Did you notice that the campus became a little greener last November? That’s when the campus became the new home for nineteen large new trees.

The trees were planted in groups in two locations:

Just north of Crow Creek near the sidewalk leading to the bridge, a small forest of a dozen trees — a tall red maple, brilliant in the fall, standing with eight white pines, two concolor firs, and a large red cedar.

And just north of the Golden Dome Market, at the corner of Granville and Zimmerman, a stand or small grove of seven trees, including blue spruce, Norway spruce, white pines, and a bald cypress.

These beautiful trees are thanks to the vision and foresight of a donor who has taken campus beautification under her wing. “I think all the new trees will fill in what I always perceived to be ‘visual holes’ in the landscape of the university,” she said.

Besides providing beauty and wildlife habitats, trees reduce wind velocities and can greatly reduce soil erosion.

About our new trees

• Concolor – A white fir with beautiful blue green needles, hardy and one of the most adaptable firs.
• White pine – Slender, with a tall straight trunk and greenish-blue needles. The white pine is known as the “Tree of Peace” to the Haudenosaunee native peoples of Canada and symbolized the creation of their League of Five Nations.
• Red maple – An important ornamental tree, fast growing to 100 feet, oval shaped with striking flowers, fruit, and fall foliage. A food source for wildlife.
• Red cedar – Sacred in many cultures, this tree is known as the “tree of life” because of its longevity and constant greenery. Native to North America, it can live up to a thousand years.
• Bald cypress — A stately conifer, hardy and tough, native to the Midwest. Unlike most cone-bearing trees, the bald-cypress loses its needles each winter and grows a new set in spring. It’s noted for the russet-red fall color of its lacy needles.

Photographs by Craig Pearson.

An eclectic, multigenerational mix of over 100 alumni gathered for an all-school reunion on Sunday, January 7, at the historic Henn Mansion in the heart of the MIU campus. 

Hosted by the MIU Alumni Office and coinciding with the 2,000 for World Peace Assembly, the reunion acknowledged the alumni who had traveled to Fairfield to be part of the large meditation course. 

But the event was open to all alumni, and the diverse group created a rich atmosphere of shared memories and connections, a testament to the enduring spirit of the MIU community. 

The afternoon was filled with nostalgia as attendees engaged in animated conversations, reminiscing about their shared experiences at MIU.

The Henn Mansion parlor was decorated with yearbooks and old MIU memorabilia, including T-shirts, tote bags, stickers, course catalogs, the MIU Reflections book, and photos. 

The reunion also paid tribute to the 40th anniversary of the Taste of Utopia Assembly by featuring the original gift bag from the course and a large hand-painted sign from the flying hall.  

Refreshments included cherry, blueberry, pecan, and apple pies from the local Fairfield restaurant Thai Deli along with freshly popped popcorn and tea.  

Despite the winter chill, the weather cooperated, offering up a relatively temperate day without snow. Participants arrived early and lingered late into the afternoon, forging new connections and rekindling old friendships. 

The reunion at Henn Mansion celebrated the rich tapestry woven by MIU alumni over the years. As laughter echoed through the halls and old tales were shared, the gathering exemplified the enduring bond that transcends time — a testament to the unique and cherished community that is the MIU alumni family. 

To learn more about MIU Alumni Office activities, please visit https://giving.miu.edu/alumni/

This story comes from the MIU Alumni Office. Subscribe to the alumni newsletter and visit MIU Connections to stay up to date with MIU Alumni News.

People traveled to Fairfield and connected online from across the United States and 23 other countries around the world to participate in the 2,000 for World Peace Assembly held at MIU from December 29 to January 12. Altogether over 2,000 people took part.

The event coincided with the “10,000 for World Peace Assembly” held during the same dates in Hyderabad, India, which drew more than 10,000 people from 139 countries, including scores of people from Fairfield.

“For me the purpose was very simple,” said Elayne Zhang, who journeyed to Fairfield from Shanghai, China. “I wanted to help bring harmony to the environment and the country. We all know about the Maharishi Effect. We just have to do it. I am a person of action, so I came to MIU.”

More than 50 scientific research studies on the Maharishi Effect have shown that large group practice of these techniques dissolves social stress, leading to significantly reduced crime, accident, and infectious disease rates and even marked reductions in warfare and international terrorism.

The course was led by Dr. John Hagelin, president of Maharishi International University and director of the Maharishi Foundation USA.

