Andy Crestodina
Co-Founder/Strategic Director
Barrett Lombardo
Co-Founder/Web Director
Todd Gettelfinger
Chief Executive Officer
Chris Brophy
Web Strategist
Andy Crestodina
Co-Founder/Strategic Director • 773.353.8301 •
andy@orbitmedia.com •
Andy is a Principal and the Strategic Director at Orbit. Andy leads business development for Orbit and connects clients with the firm. Within the company, Andy oversees sales, strategy and marketing. Andy employs his extensive knowledge of content marketing, search engine optimization, social media, and usability to develop the most practical and viable web solutions for partners, clients and friends.
In addition to establishing relationships with new clients, Andy leads Orbit's own web marketing efforts. He enjoys sharing his best web marketing advice and frequently speaks at events on web marketing strategy. And also writes regularly for the Orbit blog and monthly newsletter. He is active within the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and with many of Orbit's non-profit clients.
Andy is a graduate of the University of Iowa, where he studied Mandarin Chinese and became certified to teach. Also, he has passed the GAIQ Test (Google Analytics Individual Qualification). You can find him in LinkedIn and on Google+.
Interests
Scuba Diving
Architecture
Environmentalism/Sustainability
Piano
Economics
Anything Related to China
Favorite Flicks
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Amelie
DodgeballAccomplishments
Chicago Architecture Foundation Docent, 2001-2008
Certified Treekeeper, 2010
Barrett Lombardo
Co-Founder/Web Director • 773.353.8303 •
barrett@orbitmedia.com •
As a Principal and the Web Director at Orbit, Barrett provides technical analysis, project management support for all projects and oversees the custom strategies and development to match unique client needs. Barrett brings more than a decade of development and management experience to his role as Web Director. With a background in user interface design and illustration, Barrett has also led internal technical initiatives including the development of
Mighty-Site®, the company's proprietary content management tool, and Sputnik, the team's internal task management tool. Barrett holds a BA from the University of Iowa.
Interests
Learning acoustic guitar
Comic books
Good Sci-Fi
Sketching and painting
Gardening
The beach
Favorite Flicks
The Iron Giant
The Royal Tenenbaums
Food, Inc.
Accomplishments
Managing everyone
Todd Gettelfinger
Chief Executive Officer • 773.353.8306 •
todd@orbitmedia.com •
Todd is the Chief Executive Officer at Orbit. Andy says that Todd brings "adult supervision" to the company. He leads efforts to ensure that clients are getting exceptional service, financial goals are met and the Orbiteers are happy!
Todd is constantly solidifying the Orbit service offerings to ensure that clients continue to find value in every dollar they spend with Orbit.
Todd graduated Indiana University with degrees in Management and Marketing. For the 11 years before joining Orbit, he led LeadVantage Consulting, a business he founded to help organizations and managers through process improvement, project management, organization design, and management coaching. Prior to LeadVantage, he spent six years at Bricker & Associates, Inc., a Chicago-based consulting firm focused on process improvement for Fortune 1000 clients and was Vice President of Production at Instill Corporation (now iTradeNetwork), a provider of e-business service for the foodservice supply chain.
"Business is a skill unto itself and Todd is a master practitioner." - AC
Interests
DIY and Tools
Dance parties with Alicia & Stella
Golf, Skiing, and Basketball
Indiana, Our Indiana
Favorite Flicks
Shawshank Redemption
Band of Brothers
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Accomplishments
President of Indiana Foundation Board of Associates
Ability to play 3 chord songs on my Guitar
2010 Winner of the Homer Street Chili Cookoff
Chris Brophy
Web Strategist • 773.353.8316 •
chris@orbitmedia.com
As a Web Strategist at Orbit, Chris works directly with clients to develop web based strategies. After more than 15 years of marketing, branding, design and usability expertise, Chris has the perfect background for guiding clients toward practical and viable web strategies. By listening, understanding the goals and then aligning project requirements with those goals, Chris is able to work with clients to develop great web marketing by presenting strategies and effective ideas.
Chris holds a degree in Humanities and Fine Arts from St. Norbert College with postgraduate studies at MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design) and Roosevelt University. While not at Orbit, Chris enjoys taking his daughter to the park and winding down on Sundays with ESPN.
