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Publication: Kalamazoo Gazette

Twenty six year old Daniel Martinez is working on a new concept in a new downtown office in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This new concept stars the Biggby Coffee Company that calls Kalamazoo its home, while it is currently working on expanding throughout the country. The various visual scenarios for this potential client are in the works, but Dan reveals the slogan for the concept, ‘Biggby Coffee—Just for Drinking.’ This is one of his team’s “big projects” says Dan.

Dan is the co-founder and co-owner of Rhino Media Productions whose new office sits on Rose Street across from the Amtrak station. Its big picture windows, high ceiling, and open layout give its team of Media Ninjas room to roam while they fill the whole space with creativity energy. There’s a bottle of mouthwash sitting next to Dan and his big Macintosh computer that his uses for his video editing. He caught me eyeing the mouthwash inquisitively as he finished up a bit of work. “I hate coffee breath, there’s nothing worse”, he states, a smile breaking across his face dissipating his concentrated features as explains, turning his attention away from the screen.

I am whisked away in his beige Honda, Dan is always on the go. He is wearing his Friday casual: jeans, business loafers, and his Rhino Media polo. His black hair is cut short. A genuine people person, he tells me about his life with ease. “Everyone has a story”, he insists. That’s what he walked away with after his time spent in Africa. One of his biggest life questions—“How can I tell people’s stories”. While a contract with Biggby doesn’t exactly answer this question, Dan isn’t concerned. He is however confident that as Rhino Media continues to grow, and crash through new boundaries, like the one standing between personal narratives and advertising perhaps, that they are “on the verge of something big”. 

Dan’s co-partner at Rhino, as founder and owner, is Kevin Romero who is pitching Rhino’s promotional video ideas to Biggby’s Corporate Division today. Back when Rhino Media was still in its “pipe-dream” stage, the members of the team spent much of their time at Kyle yle Kinney’s Biggby Coffee Franchise on Stadium Drive. After making some promo-videos for local franchise owners such as Kyle, Rhino caught the interest of ‘Biggby Bob’ at Corporate.