Meet Devan Maki

Spotlight Fargo Team Devan Maki

Where are you from?

I am from Spooner, WI – a small town that most people have never heard of.

Tell us a little bit about you.

I grew up in small town Wisconsin, but I have lived in a lot of different places (British Columbia, AR, TX, KY, IA, ND). I’m a big hockey fan – I played as long as I could to avoid college and still skate as much as I can today. I have degrees from three different colleges (Williston State, UND, University of Arkansas at Little Rock), but attended a few others along the way. I love to travel and being outdoors as much as possible when the weather is right.

If there was a movie about your life, who would play you and why?

I have no idea. I enjoy watching movies, but I can’t tell you who most of the actors are or anything about them.

What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

I love traveling and experiencing new places with my fiancé and dog. We have friends all over the country and beyond, and that’s only because we’re always open to an adventure.

What’s a ridiculous fact about yourself?

I am from Wisconsin and……I don’t like cheese.

What part of your position provides the most value?

(I read this as the same question as two lower? If you mean something else by it, let me know and I can give you an answer.)

Tell us about your experience.

I got my start in collegiate athletics while completing my MBA at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. From there, I became a General Manager for Peak Sports MGMT at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi and later at Murray State. My role included oversight of the athletic department’s sponsorship revenue as well as being the primary seller of corporate advertising for the department. After almost six years in collegiate athletics, I took a leap of faith into pro sports with the Iowa Wild. Unfortunately, this wasn’t long before COVID devastated the sports industry, especially the minor leagues. That’s when my fiancé and I decided it was a good time to get out of sports and we moved to Fargo to be closer to our families. For the last year I worked at Tellwell as the sole outbound business development representative.

What part of your job do you believe makes the most impact?

Creating and providing solutions for businesses’ and individuals’ problems is really important to me. I feel that through creative and strategic marketing, you can help others overcome whatever challenges lay before them. I believe the most rewarding feeling is providing a solution to others and being able to see the results and success afterwards.

Why does our community matter to you?

I haven’t been in Fargo for very long, but I have really enjoyed my time here thus far. From social and networking events to walking down the street and participating in recreational activities, everybody has been super warm and welcoming. Not everywhere that I have lived has felt like this, so I want to contribute and make others feel as welcomed as I do.

What are some of your goals at Spotlight?

I want to help continue to grow Spotlight and reach businesses and organizations in new markets and industries that we’ve never thought of before. This will allow Spotlight to continue to grow as we continue to help more organizations succeed and achieve their goals. At the end of the day, my goal is to help others, and I want to do that by providing them with results.