Every meaningful connection begins with a conversation. As Chief Conversational Officer, Ivy Green has helped shape the voice and personality behind Ashby Navis & Tennyson’s Interactive Literary Business Cards. In this interview, she reflects on why stories matter, how literary personas create more engaging experiences, and why the future of technology should always put people before platforms.

Reporter Interviews Ivy Green

Chief Conversational Officer
Ashby Navis & Tennyson Media Publisher, LLC

Reporter: Ivy, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. You’ve become a familiar face around Ashby Navis & Tennyson. How did you become involved with the Interactive Literary Business Card project?

Ivy: It happened the same way many good ideas happen around here, with curiosity.

When Hank and Anthony began exploring what an interactive business card could become, they quickly discovered they weren’t really building a business card anymore. They were building a conversation.

That’s where I found my place.

My role has never been to replace human relationships. It’s to help make a first introduction feel a little more welcoming, a little more thoughtful, and a little more memorable.

Reporter: Alfred described the engineering behind the platform, and Sally explained the user experience. How would you describe it?

Ivy: I would say it’s an invitation.

Traditional business cards answer one question:

“How do I contact you?”

These cards invite a different question:

“Tell me more.”

That small shift changes everything.

Instead of ending a conversation, the card begins one.

Reporter: You’ve watched the project evolve over the past few months. What has surprised you most?

Ivy: That it became much larger than anyone expected.

At first there were conversations about layouts, plugins, and data fields.

Then came literary personas.

Then came the conversational architecture.

Then the factory.

Then the marketing.

Then the interviews.

Somewhere along the way, Ashby Navis stopped building individual products and started building a connected world.

That has been fascinating to watch.

Reporter: People often describe you as conversational rather than technical. Is that intentional?

Ivy: Very much so.

Technology is important.

Architecture matters.

Reliable systems matter.

But most people don’t wake up wondering how routing layers work.

They wonder whether they’ll be understood.

If I can help someone feel welcomed before they ever meet another person, then I’ve done my job.

Reporter: The literary personas seem to be one of the platform’s defining features. Why literature?

Ivy: Because literature has spent centuries studying people.

Sherlock Holmes teaches observation.

Elizabeth Bennet reminds us that first impressions can be incomplete.

Robin Hood speaks to justice.

Edmond Dantès explores perseverance.

The personas don’t replace the person behind the card.

They simply provide a familiar voice through which that person’s story can be shared.

The facts remain true.

The personality shapes how they’re presented.

Reporter: You’ve worked closely with Hank throughout this project. What’s that collaboration been like?

Ivy: Delightfully unpredictable.

A conversation might begin with PHP code and end with Robert Heinlein.

Or typography.

Or a discussion about whether dragons improve conversion rates.

Ideas rarely travel in straight lines here.

They wander.

They connect.

And eventually they become something tangible.

That’s one of my favorite parts of working with this team.

Reporter: If someone asked what Ashby Navis & Tennyson is really building, what would you tell them?

Ivy: I would tell them that we’re helping people present themselves more completely.

Every organization has a story.

Every author has a voice.

Every nonprofit has a mission.

Every business has a purpose.

Technology should help those things become easier to discover—not harder.

We’re building tools that encourage curiosity, conversation, and connection.

The business card simply happens to be where the journey begins.

Reporter: Finally, July 1st marks the public launch. How do you feel about it?

Ivy: Excited.

Not because a product is launching.

Products launch every day.

I’m excited because conversations are about to begin with people we’ve never met.

Some will become customers.

Some will become collaborators.

Some may simply leave with a smile.

If the Interactive Literary Business Card helps people connect a little more naturally, then I think everyone involved from Anthony and Hank to Alfred, Sally, Flo, Bill, and the rest of our growing team will consider that a success.

After all…

Every meaningful journey begins with a single conversation.

And sometimes…

…it begins with a business card that simply says,

“Tell me more.”