Andy Abramson

Fariston Drive

Moved to California in 1991, started my own marketing communications agency in 1993, now have 27 team members working for me. In the last five years 15 of my agency's clients have had successful exits. We specialize in technology, consumer products and Business to Business clients. I also co-host the longest running daily technology news program on the web, "the World Technology Roundup" on KenRadio.com and have for the past ten years.

Married in 2007 in the vineyards of Domaine D'Aupilhac in Montpeyroux France and again in the lobby of the W in San Francisco. It was an Ambush wedding, also known as a Hostel Takeover with 100 friends in attendance. Helene and I met in 2004 in the lobby of the W. I was carrying four bottles of wine for a wine dinner that night. She was sitting there with her laptop, a glass of red wine and pink furry UGG boots. I went to my room, grabbed my laptop and asked "can I share half of your Internet connection." Next thing you know she's coming to the wine dinner, we dated three times that week, and by the end of the year in 2004 knew we were going to get married.

Staged Celebrity All Star Hockey events for Charity 1988-1998 including bringing Bobby Clarke out of retirement. NHL Legends, USA Olympic Heroes and Hollywood and music stars played or coached for us. We raised over six million for charities.

Retired Bobby Clarke in 1984, Laid Pelle Lindbergh to rest in 1985 while working for the Flyers. It's not often you get to retire your idol. What a rush that was to be the "producer" of his retirement night.

Worked for the Flyers from 1976-1988 developing all their youth hockey programs called Hockey Central as President and Executive Director. Ran the Flyers Office as Office Manager 1982-84 and did various special projects, sales and marketing. That era prepared me more for my future career than anything.

Moved out west for the balance of 1988 for the Coors Classic Bike Race as Director of Marketing, got recruited away by the Denver Nuggets to be a Corporate Account Executive for Sponsorship and Advertising Sales. Worked until I heard the team was for sale, and decided to finish college, but got snapped up by FCB/Impact and learned how to be an agency guy. Worked out of my house on Fariston Drive, running accounts.

FCB/Impact 1989-1991, Account Manager

Went back to Temple University in 1989, Graduated (finally) with a B.S. in Journalism. I still go back to Temple and make up my "cuts" as a guest lecturer in the Journalism department.

Upper Deck Company, 1991-1992 as Manager, Sports Marketing and Promotions, helping grow the trading card company from under 30 million in sales to close to 300 million in 18 months. Then the whole marketing and sales team that did that got whacked.

Just separated. Divorce in six months.

I remember being in the third grade and Ms. Brower had Mr. Lupin testing us on our reading comprehension. He ran out of text books from Finletter so he asked me to read his grad school books. I did. And passed.

I remember when Dr. Larkin came back from teaching in Ireland and telling us about the way they punished students over there, and how he wouldn't administer corporal punishment.

I recall chaining up the Finletter Firetower, wearing armbands and wanting to protest the fact that we didn't have a lunch room, that there wasn't a hole in the fence at Front and Godfrey and a few other things. Billy Zitomer and I along with one or two others did that "protest." Professor Altman promised the hole in the fence would be there. Some 25 years or so later I ran into her and she told me that she eventually made good on her word.

I remember when 30 of us applied to go to Wilson and Fels, all turning down Central and Girls High....

I remember sledding down the back driveway and shooting hoops at Stuart Steinberg's with Fritz and others. We played late into the night, and Bobby Leno had the best outside jumper around. Then we would go "sit on the wall." There was also handball in the driveway, box ball in the street and hockey with Neil Cohen and Dishy on Walnut Park Drive. We used iceless pucks and played what seemed like forever.

I recall many of you wondering why I walked around the neighborhood carrying a lacrosse stick and ball in 1974. That was when I worked for the Wings, the orginal Wings. That was my career start and at the same time, when I think in many ways I left 2 & C emotionally moving on and starting a whole different chapter in my life. I was all of 14. Now 34 years later it feels like yesterday.