Interests
Traveling to places off the beaten path
Running
Football
Baseball
Modern Architecture
Favorite Flicks
Thin Red Line
Blade Runner
Lord of the Rings
A River Runs Through itAccomplishments
My Daughter
Nick Haas
Creative Director
Victoria Frey
Managing Director
Sarah McCabe
Web Strategist
Jill Clay
Senior Project Manager
Nick Haas
Creative Director • 773.353.4581 •
nick@orbitmedia.com
For the past ten years Nick has fused his design skills with hands-on experience in team management, client relations, and business development. Nick has led creative efforts on behalf of clients such as Digitas, William Morris Endeavor, W Hotels, Mesirow Financial, Resurrection Health Care, Gibsons Restaurant Group, Random House and Fleet Feet Sports.
With experience in web, mobile, touchscreen, large-format graphics and motion graphics presentation design, Nick brings vital creative insight to the Orbit team. He received his BA with a focus in graphic design from DePaul University.
When Nick is not behind the Mac he enjoys performing improv at The Second City, watching classic martial art films and spending time with his family. He also has a successful endeavor into photography and digital art:
check out his website to learn more.
Interests
Photography
Architecture
Design
Technology
Cooking
Sports
Volunteering
Favorite Flicks
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Inglourious Basterds
The Wrestler
Legend of Christian Hosoi
Scratch
25th Hour
Training Day
Fletch
Accomplishments
Owning a home
Becoming a father
Having success as an artist
Running with the Bulls in Pamplona
Being published in Smashing Magazine
Victoria Frey
Managing Director • 773.353.8313 •
victoria@orbitmedia.com
Victoria works with the the teams on building and implementing successful websites for clients. With more than ten years of delivery management experience, she emphasizes open communication and collaboration amongst the team members. Victoria's background in managing large-scale projects provides a solid knowledge base for all aspects of resource planning, communication and delivery services.
Interests
Traveling
Reading
Running
Watching How It's Made on the Science channel
Boating
Cooking (and eating)
Wine tastings
Collecting magnets
Favorite Flicks
A Few Good Men
The Godfather
Heat
The Departed
SwingersAccomplishments
On my 3rd passport
Completed grad school
Rafted the Rio Grande
Taught myself to cook
Sarah McCabe
Web Strategist • 773.353.8305 •
sarah@orbitmedia.com •
As a member of the strategy team, Sarah works directly with clients to understand the opportunities and challenges with any potential project.
Sarah comes from a web and event marketing background and has spent 6+ years aligning client goals with plans of action online. With a solid understanding of what’s possible online, she combines personality and expertise to make sure we know who we’re working with and what we can do for them!
Sarah enjoys building relationships and solving problems. She’s a listener. She believes in the philosophy, “do great work for people you love.” Sarah is originally from
Michigan and moved to Chicago after graduating from Hope College with a BA in Communications and English. She now calls Chicago and Orbit her home :)
Interests
Delicious coffee + a good book
Pure Michigan
Spending time with family + friends
New restaurants, food + wine
Organizing + planning
Running
Favorite Flicks
When Harry Met Sally
Wedding Crashers
Say Anything
No Impact Man
The Goonies
Mad Men
LOST
Friday Night Lights
Accomplishments
Raised 30K w/ her team in the 2010 2-Day Chicago Avon Breast Cancer Walk
Ran 2 Half Marathons
Being the best Aunti Mini of all times
Jill Clay
Senior Project Manager • 773.353.8304 •
jill@orbitmedia.com
Since joining Orbit in January 2006 as project manager, Jill has played a significant role in guiding the company's diverse range of projects from development to delivery. As the primary contact between clients and the Orbit team, Jill manages project timetables, addresses the concerns and needs of clients, and ensures that final products reflect the highest level of professionalism possible. Jill brings a background in television production to her role as Orbit project manager. Her previous experience at Harpo Studios and PBS focused on managing crew and cast, increasing viewership, and overseeing editorial production. Jill is a graduate of Ball State University.
Interests
Food! Cooking/Eating/Food Network/Enjoying the great restaurants of Chicago
Reading
Watching & critiquing movies & television
Favorite Flicks
The Shawshank Redemption
Seven
The Little MermaidAccomplishments
Having my baby boy!
Managing projects that increase revenue for clients.
Keeping clients happy!
Erin Byrne
Lead Web Developer
Brian Bass
Web Developer
Jessica Schoolman
Lead Web Developer
Rene Fiel
Project Manager
Erin Byrne
Lead Web Developer • 773.348.4581 x8007 •
erin@orbitmedia.com
As a Lead Web Developer, Erin is an expert in HTML/CSS, Flash animation, and front-end development. In addition to her work in interactive design, Erin leads the development and production phases of web projects. Erin joined the Orbit team in October 2004 after graduating from The Illinois Institute of Art - Schaumburg with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Multimedia and Web Design.
