Jake Hamann is the founder, president and CEO of OneFire, responsible for leading the company’s overall strategy and direction. The cofounder and board president of Startup Peoria, he also serves on the boards of the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council and the Downtown Development Corporation of Peoria.
Tell us about the beginnings of OneFire. How did you enter the tech world?
I started as a freelance graphic designer. I picked up my first Mac on September 10, 2001—I remember it well because of the day after, of course. That’s how I got started. It’s not what I went to school for—I went to ISU on a scholarship for music education.