
Bob Armbrister
President & CEO at SPARK Business Works
The entrepreneur next door. Bob launched his first startup right before the 2008 crash– it failed of course. But then he turned around and scaled an iPad app built for $1,800 to 3M downloads.
Since then, Bob has continued to deliver the same ‘practical innovation’ and ROI to hundreds of clients– even in the most unlikely places. Construction job sites. Manufacturing plant floors. Pet cremation services. Wait, what?
You are going to love to geek out with Bob’s contrarian views of what digital transformation ACTUALLY looks like in high-growth companies– whether they’re your local business or a national leader.
Your audience can learn (and laugh) from his stories of serving clients, growing successful tech teams, or raising his 4 boys.
It’s real business leadership and real life… and there’s something in the water at Bob’s company, SPARK.
- Tech Entrepreneur
- 📍Kalamazoo, MI
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LET'S TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP & CULTURE
- Tech
- Start Ups
- Practical Innovation
- Construction
- Manufacturing / Industrial
- Enterprise Professional Services
- B2B
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Bob Armbrister serves as the President and CEO of SPARK Business Works, a business-first team that designs and builds custom digital solutions. SPARK specializes in custom software, strategic design, business dashboards, and data integration.
Bob was recently selected as a 40 Under 40 leader by the Grand Rapids Business Journal and SPARK was named to the Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies and Michigan 50 Companies to Watch lists. SPARK is recognized nationally for helping firms build and adopt technology solutions that result in “practical innovation”.
Bob has led SPARK to serve hundreds of clients using a business-first approach to custom software. Bob and his team have launched and scaled solutions in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and professional services. He leans on his 15 years of executive experience to implement "The SPARK Way" – an approach of practical innovation that helps business leaders build tech that gets adopted (and delivers ROI quickly).

BOOK NOW FOR your podcast
Bob Armbrister
President & CEO at SPARK Business Works
- Tech Entrepreneur
- 📍Kalamazoo, MI
The entrepreneur next door. Bob launched his first startup right before the 2008 crash– it failed of course. But then he turned around and scaled an iPad app built for $1,800 to 3M downloads.
Since then, Bob has continued to deliver the same ‘practical innovation’ and ROI to hundreds of clients– even in the most unlikely places. Construction job sites. Manufacturing plant floors. Pet cremation services. Wait, what?
You are going to love to geek out with Bob’s contrarian views of what digital transformation ACTUALLY looks like in high-growth companies– whether they’re your local business or a national leader.
Your audience can learn (and laugh) from his stories of serving clients, growing successful tech teams, or raising his 4 boys.
It’s real business leadership and real life… and there’s something in the water at Bob’s company, SPARK.
read more
LET'S TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP & CULTURE
- Tech
- Start Ups
- Practical Innovation
- Construction
- Manufacturing / Industrial
- Enterprise Professional Services
- B2B
--
Bob Armbrister serves as the President and CEO of SPARK Business Works, a business-first team that designs and builds custom digital solutions. SPARK specializes in custom software, strategic design, business dashboards, and data integration.
Bob was recently selected as a 40 Under 40 leader by the Grand Rapids Business Journal and SPARK was named to the Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies and Michigan 50 Companies to Watch lists. SPARK is recognized nationally for helping firms build and adopt technology solutions that result in “practical innovation”.
Bob has led SPARK to serve hundreds of clients using a business-first approach to custom software. Bob and his team have launched and scaled solutions in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and professional services. He leans on his 15 years of executive experience to implement "The SPARK Way" – an approach of practical innovation that helps business leaders build tech that gets adopted (and delivers ROI quickly).
BOOK NOW FOR your podcast
Bob Armbrister
President & CEO at SPARK Business Works
- 📍Kalamazoo, MI
- Tech Entrepreneur
The entrepreneur next door. Bob launched his first startup right before the 2008 crash– it failed of course. But then he turned around and scaled an iPad app built for $1,800 to 3M downloads.
Since then, Bob has continued to deliver the same ‘practical innovation’ and ROI to hundreds of clients– even in the most unlikely places. Construction job sites. Manufacturing plant floors. Pet cremation services. Wait, what?
You are going to love to geek out with Bob’s contrarian views of what digital transformation ACTUALLY looks like in high-growth companies– whether they’re your local business or a national leader.
Your audience can learn (and laugh) from his stories of serving clients, growing successful tech teams, or raising his 4 boys.
It’s real business leadership and real life… and there’s something in the water at Bob’s company, SPARK.
read more
LET'S TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP & CULTURE
- Tech
- Start Ups
- Practical Innovation
- Construction
- Manufacturing / Industrial
- Enterprise Professional Services
- B2B
--
Bob Armbrister serves as the President and CEO of SPARK Business Works, a business-first team that designs and builds custom digital solutions. SPARK specializes in custom software, strategic design, business dashboards, and data integration.
Bob was recently selected as a 40 Under 40 leader by the Grand Rapids Business Journal and SPARK was named to the Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies and Michigan 50 Companies to Watch lists. SPARK is recognized nationally for helping firms build and adopt technology solutions that result in “practical innovation”.
Bob has led SPARK to serve hundreds of clients using a business-first approach to custom software. Bob and his team have launched and scaled solutions in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and professional services. He leans on his 15 years of executive experience to implement "The SPARK Way" – an approach of practical innovation that helps business leaders build tech that gets adopted (and delivers ROI quickly).
As seen on




Timeline
2017 - Present
CEO
2020
Top 25% INC 5000 Fastest Growing Companies
430% Revenue Growth in 3 Years
Exited first SaaS Platform
🚀
2016 - Present
CIO
2019
Biz Journal 40 Under 40 Business Leader
Grew annual fundraising to $85M per year, 4x the previous average.
Had 4th kiddo
🏆👶
2014 - 2020
Co-Founder & CIO
2009 - 2016
Executive Director of Administration
Ask me
What it was like launching a SaaS startup right as the Great Recession hit... and it FAILING? |
How the pandemic prompted his team to launch a custom digital tool that got adopted by hundreds of thousands of construction users (one of the most laggard industries)? |
What should the average business know that nobody is telling them? |
Stories from having FOUR (4!) young kids, being a young Executive, with a young team and a growing business. |
How we manifested “4 Locations in 4 Years” ...growing national and international teams. |
What the innovation ecosystem is like in the midwest and what it is like thriving from a city with a name like Kalamazoo. |
What is NOT going to change with tech by 2025 and what the younger tech professionals are missing. |