Interests
Queen
Chevrolet Corvette
Pontiac GTO
Muscle Cars
Drag Racing
MusicFavorite Flicks
Night of the Living Dead
Dawn of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Resident Evil
Velvet Goldmine
Frozen
The Crazies
The Rocky Horror Picture ShowAccomplishments
Being an Orbiteer for over 7 years.
Brian Bass
Web Developer •
brian@orbitmedia.com
As Orbit's faithful and detail-oriented Flash guru, Brian assists with all facets of Flash development. His work on projects also includes HTML/CSS layout, content entry, proof reading, and optimization of photos and other elements.
Interests
Watching way too much cable news.
World of WarcraftFavorite Flicks
Booty CallAccomplishments
Becoming adept at database-driven flash.
Raising my blood-elf paladin to level 72!
Jessica Schoolman
Lead Web Developer • 773.353.8314 •
jessica@orbitmedia.com •
Web Developer Jessica Schoolman leads the programming and development phases of projects at Orbit. Her skills include PHP, MySQL, HTML/CSS, AJAX, and JavaScript. Jessica graduated of the Illinois Institute of Art in '06, where she earned a BFA in Interactive Media Design.
Jessica is also an excellent photographer.
Interests
Photography
Music/Shows
Reading Web Design Magazines
BowlingFavorite Flicks
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Donnie Darko
Zoolander
The Hangover
Accomplishments
Finally finished watchng the Star Wars Collection
Graduated in December '06 with 'Best in Show' at portfolio show
Rene Fiel
Project Manager • 773.353.8307 •
rene@orbitmedia.com
As Project Manager for Orbit, Rene acts as an intermediary between clients and the production team. Rene employs her extensive background in marketing and client service to ensure that a client's product, purpose, and long-term needs are met with smart and sustainable solutions. Rene has managed projects with both high-end design requirements and various custom programming features, including calendars, membership tools, product catalogs, online video, and Flash. Rene holds a BS in Business Administration from Central Michigan University.
Interests
Skiing
Cycling
Reading
Traveling
Camping
Wine TastingFavorite Flicks
Contact
Wedding Crashers
Old School
Star Wars
Aspen ExtremeAccomplishments
Landing this fantastic job!
11,166 ft of wicked skiing on Lone Peak, Big Sky, Montana!
Ran 13.1 miles (2 times) in 2012!
Alex Liokumovich
Web Application Architect
Shellie Argeanton
Lead Web Designer
Andi Ruggles
Lead Web Developer
Ben Steinbuhler
Project Manager
Alex Liokumovich
Web Application Architect •
alex@orbitmedia.com
Alex Liokumovich moved to Chicago in 1998 after graduating from Brest State University in Brest, Belarus. He joined Orbit Media Studios in March 2005 as a freelance developer and brought with him some amazing technical skills in PHP, MySQL, AJAX, Javascript, Apache, Unix and server administration for Windows, Mac and Unix. He spends most of his days designing, developing and supporting all parts of Orbit's custom web applications and ecommerce projects.
Interests
Sleep
Kids
Computer Science
Soccer
RelaxingFavorite Flicks
Mallrats
Office Space
The Big LebowskiAccomplishments
Finally put finish on my new fence
McCall Pattern Company Websites
Mighty-Site
Shellie Argeanton
Lead Web Designer • 773.353.8102 •
shellie@orbitmedia.com
Shellie Argeanton plans & designs user-friendly websites, e-commerce shops, business directories, & intranets with her magic design wand. Over the past 12 years, she has developed and refined her design skills through a broad range of mediums and disciplines, including web design, mixed-media/fine art, information architecture, and visual communication. She holds a Masters in Visual Communication from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA in digital art from Bowling Green State University.
Interests
Usability
Design/Typography
Making Artwork
Bicycling
Yoga
Favorite Flicks
Waking Life
Good Will Hunting
Shaun of the Dead
Say Anything
Serendipity
About a Boy
Accomplishments
Designing Over 200 Websites
Becoming a mom!
Andi Ruggles
Lead Web Developer •
andi@orbitmedia.com
Andi Ruggles, an asset to our development team, has honed her skills over the years to develop all types of websites and web features, while sharpening her skills in new and fun areas of interest like Wordpress and jQuery when she has extra time. Andi is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Art, where she studied digital design and production. She is currently involved in programming sites.
Interests
Reading
Video Games (RPGs, MMO's)
Going to MoviesFavorite Flicks
Harry Potter
Ever After
Pride & Prejudice
Definitely, Maybe
Center StageAccomplishments
Co-running a Book Blog
WordPress Custom Programming
Ben Steinbuhler
Project Manager • 773.353.8310 •
ben@orbitmedia.com
As a project manager at Orbit, Ben fuses his computer expertise with a history in management to facilitate efficient project communication and execution. He excels at conveying complex IT issues in an accessible manner, and his familiarity with a wide range of web-based applications positions him as a key liaison between clients and the Orbit team.
