Forty under 40: Kristian Andersen, 34

Kristian Andersen, 34

Founder and president

Kristian Andersen + Associates

Although born in New York City and raised in Conway, Ark., Kristian Andersen thinks being in Indianapolis splits the difference between the two disparate locations.

"I have a deep, rich vested interest

The company offers traditional branding/design work, such as brand naming, corporate identity design and interactive Web site design. Founded in 1997, the company now employs seven full-time and two part-time employees. It boasts both local and national clients, including ExactTarget, an Indianapolis-based on-demand e-mail software marketing company.

"We are called upon to become experts in a field quickly," Andersen said. A majority of clients are technology startups. Andersen's company also has invested in a large number of clients.

"We have formalized the process of taking equity stakes in our clients," Andersen said. Since they have invested in the client's company, both sides work hard to succeed, he says.

Andersen comes by design naturally. His father had a multi-location architectural and design firm, Georg Andersen Associates, in New York, Dallas and Little Rock

His first boss, Greg Bell, encouraged him to start his own design company and said he'd be his first customer. Bell, president and CEO of Indianapolis-based Healthx, which provides automated customer service and communications for the health care industry, is still a client today. Andersen + Associates designed its brand, marketing materials, Web site and application user interface.

Andersen earned a bachelor's degree in design from Anderson University and has completed additional study in digital and industrial design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

In 2005, he was one of 40 design executives in the nation selected to attend the Harvard Business School Design Leadership Program, sponsored by the American Institute of Graphic Arts. He was a finalist for Junior Achievement's 2005 and 2006 Indy's Best and Brightest awards, honoring outstanding professionals under 40 making significant business contributions throughout the region.

Andersen is chairman of The Harrison Center for the Arts, an Indianapolis-based organization promoting awareness and appreciation for arts and culture. He's also a member of the Design Management Institute, an international not-for-profit organization based in Boston that promotes awareness of design as essential to business strategy.

An active member of AIGA and Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Andersen says "the line between professional and community involvement blurs."

"I am a Christian and I feel that it's foolish to believe that one can take credit for all that you achieve in life," he said.

Andersen and his wife, Brandi, have two daughters - Scout, 3, and Daisy, 1. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, reading, traveling and fly-fishing.