Besides extended periods of meditation each day, afternoon and evening meetings featured video recordings of the events in India, video lectures of Maharishi discussing higher states of consciousness, presentations on Maharishi AyurVeda for enhancing wellness and longevity, live music, and more.

Many of those who connected remotely synchronized their meditation periods with those of the large group at MIU.

“Every day of the course felt like a huge gain,” Zhang said. “It was beautiful. We should duplicate this in every country. I really want to copy this in China.”

“I wanted to do something to improve the state of consciousness in the world today,” said Cliff DeVries, who traveled to MIU with his wife Mary from Hawaii. “It’s so sad to see wars continuing in the world. It was a great delight to return to MIU again, a truly enlightened community in the world.”

“Despite the cold,” Mary said, “we experienced unbounded silence and peace in this special environment.”

“We hadn’t had any extended periods of meditation for some time,” Cliff added. “Participating in the daily program and transcending with such a big group brought about a big shift in my awareness, a freedom I don’t usually experience, like a bird being released from a cage. I love feeling the silence and being part of the unbounded ocean of consciousness.”

Four women traveled to Fairfield from Colombia — Maria Teresa Acosta, the national director of the TM organization in Colombia, along with Carolina Quintana, Isabel Zapata, Pilar Acosta.

“We were motivated to attend the 2,000 assembly inspired by the beautiful knowledge Maharishi brought to the world,” Ms. Acosta said. “We are well aware that when we transcend in groups into the unlimited ocean of our consciousness, waves of peace, coherence, and harmony are generated and spread in the environment, radiating love, peace, and fraternity to the world, which is so badly needed these days. This has been an amazing, wonderful, and unique experience.”

“As soon as the 2,000 course was announced I knew that I had to participate,” said Rena Boone, an educator from Washington, DC. “I thoroughly enjoyed meditating with the large group at MIU, knowing we were connected to the 10,000 course in India. My experience was profound — blissful and enlivening. Not only were we meditating for world peace, meditating in a large group had a powerful impact on us individually. There is no other place I wanted to be.”

The course was also memorable for the severe winter weather at the end of the second week — back-to-back snowstorms, each delivering 12–14 inches of snow, with windchill temperatures dropping to -40 degrees.

Deep experiences continued even after the course, participants reported. “Ever since the course ended we’re still experiencing the benefits of being in the domes and soaking up the knowledge — having deeper meditation programs, more energy and focus in activity,” said Paula Strong, who came from Houston with her husband Steve Corrick to participate.

40th anniversary of the Taste of Utopia Assembly

The course also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the historic Taste of Utopia Assembly at MIU, held from December 17, 1983, to January 7, 1984. The largest social experiment in history at the time, the course brought together more than 7,000 people from 46 countries around the world.

The event was announced at the end of November 1983, little more than three weeks ahead of the starting state. Hundreds of people from the university and Fairfield community pitched in to make it happen.

During that time they build a 60,0000-square-foot building for group meditation and meetings (today the MIU Recreation Center), a 15,000-square-foot building for registration and group meditation, and a 200-unit mobile home park on land at the north edge of campus for additional housing, along with all the other necessary organizing, all during one of the coldest winter periods in memory.

During the three weeks of the course, stock markets, many of which had been trending downward for a year, soared worldwide, moving upward in concert, many setting all-time records, often repeatedly. A wave of harmony and goodwill swept the globe as international conflict declined and heads of state became more positive and constructive. In the US and worldwide, crime rates dropped, infectious disease rates dropped, highway and air traffic fatalities dropped, and a potential nuclear disaster was quietly averted.

Many participants in the 2,000 for World Peace Assembly had also been part of the Taste of Utopia Assembly, and some of the leaders of that event shared their stories of the amazing and sometimes hilarious things that happened before and during that course.

Going forward: four annual courses

Based on the experiences of this course, MIU is planning to hold similar two-week world peace assemblies twice each year, during the winter and summer breaks, as well as two week-long national TM meditator retreats each year, in the spring and fall.

# # #

COUNTRIES REPRESENTED AT THE 2,000 AT MIU ASSEMBLY — United States, Canada, Mexico, Trinidad, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, United Kingdom, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Lithuania, Spain, Switzerland, Serbia, Ukraine, Armenia, South Africa, Nepal, China, Japan, Australia.

