Mark Gregor began the Davis Square-based digital experience agency Velir 14 years ago, with just two employees.
Gregor, now the company's CEO, has guided Velir's growth, building the team to 110 people and inking long-term deals with corporate social good spinoffs like Bayer Crop Science and prominent mission-driven organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and non-profit think tank The Brookings Institution.
While other larger companies may produce similarly high-quality web experiences, the grant-making sector is the digital agency's real differentiator, according to the CEO.
"We're in a sector that's largely underserved...Clients come to us, and they have big communication needs," Gregor told BostInno. "We help them craft digital solutions, from a whole suite of end-to-end digital channels...We're a white glove service."
But Gregor didn't always know that he wanted to make a career – much less a company – within this niche market.
Born and raised in Nashville, Tenn., Gregor got his first serious taste of New England while in college at Brandeis University. He majored in neither traditional Business, nor the burgeoning concentration of Computer Science. Rather, the CEO graduated with a degree in American Studies and a minor in Film.
However, perhaps like many entrepreneurs, he supplemented in course of study, teaching himself coding and graphic design.
"These were the days when, if you weren't scared of technology, you could dive right into Photoshop and HTML and basically make a name for yourself," explained Gregor, with a soft Southern accent.
Though he studied the then-novel programs and languages with diligence, Gregor was still not quite up to par on the production of the products themselves. He did, however, gain a thorough understanding of the processes involved, which would soon prove invaluable and indispensable when founding Velir.
"I thought I was a designer and a developer until I met real designers and developers," laughed Gregor.
But the knowledge he gained prepared him to be a strong, if not highly effective, product manager.
"I knew the landscape, and could bring someone through the process. I understood complex, large-scale software applications by understanding the pieces, but not necessarily being able to do the work," Gregor shared.
Combining his self-directed interest in design and development, Gregor decided to dive head-first into starting his own digital agency that really made a difference.
"The first three years were really challenging," admitted the CEO, reflecting on the days when the startup was but five people in his Somerville apartment. "Your fortune is highly dependent on a handful of clients, and you're in significant straights if you lose anyone."
As a result, Gregor emphasized top-of-the-line customer service, a core pillar of the company's mission that has lived on from its early days to the present.
Over the years, Velir has helped dozens of foundations and organizations, like The Dartmouth Institute and The Commonwealth Fund, realize their community-driven missions within web technology to impact audiences around the globe.
"Everything we do is about customer service," said Gregor. "Almost all the clients we have are very long-term, with relationships of five to ten years, or more. We're looking for an organization to commit. We're not here to churn and burn through accounts, we're looking for a relationship."
The importance of relationships extends beyond Velir's business and into the agency's culture and the Boston community as a whole.
Velir also aims to foster bonds between the members of its ever-growing team. With a 40 percent revenue growth in 2013 alone, Gregor said that he expects the company to hit 150 full-time employees in the New Year. The agency also recently expanded into a 25,000 square-foot space in Somerville to support that growth.
Gregor also touted the benefits of the Boston creative business community. Said the chief executive, "I've been pleasantly surprised by the healthy competition, but also collegiate atmosphere of learning and participation that everyone shares...there's enough work out there for all boats to rise."
