After spending two years at Gonzaga University in Washington, Willis Wood ’96 moved back to Denver and took a year off. He needed to regroup and reevaluate what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. After a little soul searching, Willis decided to apply to Loyola Marymount’s entrepreneur program within its business school and graduated a few years later with a degree in business administration and minor in entrepreneurship. Willis eventually moved back to Denver in 2007 after spending time in LA and started his own company, Trade Show Emporium, a trade show exhibit design and production company, which he sold last year. In 2013, Willis started another company, RiNo Sign Works, with business partner Brian Dudzinski. Their first client was The Source in the RiNo neighborhood. Brian recently moved to Salt Lake City and opened up their second shop. They currently employ 12 people and have worked with several St. Anne’s-related businesses including Mythology Distillery and Footers Catering. Willis doesn’t think of his product as a sign but as a piece of artwork, creating signage that customers consider an extension of themselves and their craft. Their work covers everything from the design, creation, fabrication, installation and permitting of the signs. When he’s not working, you can find Willis with his wife Carolee and golden doodle, Jackson. Jackson and Willis are part of the Canine Airport Therapy Squad at DIA interacting with travelers to calm their nerves before flying. And Jackson even has his own Instagram account (@dood.its.action.jackson).