MUSICAL PERFORMERS — Singer-songwriter Paul Fauerso, the Southeast Iowa Chamber Singers led by Elaine Reding, classical keyboardist Paul Skevington, viola da gambist Rosalind Stowe, jazz keyboardist and singer David Leffler, singer-songwriter-acoustic guitarist Jonas Magram, keyboardist Jim Meredith, jazz pianist Steve Hillis, singer-songwriter Maryanne Eagleson, and the legendary “Flipped SU(5),” consisting of Paul Fauerso, Jeffrey Hedquist, Mario Orsatti, and Dr. Hagelin.

Nearly 11,000 people representing 139 countries came together in Hyderabad, in south-central India, for a “10,000 for World Peace” assembly, held from December 29 to January 12.

The assembly had a two-fold purpose: first, to generate an influence of peace and harmony in society at a turbulent and uncertain time in history, and second, to call public attention to the power of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs to create such an effect, with the goal of securing support for a permanent large peace-creating group.

The assembly was held at the award-winning Kanha Shanti Vanam complex. Located on the outskirts of Hyderabad and described as “an ecological paradise,” Kanha Shanti Vanam is the world’s largest meditation facility.

Besides the participants who traveled to India from other countries, the assembly included 900 Maharishi Vedic pandits and 4,500 students from Maharishi Schools around India.

More than 600 participants learned the advanced TM-Sidhi program during the assembly, and more than 250 learned the Transcendental Meditation technique.

More than 700 women came from the Himalayas, wearing their traditional dress, all of them TM and TM-Sidhi program practitioners.

The 10,000 meditation experts engaged in long sessions, morning and evening, of the Transcendental Meditation and advanced TM-Sidhi programs — not talking about peace but actually creating it.

On the final evening of the assembly, several of India’s spiritual and health leaders joined the thousands gathered at Hyderabad’s Kanha Shanti Vanam to celebrate the achievements of the assembly and honor its convener, Dr. Tony Nader, the neuroscientist who is the successor to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Her Holiness Amma Sri Karunamayi, affectionately known to her followers as “Amma,” was joined by Dr. Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, Chief Imam of the All India Imam Organization, to bless the assembly participants and the technologies of consciousness they had showcased for establishing world peace.

Amma’s message was simple: “Meditation is the best medication,” she said. “All problems can be addressed by practicing meditation twice a day.”

Coherent brain functioning

A highlight of the assembly was a dramatic demonstration of brain-wave coherence using electroencephalography, EEG. Scientists showed how the practice produces immediate coherence in brain functioning in an individual that is then instantaneously and enormously enhanced by the meditation of thousands of practitioners gathered in the same location.

Scientists showed how TM practice produces immediate coherence in brain functioning in an individual that is then instantaneously and enormously enhanced by the meditation of thousands of practitioners gathered in the same location.

The researchers noted that 54 studies published in peer-reviewed journals and professional conference proceedings have already established the capacity of these consciousness technologies to radiate a powerful influence of coherence and peace throughout society, significantly reducing crime, violence, terrorism, and war and strengthening positive trends even among those who do not practice the technologies. This is called the Maharishi Effect, because Maharishi predicted it more than sixty years ago.

Uniting science with spirituality

Amma is globally revered as a living saint — the embodiment of divine motherly love — and a humanitarian, peace leader, and spiritual teacher. In her talk, Amma emphasized the importance of “uniting of science with spirituality for unity and sustainability in this new millennium, exactly as Dr. Nader is doing as he leads the TM organizations throughout the world.”

Dr. Nader commented, “Just as dear Amma Ji said, no drop of love is ever wasted. Every moment anyone transcends even for a moment, they are giving nectar to the world.”

Dr. Nader then reviewed how, as the decades passed and the transcendence of the TM experts deepened, scientists started to investigate from an objective level the extraordinary value of this subjective experience.

“We are only a few in the world that transcend the way we do,” he said. “This knowledge started under the banner of the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. As it became known, it was found to be wonderfully effective. As Amma Ji said, more than 750 empirical studies on Transcendental Meditation have now verified scientifically the enormous value of this simple knowledge of transcending for every area of life.”

All groups desirous of peace must work together

The All India Imam Organization led by Dr. Imam Ilyasi is the largest organization of imams (those who lead prayers in mosques) in the world and the largest Muslim organization in India. He speaks for the half a million imams in India and is a religious and spiritual guide of the two hundred and ten million Indian Muslims.

