From traditional roles to AI implementation
30+ years hands-on · A practical leader who does the work
I started in 1993 with the first issue of Wired and taught myself HTML and Photoshop when almost no one understood the web. Over 30+ years I've held every role — designer, developer, project manager, QA, SEO, journalist — led real teams and real contracts, including a $60M deal, and written 1,600+ articles. Today I bring that hands-on foundation to AI implementation that creates measurable value. I'm not a theorist. I'm a practical leader who ships.
Mark Derho is a contractor, consultant, journalist, and technology professional who's also looking for the right long-term team to build with.
His internet career started in 1993. He was on track to become a lawyer — he'd just graduated from the Baruch College Paralegal Program and held a great job at a white-shoe law firm in NYC. Then he picked up the very first issue of Wired Magazine, which introduced him to the World Wide Web and completely changed the direction of his life.
He taught himself HTML and Photoshop, immersed himself in a technology that almost no one understood, and ended up pioneering the beginning of the commercial web.
He's spent more than three decades evolving alongside technology — from the birth of the commercial web, through digital marketing, mobile, cloud computing, and now immersion in AI. He's excited for what's next and welcomes the opportunity to build it together.
Mark believes we're standing at another moment like 1993.
Back then, the Internet changed everything. Today, artificial intelligence is doing the same — x10.
He's looking for an organization where he can contribute not just as a contractor or consultant, but as someone who understands technology from the ground floor, adapts quickly, and enjoys building products, solving problems, and helping great teams accomplish ambitious goals.
After reading the first issue of Wired in 1993, Mark applied for a sales position with a startup called Foreman Interactive. Instead of sales, he became the company's first web designer, building websites with the first WYSIWYG web development tool, Internet Creator.
Looking back, he was fortunate to be there pioneering the very beginning of the commercial web.
Over the next fifteen years, Mark worked throughout New York City with Fortune 500 corporations, startups, government agencies, nonprofits, and media companies.
He wore many hats: web designer, developer, project manager, QA specialist, SEO strategist, content creator, documentation writer, and digital marketing consultant.
One of Mark's favorite startup experiences was at CarDay, where he served as Director, managing a team of nine developers and designers while working directly with the CEO and CFO.
Like many startups, it meant twelve-hour days, constant problem-solving, and learning how to move quickly without sacrificing quality.
Mark eventually built his own agency, Tech Savvy NYC, where he spent years helping small businesses establish their online presence.
As an original Google Engage for Agencies partner, he focused on websites, search marketing, digital strategy, and helping businesses grow through technology.
One of the most rewarding chapters of Mark's career was leading BIKE RENT NYC, which he led it to become the largest bike rental company in the United States.
Together with the team, they won a six-year, $60 million contract with New York City and Central Park. Mark helped build the technology ecosystem, websites, marketing systems, business integrations, sponsorship programs, and digital infrastructure that supported a team of more than 150 people.
Seven years ago, Mark moved to Puerto Rico and launched his own tourism business. Unfortunately, storefront rental costs forced him to close it, but that experience pushed him toward the next major transformation in his career: artificial intelligence.
Since embracing AI, Mark has become a contributing journalist for Resident Magazine, writing 1,600+ published articles covering artificial intelligence, technology, luxury real estate, hospitality, fintech, travel, innovation, and business leadership.
Through interviews with CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, and industry experts, he's learned how to communicate complex ideas in ways that engage both business and consumer audiences.
Over 30 years, Mark has personally held these roles:
He didn't observe these roles — he held them, across startups, Fortune 500s, government, and media.
For the last three years, Mark has been all-in on AI, using it every single day:
This is hands-on, applied AI — not theory.
Mark is self-taught by nature. In 1993 he taught himself HTML and Photoshop when almost no one understood the web — and he's never stopped.
He can learn anything, he's willing to put in the work, and he genuinely still enjoys it. That is the through-line of his entire 30+ year career: curiosity, disciplined self-study, and immediate application. AI simply made the loop faster.
Mark holds 11 Google certifications — a concrete, verified commitment to credentialed knowledge, not just claims.
He was also an original Google Engage for Agencies partner through Tech Savvy NYC. Add the certifications to 30+ years of real experience and the daily AI practice, and you get someone who can both talk about it and do it.
The largest bike rental company in the United States. Mark led the team to win a six-year, $60 million contract with New York City and Central Park, and built the full technology ecosystem — websites, marketing, integrations, sponsorships — supporting 150+ people.
Mark's own agency. An original Google Engage for Agencies partner. He spent years helping small NYC businesses establish their online presence through websites, search marketing, and digital strategy.
Mark is a contributing journalist, writing 1,600+ published articles on AI, technology, luxury real estate, hospitality, fintech, travel, innovation, and business leadership — including interviews with CEOs, founders, and industry experts.
Three years of everyday, applied AI: research and journalism, AI-assisted video production, music creation, and web-based applications built for fun and profit.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/markderho/