Chris Savage updates us on his journey steering a profitable, independent company through shifting markets and investor pressures. In 2022, Chris discussed why he had raised $17.9 million debt to buy his investors out. He believed the move would allow him to focus on building a long-term, profitable company with decisions no longer dominated by short-term numbers. How’d that work out?
Stepping away from outside capital unlocked freedom, alignment, and renewed innovation. The change in ownership, profit-sharing, and sharper strategic focus has fueled sustainable growth. Chris believes independence has been a competitive advantage.
Packed with real stories and practical takeaways, this session will inspire you to rethink scale, culture, and success. If you’re building software and want to grow on your own terms, this is a talk you won’t want to miss.
Chris Savage
Chris Savage is CEO & co-founder of Wistia, the best video hosting platform we know. (BoS opinion, not Press Release).
Armed only with a degree in Art-Semiotics and his experience editing and producing an Emmy Award winning documentary as a recent college grad, Chris and co-founder, Brendan Schwartz, started Wistia in 2006. They raised some angel funding in the early days and since then, have consciously grown a profitable, long term, business that customers and employees love. Wistia now employs over 100 people in its Boston HQ and is focused on building a business for the long term.
Chris Lavigne
Chris Lavigne is the director of video production at Wistia, where he’s been making videos since 2011. He coined the term “lighting on the fly” and believes great video is less about fancy cameras and more about the idea, the approach, and helping people feel comfortable on screen.
Chris is always testing new tools and workflows, from AI-driven experiments to remote and hybrid production setups, all with the goal of making video creation easier and more human. He thrives on turning constraints into creativity and finding ways to make even “boring” industries fun on video.
When he’s not holding a camera, you can usually find him driving a backhoe, quoting lines from Jurassic Park, or hanging out with his dog, Lenny.