“All of you are an inspiration to the world. You come from all countries, all religions, and all walks of life, and you share in the practice of these powerful consciousness technologies. I salute you. . . .”

— Dr. Imam Ilyasi, Chief Imam of the All India Imam Organization

After garlanding Dr. Nader, Dr. Imam Ilyasi said, “All of you are an inspiration to the world. You come from all countries, all religions, and all walks of life, and you share in the practice of these powerful consciousness technologies. I salute you and the outstanding example of togetherness you have demonstrated here.”

Former Prime Minister of Japan: “Our world needs this group”

In a letter of support to the Hyderabad assembly, the Right Honorable Yukio Hatoyama, former Prime Minister of Japan, wrote, “Our world needs a group of at least 10,000 people practicing the TM and TM-Sidhi programs. Under the leadership of Dr. Tony Nader, you are achieving that. I feel certain that this group, when it is permanently established, will lead to peace in our world. Based upon my experience as Prime Minister of Japan, I would like to strongly propose that all the governments in the world look into this demonstration with scientific data and support the creation of permanent groups for fraternity, peace, and prosperity.”

“Our world needs a group of at least 10,000 people practicing the TM and TM-Sidhi programs.”

— The Right Honorable Yukio Hatoyama, former Prime Minister of Japan

Dr. Nader commented, “Maharishi always wanted enlightenment for everyone. Vasudhaiva kutumbakam — ‘the world is my family’ — this was his reality. And where would this be done? Maharishi always felt it would be done in India, the land of the Veda — that Bharat would do it. And now this is really taking shape.”

Dr. Nader continued, “Maharishi saw that Veda, pure knowledge, would do it. And when we truly look into what Veda is, we realize it’s the laws of nature that are incarnated in every one of us: that each one of us is Veda. In this sense, though we come from 139 different countries, we all are from the land of the Veda. We have now carried this objectively verified supreme knowledge back to the land of the Veda as an offering of support to humanity and beyond humanity to all aspects of life.”

A very real possibility — creating world peace through the Maharishi Effect

Further honor was given to the assembly by Dr. Devendra Triguna, President of the All India Ayurvedic Congress and Vice President of Central Council of Indian Medicines, which is a Government of India nodal agency. Dr. Triguna is former honorary physician to the President of India, and the government of India has awarded him with both the Padma Bhushan, its third highest civilian honor, and the Padma Shri, its fourth highest honor.

“Because of the tireless work over fifty years of His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Ayurveda is now a household word throughout the world,” Dr. Triguna told the assembly. “And I know that many of you gathered here had important involvement in that achievement. Your efforts have demonstrated the possibility of creating a disease-free society through the preventive approach of India’s ancient system of natural medicine. And now your assembly has demonstrated the very real prospect of peace through the Maharishi Effect.”

Bringing the assembly’s achievements to the leaders of every country

Many of the more than 10,000 assembly participants, upon returning home in the coming weeks, will be carrying the message of the assembly to the leaders of their countries.

In concluding the assembly, Dr. Nader said, “We celebrate a grand feeling of wholeness. Tonight, we have seen great leaders coming together from one tradition of belief to another tradition of belief, from one understanding to another understanding — coming together with the flag of total knowledge to create a world that will satisfy Maharishi’s enlightened vision.

“Before he departed this life, Maharishi said, ‘The future is bright and that is my delight.’ In this assembly, we have seen the beginning of what will make the future really bright. As this knowledge of transcending is acknowledged more and more, as this light spreads, the darkness cannot stand. As is said beautifully in Bharat, Satyameva Jayate, ‘that which is sattvic, that which is good and right and true — that will always win.’ Because, ultimately, only what sustains and maintains will be fully adopted.

“We stand today on this grand platform of supreme knowledge. I urge all the leaders of the world not to delay. Adopt this knowledge, create groups just like this assembly of 10,000, and usher in a bright new era of world prosperity and peace.”

A new digital marketing agency has emerged in Fairfield, and its founders, MIU alums David Sinton and Jesse Berkowitz ‘03, are actively looking for people to hire. 

The company’s name is Quiet Owl, and its mission is to help “change the short-sighted culture of digital marketing” by adopting a “listen-first” approach. In just two years, Quiet Owl has grown from three employees to twelve and has more than 20 clients.

What do they mean by “listen-first”? 

“Internet Marketing has become a loud, shameless self-promotion,” Sinton says. “How much can you scream ‘BUY NOW!’ Quiet Owl is a platform for listening, not shouting.” 

