OUR STORY
It's all started 20 years....
Our story began at Smarty Pants improv theater in Dayton, OH during the early 2000s. Founded by Joey Greene, Smarty Pants brought a unique approach to improv, combining ComedySportz style, outdoor education philosophy, and game theory. We performed comedy shows, taught workshops, and entertained schools across Ohio. Post-Smarty Pants, we expanded our improv training through Second City, iO, and the Annoyance Theater. With added experience in marketing, tech startups, film, commercial advertisements, the corporate ladder, and one of us even appeared on Netflix.
THE TEAM
Matt Derda
Founder
Matt Derda started doing improv in high school and joined Smarty Pants Theater company in 2004. While attending Miami University (OH) he also toured the country performing and teaching improv and acting in commercials. After college he moved to Chicago to study improv at iO, the Annoyance Theater, and completed the Second City Conservatory program.
Although Matt never got on SNL, it led to a successful career as an experienced marketer. He leveraged his improv skills in roles at nonprofits, tech startups, and PepsiCo. Additionally, he uses his passion for storytelling as a singer-songwriter.
His unique journey, from improv to the corporate landscape, encapsulates the essence of Storymind's approach.
