The Story Behind the Forge

I'm Todd Girvin, a former founder and CEO turned executive coach.

For most of my career, I've worked where technology, leadership, and organizational growth meet. I've built entrepreneurial companies, led teams through complexity, and partnered with leaders facing the kinds of decisions that don't have obvious answers.

But my commitment to innovation and leadership isn't only professional. It's personal.

I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for modern science and medicine. That reality has shaped how I think about responsibility, progress, and the part leaders play in shaping the future. It's why I'm drawn to organizations using new ideas, whether through science, technology, or new ways of working, to make the world better for the people they serve.

That drive led to Futuremakers. My purpose is simple but not easy:

Today that work centers on AI. I use AI every day to run my own business, and I help CEOs empower every employee to partner with AI, magnify their impact, and accelerate their clients, customers, and industry.

I started my career as a technologist alongside entrepreneurs, beginning as an entry-level consultant and growing into C-level roles across startups and small businesses. Along the way, I also supported larger organizations, including mid-to-large corporations and the U.S. government.

In 2003, I co-founded Improving and became CEO. A few years in, I had to confront a hard truth: I wasn't the right person for that seat. I invited a trusted friend to step in, and we kept building, until he hit his own ceiling and sought outside coaching.

That experience changed everything. He brought what he learned back and ran a leadership program inside Improving for our leadership team, including me. It felt like an on-the-job MBA and showed me what intentional leadership can look like when it has the right support, the right structure, and a culture that's healthy by design.

Later, when Improving acquired our first company in Houston, I led the branch as President. Over a few intense years, we lived through a full business cycle:

Through recruiting, layoffs, helping former teammates land well, rebuilding the organization, and putting new leadership in place to succeed me, I discovered weaknesses I needed to own, and strengths I didn't know I had. Those years taught me that leadership isn't a title but a practice. And it gets dramatically better when you don't try to do it alone.

I eventually exited the company to pursue other ventures, but I've stayed close with friends at Improving. When my wife had the opportunity to move to the D.C. area for a government role, we leaned into the adventure together. After the move, I began executive coaching.

Coaching led me to a deeper question: what kind of leaders do I most want to serve, and why? That reflection helped me name what truly motivates me: working with people who are building not just successful organizations, but a better future.

That's why Futuremakers is for leaders of purpose-driven organizations, and why my work with them now starts with AI.