President

Prior to founding Balance in 2004, René Polin led a successful multi-disciplinary product development team at another leading design firm. Responsible for new business development, project management, and hands-on industrial design work; René discovered the way to perfectly-balanced innovation. His experience creating products for start-up companies with yet another firm gave René the insight needed to understand the impact of design on business. His widely-varied client experience includes Diebold, Fisher-Price, and Discover Financial Services among others.

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Vice President
Strategy and Business Development

From strategic business development to program management, Anthony DeMore facilitates nearly every aspect of the product development consulting business. He has more than eleven years of corporate design and brand management experience with some of the leading consumer brands including Rubbermaid, Black&Decker, Honeywell, and Vicks. Anthony has been awarded more than thirty patents.

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Director of Industrial Design

Jesse Carlson is the Director of Industrial Design at Balance. With Jesse comes the ideal fusion of design elegance and mechanical knowledge. He seamlessly bridges the infamous grey area between design and engineering, and approaches projects with an unsurpassed focus on detail. Before joining Balance, Jesse’s 10+ years of project leadership experience began at a leading design firm, continued at a trade-show group, and onto a second leading design consultancy where he was instrumental in effecting massive sales growth.

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Director of Research and Planning

A trained moderator and facilitator, Jeff Hyde is an experienced researcher who is comfortable navigating a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods. At Balance, Jeff will conduct front–end opportunity assessments, consumer insight research, strategic planning, and product validation testing. His work will help Balance make sure the voice-of-the-customer is infused into every project.

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Director of Marketing

Sandy Hridel is an accomplished marketer who brings more than 20 years of experience in consumer goods marketing, category and product management, and sales to Balance. He is experienced in strategic planning, performance analysis, and developing marketing strategies and tactical execution plans. He has held senior marketing positions with American Greetings as the Director of Marketing for their more than 600 company stores, and for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company as the Merchandising Manager. At Balance, Sandy provides consumer insight analysis, strategy consulting, brand integration, and in-depth interviewing services. His work is fundamental in making sure the final product is optimized for the marketplace.

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Senior Designer

Mike joined Balance in 2008 after gaining valuable insight and knowledge at one of the largest industrial design firms in the country. As Senior Designer/Program Management, he brings high-level design, brand, and management experience gained while partnering with well known companies such as American Express, Colgate, and Hasbro.

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Product Designer

James recently graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art with a BFA in Industrial Design.

“Balance gave me my start with an internship in my sophomore year at school. They provided me with real world knowledge and showed me the joy of designing collaboratively. Balance became the most valuable teacher during my time at school, so my transition to full-time designer felt seamless”

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Product Designer

Jessica graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2009 with a BFA in Industrial Design and a minor in Ceramics. She went on to gain corporate design experience developing household organizational products for a leading manufacturer. In July 2010 Jessica joined Balance bringing a much needed female perspective to the design process.

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