“If you’re coming into a project with an ego — like, “I know what’s going to work” — then it blocks off the opportunity for learning,” says Nathan Jones, Quiet Owl’s director of marketing operations, who graduated from MIU in 2007 with a BA in Physiology and Health. “But if you come into it with an open mind, then there’s so much more growth potential.”

The agency acts as a bridge between companies and consumers. They use cutting-edge technology to help companies listen to consumers and understand what they really want. Then they use this data to tailor the most effective marketing strategy for their clients to resonate with as many potential consumers as possible. 

Importantly, they want these relationships between their clients and consumers to be long-term and built on trust. “The nature of life is to grow,” Berkowitz says. “We are a growth agency.” 

And they’ve had “explosive growth,” Sinton says. Though it takes more time and a personal touch to cultivate the authentic, enduring relationships they’re after, Sinton cites a Navy Seal slogan to help explain their fast results: “Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.” In an industry dominated by brashness and algorithms, their gradual, humane, and listening approach has been a “breath of fresh air to clients,” Berkowitz says.

Case studies: Billie Bars, Traditional Medicinals, Overland Sheepskin

Take the case of Billie Bars, a truck bed rack company launched by two friends, Bill and Nate, as a side project in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Bill and Nate asked Quiet Owl to tailor their digital marketing strategy. A self-funded company, they needed to turn a profit fast, and marketing budgets were tight. 

Quiet Owl first helped Bill and Nate determine an efficient ad budget. Then, on a shoe-string budget, Quiet Owl directed Billie Bars on what content to film for their audience and turned the raw footage into long-form video ads on Facebook and Instagram. Paid social media became the biggest growth driver in year one. 

The next step was ramping up Google ads. Here, Quiet Owl proposed an educated but bold and risky strategy: triple the Google budget for six weeks. 

It paid off. The company’s return on ad spend (ROAS) increased 18%, and Google got enough data to optimize their marketing strategy.

The company was growing, and fast. In the first year, they experienced 5x revenue growth, and in their second year, they were operating at 64% greater efficiency. Bill and Nate’s gratitude speaks volumes: “Throughout our journey, Quiet Owl has been the flashlight in the proverbial digital cave, shining light where we need it, and keeping us on path. Love ’em!” 

And Quiet Owl doesn’t hoot for whoever. They choose clients selectively. 

Why? “Every time we’ve compromised our values, we’ve regretted it,” Sinton says.

They’re looking for companies with a long-term vision for what they’re creating and seeking to contribute to society. Many have turned out to be companies that get people outside into nature. They’ve created a team culture of avid hikers, backpackers, surfers, and campers, finding that companies in the outdoor/adventure space have a greater need for their services. “We’re using the screen to get people off screens,” Berkowitz chuckles. 

Breeo, a company that pioneered the first smokeless wood-burning fire pit and seeks to provide the “ultimate campfire experience,” has enjoyed 20x growth since Quiet Owl took charge of their digital marketing. 

Other clients include Sea to Summit, a purveyor of outdoor adventure gear; Santa Barbara Aquatics; JumpSport, a manufacturer of fitness trampolines; Yellow Dog Flyfishing; and Rovr outdoor coolers.

Their most recognizable client is the wildly popular tea company, Traditional Medicinals. 

In addition to e-commerce brands, Quiet Owl also supports B2B and software companies.

“They assisted us in developing the right tracking and measurements so that we could understand the performance of our ad budget. It has contributed massively to our year-over-year growth in recurring revenue.”

— Barry Kuk, CTO of Netstock

Netstock, one of the B2B software companies that Quiet Owl represented, has seen 400% revenue growth in their years working together. “Before spending our hard-earned money on ads, the Quiet Owl Team took the time to really understand our business,” said CTO Barry Kuk. “They assisted us in developing the right tracking and measurements so that we could understand the performance of our ad budget. This methodology resulted in a tight feedback loop where changes were tested continuously. It has contributed massively to our year-over-year growth in recurring revenue.”

Fairfield’s own Overland Sheepskin Company has been on a nine-year journey with David Sinton, and this relationship laid the groundwork for Quiet Owl’s founding. In fact, its “listen-first” and “test-and-learn” philosophy was forged during this lucrative partnership, which turned a “thriving brick-and-mortar brand into a digital powerhouse.”

The list goes on, and there are too many stories to insert here, but if you are interested, you can find their client list on their website. 

