Raised on a farm near Madison, John attained a BBA from Saint Norbert College in Wisconsin and, upon graduation, excelled in corporate real estate as a tenant representative. Despite his success, John left the corporate world to become a full time actor and improviser in 1993. Since then, he has performed more than 1,500 shows for the Brave New Workshop (BNW) in Minneapolis and Second City Communications in Chicago. In addition, he has entertained over 500 corporate clients (including 50+ Fortune 100 companies). And, in 1997, John and wife Jenni Lilledahl purchased the BNW from founder Dudley Riggs. Now, in the role of Executive Producer and owner, he leads the nation's oldest satirical theater. As a keynote speaker and trainer, John has presented to hundreds of corporations, including clients like General Mills, Hewlett Packard, and 3M. He was named one of the "40 under 40" to watch by the Twin Cities business community and has been featured in Forbes, How magazine, and a variety of publications. A member of the highly selective National Speakers Association, John has a national reputation as an expert in improvisation, creativity, and teambuilding as he continues to influence a new generation of improvisers and innovative thinkers.