Owners Association. All of these things were done through networking and meeting amazing people. I’ve been inspired by many people and my proudest moments are when I see the effect that others have on my drive for success.
Contact Info:
- Website: Mileschilson.com
Image Credit:
Logo Design: Matthew Yee, Tesla Owners photo: Bruce Lomasky
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