Principals

The Founding Partners

James Caldwell

James Caldwell

James Caldwell has more than twenty years of editorial and design experience in both print and Internet publishing, where he has relished the challenge of creating effective user experience and interface design. He has served in management and creative roles with a wide range of companies and he has defined integrated communications strategies for a diverse clientele. He has helped companies including MSNBC, Rogers, IBM, Gateway, Newsweek, Univision and the New York Daily News define their business goals, brand strategies and content publishing direction on the Internet.

As VP of Design & Client Services at Circle.com (a division of Havas, the sixth-largest global advertising group), Caldwell led several multi-million dollar client engagements. He defined methodologies that integrated creative, publishing, branding and technology disciplines to enable clients to develop and present a consistent message across publishing platforms. In particular, he specialized in the development of eCRM practices and integrated solutions involving editorial and e-commerce initiatives.

Before moving to New York, Caldwell co-founded his own company – Thirst, which focused on corporate communications and information design services for such firms as Hill & Knowlton, Sybase, Clearnet, Midas and the Family Channel. Caldwell began his career in newspaper and magazine publishing at the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

Caldwell studied Art History and Criticism and earned his BFA from the University of Toronto. He received a Fine Arts Diploma from Sheridan College. After eleven years in New York he has returned to Toronto.

Michael Nicklas

Michael Nicklas

Michael Nicklas has worked with software development and integration for the last fifteen years. He has a proven ability to identify new technologies and implement emerging business models. He has helped companies including Viacom, Univision, IBM, Nielsen and Disney develop and deploy strategic technology initiatives. Michael joined Thirst in 2002.

As CTO of The Shooting Gallery an independent film company, Nicklas led the build-out of SG’s digital media and communications infrastructure. Prior to joining The Shooting Gallery, Nicklas was interim CTO of Univision Online where he oversaw technical development and strategic alliances for the Spanish language portal.

Before Univision, Nicklas was President of the Gryphon Group, a software strategy and development company based in New York City. Nicklas led efforts including: Acquire, the first application for secure file-transfer via HTTP; Sounder, an R&D effort for the first Nielsen Internet people-meter; and NOW Up-to-Date & Contact, the first web-based calendar and contact application (purchased by Qualcomm). Nicklas joined the Gryphon Group from the digital applications group at VIACOM.

Nicklas received a BA in International Studies from The American University, he studied linguistics and anthropology at Indiana University, and he was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. Nicklas lives in Sharon, Connecticut.