Matthew Gordon is the founder of the Gordon Group, an eclectic holding company that is focused on the modernization of marketing across industries. From educational regalia and consumer textiles to architectural products, the Gordon Group has a proven track record of disruptive innovations across industries. A former classroom teacher and educator, Matthew was almost finished with his PHD from Columbia University when he decided to change direction and enter the business world. This career move was not made lightly as Matthew had already dedicated so much time to education, with two Masters Degrees (one in Early Childhood Education and another in School Administration) already under his belt. The choice to leave a position at a well-respected school in Greenwich, CT, where he was enjoying a growing academic career, for a business where there was no guarantee of success, was a risky one. When Matthew joined his father’s educational and novelty products company, even he didn’t know that it would turn into the world’s leading e-tailer of graduation caps, nor did he imagine that his gowns would be featured on the cover of Time Magazine. In those early days, the company was built upon sales generated through individual visits and interactions, much different from the e-commerce behemoth it is today. Through hard work, dedication to quality products, and superior customer service, Matthew has led GraduationSource into staggering growth year-in and year-out, with no signs of slowing down. Matthew was not content with just one successful company and set about to turn the architectural world on its ear with the introduction of Avanti Systems in 2008. Despite searching high and low for European quality glass walls and partitions for his office, Matthew realized that the US market lacked a provider of glass products on par with what is readily available across the Atlantic. This discovery, along with some research into the antiquated way in which architectural products are specified, lead to the creation of Matthew’s second largest company. Today Avanti enjoys a peerless reputation in its industry for bringing innovative and aesthetically stunning products to market. A competitive swimmer since early childhood, Matthew can usually be found at the top of international rankings in his quest for a world record. The pool is not the only place you will find Matthew setting records on the water, he is also a power boating fanatic. Whether he is speeding through ocean waters on a record attempt or making a splash on the world stage of swimming, Matthew is always a fierce competitor. This drive permeates all aspects of his life. From the pool to the office, Matthew owes his success to consistent training and understanding that mental resilience is the key to winning any event. To date, Matthew has been featured in Forbes, HR.com, Brazenlife, TedX Wall Street, Startupnation, Wework, SCORE, CEO.com, Buildmybiz, Greenwich Magazine, Smart Recruiters and numerous other publications. He has taken a number of companies from startup to the status of Inc. 500/5000 award winners, including some top 100 categories. Always approachable and open to new ideas and inspiration, Mathew encourages thoughtful engagement via his twitter @matthewhgordon, or on his website MatthewHGordon.com.