Ralph Dandrea
Ralph Dandrea is the founder and CEO of ITX Corp., a company with expertise in technology strategy and consulting, Web and mobile application development, SEO and internet marketing, and solving technology problems through experimentation.
First and foremost an entrepreneur, Ralph Dandrea founded ITX to find interesting problems to solve. He received a BS in Finance from Rochester Institute of Technology, with a focus on economics. Dandrea liberally applies utility theory in his professional and personal lives, and considers himself an economist at heart. A lifelong learner, he also earned both a Juris Doctorate and an MBA from SUNY Buffalo.
Following in the footsteps of several generations, Dandrea’s entrepreneurial experience began at age 12 with electronics, and at 14 with computer database services. His knack for solving problems using technology led him to continue with a series of business endeavors throughout his youth.
Working full-time throughout his education, Dandrea became a partner and later sold a profitable telecommunications business. Next, he started a technology consulting firm and even tried his hand in the restaurant business. Finding technology far more lucrative, he exited the food industry and focused on the technology business. In 1994, Dandrea was recruited as a director of information technology by a division of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. In that role, Dandrea was responsible for outfitting home health nurses, physical therapists, and social workers with laptops, and rebuilding the computerized billing system for those services. However, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to start laying the groundwork to go back out on his own with a large project with the University of Rochester, and on October 1, 1997, Dandrea founded ITX.
As a dedicated problem-solver, Dandrea built ITX as a problem-solving organization. The problems vary over time, and technology changes. In response, ITX continues to broaden its range of capabilities and the types of challenges it seeks. As the company and Dandrea evolved, he went from juggling all roles to acting solely as the CEO. And this is where Dandrea is most comfortable. Today, he uses his unique way of looking at the world to lead the firm, to coach his managers, and to build strong relationships with clients. This approach has been the foundation for ITX’s ability to thrive for over 15 years.
In addition to being CEO, Dandrea is a public speaker, social science researcher, and author. A project that allows him to interweave all of these elements is the development of what he calls “distinctions,” thoughtful approaches for dealing with familiar problems. At ITX, Dandrea’s philosophies are the underpinnings for the company’s mission, vision, and values. In essence, his approach to maximizing organizational performance is to change the way people see the world in which they operate to make them more powerful in their roles.
Beyond ITX, Dandrea is ardent about his involvement with the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a worldwide collaborative comprising thousands of business owners seeking to learn from each other. Dandrea has held a variety of leadership positions within that group, both at the local and global level. He also sits on a variety of other boards for both profit-making and nonprofit organizations.
To read Dandrea’s body of work, visit his author page at the Social Science Research Network.
Articles about Dandrea and ITX:
“Running a Business With Staff Scattered Around the World,” September 5, 2012
“Additions are a key driver for Pittsford firm,” June 1, 2012
“13 Most Common Mistakes Made When Hiring,” November 9, 2011
“Evidence points to energy savings in cloud computing,” October 7, 2011
“Terrorist attacks gave many CEOs new perspective,” September 9, 2011
“ITX expands again with its eighth acquisition,” September 24, 2010
“Taking a lifelong journey to improvement,” January 15, 2010
“ITX merges with piece of Web firm,” December 11, 2009