October 2005.

It has been a couple years now since I’ve been actively updating my website. Even before the popularity of blog tools, wikis and other open-source software products that enable you to easily update your website, I had been building my own content management systems, publishing information, photos, tutorials and testing things out here at mikesparr.com. That tradition will continue.

Now, I am actually testing other people’s software here, like open-source blogs, forums and wikis. It’s Amazing how much the Internet continues to change, and for over 10 years, I’ve been riding the wave and continue to promote innovations or solve problems I recognize, either by sharing information or by building a new business aimed at solving them.

I now live back in my hometown of Missoula, Montana and am proudly engaged to my fiancée, Jamie. We live in our home, close to my family and friends, along with our two Siamese Manx kittens, Paris and Nikki. I am currently managing partner of RSI Global, LLC, founder and business development manager of Goomzee.com, and have vested interests in other related businesses.

Prior to moving away from Missoula, I helped grow the Internet software development department of Corporate Technology Group (formerly Big Sky Network Technologies). Upon the sale of our ISP division, my department merged with the ComputerLand franchises owned by the founders and became Corporate Technology Group in 2000.

I graduated from The University of Montana in 2000 with a B.S. in Business Administration with emphases in Management and Information Systems. I maintained a 3.84/4.0 g.p.a. while working full-time for 2 companies, running my own side-businesses and enjoying the social activities of any college student. During my tenure I was on Dean’s List, a student representative for the School of Business’ IS Faculty Search Committee, awarded Outstanding IS Senior and President’s Award and accepted in Golden Key National Honor Society and Beta Gamma Sigma. I am now an active alumnus of The University and sit upon the School of Business Administration’s Information & Technology Advisory Board.

Post-graduation, I worked for Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) as a senior consultant and project manager. I joined as an experienced hire given my extensive experience prior to applying. During my tenure, I designed, built, managed and delivered solutions for Fortune Global 500 clients. I was based out of San Francisco, California but worked in Helsinki Finland, London England, Denver Colorado and San Jose, Palo Alto and San Francisco California. Some of my clients included Accenture, BEA Systems, Nokia, British Telecom (BT) and Sun Microsystems.

As I had travelled primarily in the Northwest United States growing up, I took advantage of this time to “see the world” and visited 6 continents and over 24 countries in only 18 month’s time. Every long weekend or period between projects I would book a flight to some locale - eastern Australia, Egypt, Brazil, Tokyo, Thailand, India, all over Europe and even some US destinations I had never visited, like New York City, Miami. I continue to travel and it has become one of my many passions - something that I now share with my wife-to-be.

In January 2003 I took that leap of faith into “entrepreneur land” with the formation of RSI Global. In April, I moved from San Francisco to Reno, Nevada and purchased a small ranch estate south of the city. Via RSI Global, I have provided contract consulting services for Accenture, AT&T Wireless/Cingular, Neustar, Symantec and Clutch Masters Industries, Inc. RSI Global is also the holding company for my Internet ventures, primarily championed and funded by myself.

After over a decade of working for other companies, and running my “side” businesses, I threw in the corporate towel and worked to first solve a problem I recognized in the late 1990’s, small businesses selling online. My first venture project was to build a hosted e-commerce solution provider, Goomzee Commerce (www.goomzee.com). Working for nearly a year from my Reno home, I decided to market my software back in my hometown of Missoula, Montana and leverage my extensive personal and professional network. I continually re-visited Missoula during 2004, selling Goomzee Commerce and “crashing” on the sofas/air mattresses of my buddies. In September 2004 I decided to make it permanent, and bought another home in Missoula.

As I had met my fiancée at my friend’s wedding in August, both my personal, family and business interests focused on Missoula. In December I decided to sell my Reno home and make Missoula my permanent residence once again. I am pleased to say that I continue to travel, visiting Austin, Dallas, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Charlotte NC and Cozumel MX this year. With my bride-to-be, I will share the splendors Europe has to offer early summer and who knows from there.

Thanks for taking the time to catch up and I will post more information and photos, sharing my thoughts with all who care to read.

- Mike Sparr