A long history

Sinton and Berkowitz met each other in 8th grade at Maharishi School, after Sinton’s family moved to Fairfield from South Africa. Though they played on the tennis team together, they weren’t all that close, and Berkowitz “never had the remotest thought that [they] would ever work together.” Now they have an “incredible dynamic” and are building a company where people can truly develop their careers even without prior marketing experience. 

“The MIU business program focuses on entrepreneurship, and so all the things they talked about, now I’m finally living it.”

— Jesse Berkowitz

Berkowitz graduated top of his class at MIU, where he majored in business and then did the MBA program. He says the degree prepared him exceptionally well for the challenges of starting a business. “This has been the best chance, eighteen years later, to experience firsthand everything I learned,” Berkowitz says. “The MIU business program focuses on entrepreneurship, and so all the things they talked about, now I’m finally living it.” After all these years, he vividly remembers the lessons he learned on the MIU campus, less than a mile down the street from Quiet Owl’s headquarters. 

“MIU changed my worldview and set me up for success in life,” Sinton says. “I took art classes that taught me how to really look at my surroundings. Physics classes that changed my understanding of how reality works. And long deep meditations and the development of self-awareness that could tie it all together.”

Supportive working environment

“Outer depends on inner,” Sinton says. His personal mission for Quiet Owl — a mission he values far more than making money — is to “facilitate the development and growth of all the individuals who come to work here.” 

“We’ve created an environment that’s very open, trusting, comfortable, and balanced,” Berkowitz says, “a supportive environment, not cutthroat, corporate, or bureaucratic. Work hard by day and then . . . you get to go to the Dome!” 

“Any good job involves a healthy balance of challenge and support,” Jones says. “We strike a good balance here. Our field is quite challenging always changing. You don’t feel bored, you feel a sense of reward, of contributing and providing value, but not so much that you get stressed out.”

Quiet Owl “is definitely unlike other work environments I’ve been in,” Jones adds. “People get along well with each other. We consistently get that feedback, and we’ve been able to maintain that culture.”

Every employee at Quiet Owl plays a significant role in decision making, both in how the company functions and how they want their careers to progress.

Every employee at Quiet Owl plays a significant role in decision making, both in how the company functions and how they want their careers to progress.

For example, everybody at Quiet Owl created three-year plans for themselves this year, outlining what they wanted their individual futures to look like. Sinton and Berkowitz ask their employees, “What are your goals?” and then help them achieve them, whether they want to be a project manager or a tech specialist or a marketing whiz. 

“We value regular team huddles, where we’re very open about what’s going on, the possibilities we’re facing, why we made certain decisions. We’re involving people so that they feel a part of our journey as a company instead of ‘here is your job, do what you’re told,’” Berkowitz says. They also do regular “walk and talks” to ensure they’re having individual conversations with every team member. They get together periodically for dinner after work and take company bike rides.

After a vote with the employees, the company chose to prioritize offering extended paid vacation and holidays, more than is typical — and they actively encourage their employees to use it. 

And though most employees are meditators, Quiet Owl will pay half of the course fee for any employee who wishes to learn the Transcendental Meditation technique. 

Qualifications? What have you got?

What kinds of people is Quiet Owl looking to hire in their quest to expand?

“We hire people with little to no experience in the field, and then we offer whatever training we can in career development, hoping people will stay with us as long they like,” Jones says.

There can be a lot of preconceptions and misunderstandings about what digital marketing is, he says. “But as long as people are committed to their career development, we’re there to support them in that journey. People are often surprised at the skill sets we’re able to put to use, and the field is broad enough that we’re able to find a home for a wide variety of skills.”

Growth mindset

Berkowitz was the salutatorian in MIU’s 2003 graduating class. In his speech, he said his goal was to build businesses in Fairfield that could help support the community in his cherished hometown. 

He views this growing company as a fulfillment of that dream, and he is thrilled to be doing it with David Sinton. “David is a brilliant guy — just a great guy,” Berkowitz says. “He is very giving and knowledgeable.”

They share a vision of growth. “Many agencies top out at our size, between ten and fifteen people, and that’s fine,” Berkowitz says. “But we both want to create something bigger than that, and that often depends on the founders.” 

Sinton agrees. They plan to build the company to between 30 and 50 employees. If this opportunity speaks to you, Fairfield’s Quiet Owl is on the prowl for help!