Contact Us
Contact Us
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Our Team
David Phillips
Innovation Provocateur
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Equal parts educator, facilitator, and instigator, David equips senior leaders and teams to challenge how they see and think, so they can spot hidden risks and opportunities and make better decisions. Since founding Faster Glass in 2010, that's meant facilitating strategy sessions, coaching leaders, and guiding teams through co-creating solutions to the kinds of wicked problems that don't yield to conventional thinking — across companies, non-profits, and government entities in a broad mix of industries. He also speaks professionally on leadership, strategy, and organizational effectiveness.
David is a firm believer that innovation is driven by connecting existing dots in new and novel ways. But the precursor to connecting dots is collecting them, and he's been fortunate to gather a lot of them. Before founding Faster Glass, he spent six years at Bank of America, where technology, innovation, and Human-Centered Design collided — and occasionally collaborated. Before that, he built his career across the U.S. Air Force, public education, and public accounting, worlds that don't usually talk to each other. It's an atypical path, and exactly what makes him effective at helping others connect dots of their own.
Based in Charlotte, David also enjoys being a husband, father, musician, photographer, and cyclist, even as he's often reminded of his amateur status in all five endeavors.
Education
David earned a B.S. in Education (cum laude) from Louisiana Tech University and an Adult Education certification from LSU.
Little Known Fact
David once danced with football legend Johnny Unitas. True story!
Dr. Kristy Teskey
Innovation Catalyst
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As a perpetual big thinker, problem solver, and meaning-maker, Kristy takes sparks of ideas and helps people and organizations bring them to life. She is an avid believer that great organizations are ones that fully align values, people, strategy, and culture. Always an educator at heart, she loves to facilitate and engage in knowledge sharing that never fails to make all ideas stronger and better. Most of all, she strives every day to be an energy giver that helps breathe new life into “this is the way we have always done it.”
Before joining Faster Glass, Kristy led the creation and collective planning process for the statewide cross-sector education initiative, myFutureNC, served as the inaugural executive director of the John M. Belk Endowment with a strategic vision toward systemic change in postsecondary education and shaped the national education to workforce philanthropic portfolio for The Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Kristy does not look at what she does as only a “day job,” but also channels her leadership and strategic thinking know-hows into her community board roles at Leadership North Carolina, YWCA of Central Carolinas, and North Carolina State University’s School of Education Advisory Board.
Education
Kristy earned a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Northeastern University, a Master of Public Administration and Nonprofit Management (Summa Cum Laude) from University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and an undergraduate degree at North Carolina State University in English Education. She lives in Charlotte with her husband and two fur babies.
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Little Known Fact
As a Southern Baptist preacher’s kid, Kristy is grateful that social media was not a thing back in the day . . . it keeps people guessing about her childhood status as a PK angel or PK hellion.
Steven Radney
Design & Strategy Consultant
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Steven is a designer who helps organizations uncover new opportunities by connecting systems, technology, and human experience in unexpected ways. Over the past 25 years, that has meant leading work across healthcare, retail, wellness, emerging technology, and hospitality — guiding everything from product innovation and service design to experience strategy and organizational transformation. Whether advising startups, shaping future-focused brands, or helping teams navigate ambiguity, Steven is driven by a belief that meaningful innovation happens when curiosity, context, and creativity intersect.
Steven’s career has consistently lived at the edges of disciplines that don’t traditionally overlap. Before leading Design Strategy efforts within KPMG’s federal practice, he worked across industrial design, engineering, retail innovation, supply chain UX, AR/VR, and wearable technology. At Lowe's, he helped lead initiatives spanning robotics, immersive retail experiences, and service design. Earlier in his career, he contributed to award-winning healthcare products at Philips-Respironics and explored the future of connected wellness through ventures in sleep and wearable technology. Across industries, Steven has built a reputation for seeing relationships others miss — translating complexity into thoughtful experiences, products, and systems.
Based in Concord, Steven spends much of his time exploring the intersection of culture, design, hospitality, mobility, and the future of cities. He enjoys hiking, foraging, curating music, discovering new restaurants, and working on his cafe racer.
Education
Steven earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Industrial Design, followed by a Master’s in Product Development, from Carnegie Mellon University.
Little Known Fact
Steven is a former competitive speed skater who has trained at Calgary’s Olympic Oval.
Steven Grass
Operations & Change Enabler
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Transitioning from carrying a rifle to wielding a whiteboard through his career in the U.S. Marine Corps and commercial finance, Steve believes that first you have to understand the WHY of the WHAT you plan to do — and that WHY is a continuous question that enables your team to find a better WHAT and HOW.
Most recently, Steve led numerous operational initiatives and change projects, including the Climate and Sustainability program at Wells Fargo Commercial Bank, and he retains an interest in a sustainable future. Prior to that, he led infantry and special operations fighting units across the globe and managed the strategy, planning, operations and business support functions of organizations up to 5,000 people. He also advised foreign militaries and police, ran a Master's-producing military college and several training organizations, led a military product team through the development of a significant Air Defense weapons system, and helped stand up Marine Corps special operations.
In his real life, Steve focuses on his family, is a sometime sprint triathlete, and enjoys destructive gardening.
Education
Steve earned a B.S. in Ocean Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, an M.S. in Computer Science from the Naval Postgraduate School and is a graduate of various military college curriculums in leadership/ethics, national security and operational design.
Little Known Fact
Steve was once caught in a harrowing flying-fish storm off the coast of Okinawa…in a small rubber boat…in the dark of night.
Dr. Deb Lord
Leadership Alchemist
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An organizational strategist with a behavioral economist’s eye and a coach’s ear, Deb helps leaders turn insight into meaningful, measurable action. She believes the best organizations align people, purpose, and strategy—and that real transformation happens when leaders are willing to challenge the status quo. Known for asking the intuitive questions others won’t and quickly getting to the heart of complex challenges, Deb helps individuals and teams move from intention to impact.
Deb brings more than 30 years of experience across healthcare, financial services, technology, higher education, and real estate. She has served as a trusted advisor to executives and leadership teams, helping organizations strengthen leadership capability, navigate change, and drive meaningful, sustainable results. Her work blends practical strategy with deep human insight—helping leaders not just think differently, but lead differently.
​Based in Charlotte, Deb enjoys time with her family, exploring local gardens, and any opportunity to slow things down enough to be fully present—something she believes is increasingly rare and incredibly valuable.
Education​
Deb is an ICF-accredited executive coach and earned a Doctor of Education in Executive Leadership, an MBA, and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral economics.
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Little Known Fact
Deb is a certified meditation teacher who has been inked by a squid and once earned the title of tri-state baton twirling champion—yes, seriously.