Derek Lundsten has an especially ambitious and noble goal for his LifeGuides company, and he expects to achieve it. That goal: to positively impact the lives of one billion people within 15 years.
“I am inspired by our mission to help people to continuously thrive in their everyday lives, and to grow the world’s largest community for sharing life experience to positively impact the lives of one billion people within 15 years,” Lundsten said. “Through conscious leadership and perseverance, this noble goal can be achieved one life at a time.”
LifeGuides is a human resources benefit provided by employers across all industries, offering a community of trained guides in more than 400 topics of personal growth, learning or life challenges. The company’s five-year focus includes building the LifeGuides brand and making it a global brand, a key step to the 15-year goal.
Lundsten holds a Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University with a double major in philosophy and psychology. He got his professional start in business development, giving him a roadmap to thinking strategically and challenging traditional business models.
By 2014, Lundsten’s entrepreneurial spirit brought together investors to purchase a SaaS technology firm, Scrimmage. As CEO, Lundsten grew Scrimmage, a mobile learning platform, into a global technology enterprise within six years. During Lundsten’s tenure, the company expanded its footprint with three physical locations, tripled its employee base and cultivated a roster of over 150 clients. By mid-2020, Lundsten led a successful exit with one essential tenet: every Scrimmage employee was to be retained by the acquiring company.
Lundsten was tapped as CEO of LifeGuides in 2020 to drive growth, build team culture and guide a move from Philadelphia to Phoenix. Under Lundsten’s leadership, LifeGuides has tripled revenues year-over-year and tripled its corporate employee base too.
“Derek is a visionary. He is always thinking big picture, swinging for the fences, and imagining what others might think impossible,” his team said. “At the same time, he gets it. He relates to each person, each teammate and is there with an empathetic ear and an equally encouraging, validated, positive spin. When he says his proverbial door is always open, he means it.”
Lundsten consults with numerous startup firms and serves on various nonprofit boards.
“Derek’s greatest contribution to LifeGuides may be an immeasurable one,” his team said. “He has empowered a culture of caring and a culture where the team truly appreciates, admires and cares for one another.”
