It’s a question I got a lot growing up. Sometimes, still do. So…I’m Taiwanese American. And I was raised mostly by my grandma who came from Taipei to Iowa in 1961. This has everything to do with who I am — my cultural POV — and the kind of creative I endeavor to make. Relevant Viewing: (My favorite work of 2022) W+K “The Myth”

The year I was supposed to graduate college, the stock market tanked. Lending stopped. And I dropped out. My next surefire step to success: I moved to Chicago in the 2008 recession with very little room for financial error or misfortune. AKA, with like seven dollars.

Luckily, I got a gig answering phones at a tiny agency. Begged to write the copy nobody wanted to write. Then proceeded to absolutely work my bleeps off at a few shops until eventually, a Creative Director at Leo Burnett said that 👆 about me.

*Buschkamp was my last name, but I got hitched in 2020 and “Bender” was just too irresistible.

Probably me. For the past coupla’ years, I’ve spent a lot of time and energy at startups, and in branding, exercising the full range of my hyphenated skill set. If you care deeply about creative people, products and environments — or have a project that could use a different perspective, please holler! If you’re looking for the standard story, best start to steppin’ 👋