Mr. Compton graduated from the University of Vermont in 1992 (a dual major in Economics and English and a minor in Environmental Studies) but not before leaving an indelible mark on his alma mater. As a student, he was a leader with the Outing Club, an Orientation Trek Leader for incoming students, and a member of Volunteers in Action (VIA). He was also a co-founder of VSTEP, the organization responsible for developing the University's recycling program. During his three years of involvement, VSTEP grew in size from 4 to 300 students. Mr. Compton was awarded the Kidder Medal at commencement for his commitment to leadership, scholarship and character.
After UVM, Mr. Compton joined ICF Kaiser, Inc., an economic consulting firm located in Washington, D.C., where he worked as a consultant, providing analyses and computer modeling. A year later, after deciding not to pursue the life of a consultant, he left ICF Kaiser to become a ski patroller. He looks back on those two seasons he spent in Utah with great fondness. Says Compton, "I learned that I could be really happy making $5.60 an hour and that if I'm not enjoying what I'm doing, then it's time to look for something new." He also credits his time in Utah with giving him the fortitude to "take the plunge" into entrepreneurship.
Mr. Compton left his post to work for Elizabeth Bramwell, President and Founder of Bramwell Capital Management, a well-known mutual fund in New York City. There, Mr. Compton saw first hand the rise of the Internet IPOs, and it was during this time that he began to identify the opportunity to start his own company to provide contract management and billings systems for on-line media companies. This idea transformed into Solbright, Inc., which is today the leading provider of workflow automation software for online media companies such as The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, MTV Networks, and CBS Sportsline.
In 1998, Mr. Compton and several founding partners established Mimeo, an over-the-internet printing, binding, and delivery. Mimeo runs an extensive digital printing facility that handles thousands of printing orders each month, accepting next-day delivery orders until as late as 10:00 p.m. EST. The company can meet these demands because is conveniently located at the end of the FedEx runway in Memphis, Tennessee
Today, Mr. Compton is still a Board member of both Mimeo and Solbright, but his full-time efforts are focused on building Sound Spectrum, which is pioneering the field of music visualization. The company's flagship product, G-Force, is estimated to have more than 10 million users, and Mr. Compton's hope is that it will become a ubiquitous application for all online music. When Apple first decided to enter the online music business in 2001, it approached one of Mr. Compton's partners with a request to license G-force. That licensing relationship became the impetus for incorporating SoundSpectrum. Today, G-Force software is distributed with every copy of Apple's iTunes product. This relationship helped SoundSpectrum to secure commercial licensing agreements with Microsoft, Music Match, and others. Mr. Compton helps guide SoundSpectrum's overall business strategy of a niche product that has become popular in a rapidly growing and fast-changing industry.
Mr. Compton has been a member of the School of Business Administration for the past four years. He is a regular guest lecturer at the school, where he speaks about entrepreneurship, the challenges of product design, and the trends in information technology. He is excited that the School of Business Administration is increasing its awareness and growing its image and is a strong advocate for furthering these efforts. Looking back on his own involvement with the University as a student, he is glad that he did so much with the time that he had and believes that all of his student-oriented activities have contributed to his success today as an entrepreneur.