MDNA Acquired by Envision

From Ed Kang, Creator of MDNA

Hello Everybody,

I have exciting news. MDNA is about to go to a whole new level.

MDNA has been acquired by Liz Zurek Beaudry and her company Envision, a brand strategy and digital marketing firm. Envision is based in the Minneapolis Minnesota area and has won over 40 communication awards. If you didn’t know, being part of the Envision ecosystem is what opened the door for MDNA to be used with the Muhammad Ali brand, which is one of our most recognized case studies.

The reason I sold MDNA is simple. Since its inception in 2009, MDNA was never about me. (Sure, sometimes my ego got in the way and I made it all about me.) MDNA is meant to be bigger than one person. Just like all the pioneers and thought leaders I studied for the foundational principles of MDNA, I feel tremendous peace about my contribution and now it is time to let someone fly this rocket ship to new heights.

Liz is the right person and Envision is the right company for this next challenge. Not to take away from all the other organizations we have worked with, but Liz and Envision have monetized MDNA to the greatest degree. In fact, it is because of Liz and Envision MDNA Cloud was made possible. Many don’t know this, but for years I took every penny made from Envision using MDNA and invested it, bootstrapping my entire life, into our software platform.

I’m not going anywhere. This acquisition allows me to focus on continuing my research and development. I now have the luxury of focusing on new MDNA applications and efficacy without the weight of running an organization. I’m pretty much going back into the (UCD) sandbox which is where my true calling (intrinsic motivation) is.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everybody that has made this personal journey with me. I apologize if I can’t connect with all of you personally and you are seeing this news here for the first time. I have probably received over a thousand different messages with encouragement, feedback, and constructive criticism since 2009. I am so grateful for the experience and anybody who took the time to contribute to MDNA.

You will be hearing from Liz Zurek Beaudry and Envision next (keep scrolling in fact). I encourage you to contact Liz for whatever you need. For those actively involved in using MDNA, we both ask for your patience during this transition period. For now, it is business as usual and once Liz gets up to speed, I expect we will all see the next level of our vision become reality.

Ed Kang
Creator of MDNA

PS. Liz is an IAF/EIA which is a polar opposite of my UCD/EIA on the MDNA spectrum. This means MDNA going to the next level means it is going to benefit from Liz’s gifts in a more holistic way. Liz will bring an “intimate ecosystems” approach which I know will make heaps of difference!

From Liz Zurek Beaudry, President, Envision

Hello MDNA Community,

By now, you’re aware that Envision has acquired MDNA. I wanted to send a note on the heels of Ed’s announcement.

First, I’m excited for what this means not only for Envision but the MDNA community as a whole. And I look forward to meeting more of you via email, social, a conversation.

I’ve been using MDNA in my work as the owner of Envision for 8+ years. Let me just say the feedback is always the same: MDNA is on point in terms of personal results and brand culture as a whole. Companies immediately see the value in the principles that drive the MDNA engine. This is just the start of the impact that I believe MDNA can have in the world.

Its capabilities to take principles that identify how employees are motivated and measure culture are unprecedented. MDNA is an innovative paradigm and it has the ability to transform how employees engage with their work and owners build their organization’s culture.

I know that this acquisition may come as a surprise and some of you may be wondering what’s next. With that question, I welcome a conversation and/or let’s connect on social media. I’m very interested in hearing how MDNA has impacted you and your work and how you’d like to be involved moving forward. As an IAF, I believe the ecosystem is key in getting the MDNA paradigm out into the world.

Please feel free to email me at lbeaudry@thinkenvision.com or connect on LinkedIn at Liz Zurek Beaudry. I look forward to hearing from you and meeting more of you in the MDNA community.

Warm Regards,

Liz