As Owner & Founder of Arc Reactions, a mixed-media marketing and brand management company that specializes in the seamless integration of a company’s image, David Still is devoted to bringing brands and big ideas to life.

A firm believer in improving our world for each other and future generations, his goal is to elevate companies that truly benefit the communities and customers they serve. David’s commitment to this mission has motivated him since he was an award-winning Boy Scout of Canada and then a Big Brother for 10 years, and later led him to explore the fields of Astrophysics, Economics and Marketing—both academically and professionally.

David pursued astrophysics as a young romantic, in order to “help everyone see how beautiful and large the universe was, so maybe we’d stop bickering among ourselves.” Next, he pursued economics, believing economists could help improve society in a more practical, policy-driven way. He volunteered in Africa as a teacher of health economics and, while there, created a health and nutrition curriculum for other teachers. Eventually, realizing all change is actually driven by an ability to convince people of a need for change, he found himself launching a marketing company that would specialize in doing just that.

After earning his B.S. in Physics and Astrophysics along with an Economics degree from Queens in Kingston, Ontario, and later a Master’s in Health Economics from the University of Calgary, David pursued a career in digital media. He quickly discovered his love of spreading big ideas was an ideal fit for a career in marketing.

David has been exploring the boundaries of the industry ever since, with the same fearless, adventure-seeking spirit that led him to sky dive beside Mount Kilimanjaro and take a two-week solo trip on snow shoes, with a 100-pound backpack, through the Tonquin Valley in Jasper National Park.

As a result, he founded Arc Reactions in 2012. Today David is widely respected and sought after for his ability to create efficiencies around how information travels and is received.

Demonstrating the company’s commitment to world betterment, Arc Reactions recently created a contest for Calgary-based non-profit organizations and charities that offered $15,000 in complimentary marketing services as a prize for the most engaging videos. The contest, called “Elevate Calgary,” generated awareness of these organizations and also created a sense of community among those involved, leading several of the non-profits and charities to team up. Arc Reactions aims to turn “Elevate Calgary” into an annual competition and online platform.

David’s business management philosophy can best be summed up by what most inspires him: “Listening with an open mind, being willing to having your own ideas strengthened through critique—especially by people who are intellectually superior to you—and not being tied to your own way of thinking. You have to create something that creates trust in itself.”

In his spare time, David enjoys engaging conversations that leave his head hurting, ideas that support sustainability, the quiet and chaos of sailing, fine scotch, and volunteering.