
About
A Cape Cod resident since 1991, Bert has had a varied career which spans hospitality, technology sales and consulting, web development, community service, and, of course, music. He is currently President of the Cape Cod Technology Council, Director of Community Engagement for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce Blue Economy Project, an active musician, consultant and developing a line of vegan burgers.
Bert concurrently owned four foodservice establishments in the Virgin Islands during the 1980s, including the Sweet Life Café in St. Thomas, a trend-setting vegetarian restaurant. He was founder and president of the Macrobiotic Organization of St. Thomas, bringing in macrobiotic teachers and counselors from around the country for workshops and individual consultations. This included Herman Aihara, one of the founders of modern-day macrobiotics.
When Bert moved to Cape Cod in 1991, he worked with a local company providing computer solutions to businesses and creative professionals. He was a founder of the multimedia company, MMI, in 1995, and created some of the first websites built, as well as online e-learning projects for the technology, insurance and pharmaceutical industries.
Bert founded Koa Media in 2005 to continue web development and online marketing consulting. For the next ten years he worked with hundreds of local, regional and national clients to help build successful web platforms. He now refers development work to a network of partners, but still consults at the strategic level.
In 2010 Bert became President of the Cape Cod Technology Council. He was instrumental in the founding of the SmarterCape Partnership in 2011. He has worked to grow the Tech Council to be a regional leader in fostering tech entrepreneurship and education, as well as driving policy for the region’s tech infrastructure.
And throughout the years Bert has been a musician, playing jazz, blues and original music since the late 1970s. He believes that creative improvisation that is so associated with music is applicable to all aspects of life, and opportunity is the fruit of an open, inquisitive mind.