Expertise
I bring structure, momentum, and clear communication to ambitious work and align people around the goal to turn a big idea into an executable plan.
Executive & Nonprofit Leadership
Strategic Planning
Team & Stakeholder Coordination
I build durable relationships across business, nonprofit, government, media, sponsor, donor, and community networks.
Strategic Partnerships
Fundraising & Sponsor Engagement
Public Speaking & Advocacy
I shape the story, identity, and experience behind a brand—from the central idea through the materials people see, hear, and remember.
Brand & Creative Direction
Campaigns & Content
Websites, Print & Digital Media
I’m comfortable owning the messy middle: schedules, vendors, communications, logistics, changing conditions, and the thousand details between concept and completion.
Events & Experiential Marketing
Program Development
Launch & Operational Execution
About
I’m John Sherfel but most people know me professionally as Johnny Blayze. I’m an executive leader, creative director, founder, and community builder based in Tennessee, with more than 25 years of experience building brands, launching ventures, producing events, and bringing people together around ideas worth pursuing.
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Emailjohnny@pixeljunkiedesign.com
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FocusLeadership, Brand, Events & Partnerships
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Phone(931) 254 2358
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ResumeDownload CV
Today, I serve as Executive Director of UC Makerspace, where I lead strategy, fundraising, partnerships, communications, and program development. I also founded Wanderlust Waypoints, a North American network that has served more than 650 travelers through partnerships with 30 properties, and Pixel Junkie, a marketing, media, and design company that has supported hundreds of businesses and nonprofits across the United States and Canada.
I’m at my best where leadership, creativity, communication, and real-world execution overlap.
I know how to take a vision that exists mostly in someone’s head, make it understandable to other people, build support around it, and help turn it into something real. That may mean developing the strategy, pitching civic and business leaders, producing an event, directing a campaign, building the website, coordinating partners, or fixing the operational gaps nobody noticed until launch day.
I’m open to fully remote leadership roles, select consulting engagements, and opportunities that require both strategic vision and follow-through. I’m also open to travel and to either W-2 or contract arrangements.
Capabilities & Results
Additional Skills & Capabilities:
Strategic planning • Nonprofit leadership • Fundraising • Sponsor engagement • Experiential marketing • Stakeholder management • Public speaking • Storytelling • Social media strategy • Email marketing • WordPress • Adobe Creative Suite • Canva • Google Workspace • Microsoft Office • AI-assisted workflows
Experience & Education
Lead organizational strategy, operations, fundraising, partnerships, communications, and program development for a nonprofit serving makers, creators, food entrepreneurs, and small businesses. Secured more than $50,000 in private support within 18 months and created MakerFest, coordinating nearly 100 vendors, 10 performers, sponsors, volunteers, demonstrations, marketing, and site logistics.
Built a distributed hospitality and nomadic makerspace network that has served more than 650 travelers through partnerships with 30 properties. Direct partner relationships, customer experience, digital strategy, communications, operating standards, and a cross-platform audience reaching more than 250,000.
Built a distributed hospitality and nomadic makerspace network that has served more than 650 travelers through partnerships with 30 properties. Direct partner relationships, customer experience, digital strategy, communications, operating standards, and a cross-platform audience reaching more than 250,000.
Built and lead a full-service creative practice that has supported hundreds of business and nonprofit clients. Direct brand strategy and hands-on production across websites, campaigns, content, social media, email, advertising, photography, print, signage, packaging, hosting, SEO, and launch execution. The current Pixel Junkie brand has operated since 2010, building on earlier creative work dating to 1999.
Earlier roles included remote corporate graphic production, marketing consulting, multi-market marketing direction, digital marketing, web management, commercial audio production, and live on-air work. These positions built the communication, timing, adaptability, and audience instincts that continue to shape my leadership and creative work.
Portfolio
Contact