Ben holds a BS in management/computer science from Boston College and an MS in computer information systems from Northwestern University.
Interests
Camping
Softball
College Football
YouTubeFavorite Flicks
Last of the Mohicans
Contact
Goodfellas
Out ColdAccomplishments
Moved into my own place
Became an uncle
Threw a runner out at home from centerfield
Amanda Gant
Marketing + Relationship Manager
Paul Weinstein
Web Programmer Analyst
Ryan Hathaway
Web Designer
Christa Vrabel
Project Manager
Amanda Gant
Marketing + Relationship Manager • 773.353.8308 •
amanda@orbitmedia.com •
Amanda Gant is from Valentine, NE (population 2,820) - a town named one of the best wilderness towns by National Geographic. After graduating from University of Nebraska Lincoln with a degree in Marketing, Amanda ventured to the land of Oz (Australia) for some fun and exciting travels before returning to the U.S. - becoming an instant asset to the Orbit family.
As a marketing and relationship manager at Orbit, Amanda manages client needs whether it's new features, upgrades, or any other brand new idea clients come up with for their websites - she pulls all the pieces together, finds the right people to execute them, and coordinates success after success with the snap of her fingers. In her spare time, you will find her discussing Google Analytics stats, email marketing strategies, social media marketing tips & tricks, and tweeting Orbit's latest news and events.
Interests
Traveling
Sand Volleyball
Biking
Reading Memoirs
Eating
SnowboardingFavorite Flicks
Anything with Phillip Seymore Hoffman
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
Monty Python and The Search for the Holy Grail
Stand by Me
The Notebook
The Music ManAccomplishments
Making it on my niece's list of "who I'd like to be when I grow up".
Made a couple of smart investments (emu farming and gold).
Paul Weinstein
Web Programmer Analyst • 773.348.4581 •
paul@orbitmedia.com
In 1985, Paul started down the road to working in the ever-growing computer industry when he learned his first programming language. He has yet to look back, bring his personal understanding of technology into a wide variety of computing environments ranging from public elementary schools and political campaigns to pioneering open source companies and local startups.
Working with Orbit's Web Developers and Application Architect Paul focuses on improving the productivity of Orbit's software development process as well optimizing Orbit's server infrastructure by outlining formal programming and administration approaches for the continuing evolution of Mighty-Site.
Paul holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration in General Management, both awarded to him by Elmhurst College.
Interests
Watching baseball
Strolling around Chicago neighborhoods
Sitting outside reading
Favorite Flicks
Dr. Strangelove
Chariots of Fire
Sneakers
Lost in Translation
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Ryan Hathaway
Web Designer • 773.353.8103 •
ryanh@orbitmedia.com
Before Orbit, Ryan, or the "Hath" as he's known around the office, has held internships at Leo Burnett and Kerosene Creative, where he worked anything from TV commercials to interactive banner campaigns. Many freelance gigs and odd jobs later he had his sights set on web design, with a strong interest in user experience, so hit FF, and bing, Orbit.
Ryan holds a degree in Graphic and Interactive Communication from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fl. He still thinks Chicago "beaches" are fake and brown, but they will have to do.
Interests
Pop Culture
Bike Rides
90's R&B
The InternetFavorite Flicks
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
The Royal Tenebaums
Me You and Everyone We Know
Jurassic Park
Mulholland Drive
I Heart Huckabees
Up!
Accomplishments
Eating the Most Doughnuts in 1 Sitting
Christa Vrabel
Project Manager • 773.353.8317 •
christa@orbitmedia.com
Coming into Orbit Media as a Project Manager, Christa works as the team leader to manage the design and development of her projects while ensuring the client's needs and expectations are met. With experience in e-commerce project management, Christa brings the client's goals and message to the forefront of their site. In addition, Christa focuses on communication, optimizing the user experience, and verifying all functional requirements are implemented successfully.
Christa holds a BS in Business Administration from John Carroll University in Cleveland, as well as a MS in Management Information Systems from Loyola University in Chicago. While in pursuit of her masters, Christa also received certificates in E-commerce and Data Warehousing.
Interests
Dancing
Event Planning
Making Invitations for Friends
Favorite Flicks
Shanghi Noon
The Wedding Singer
Elf
Accomplishments
Ran a Half Marathon
Launched many successful websites!
Lauren Sandherr
Project Manager
Kelley Fogg
Web Support Manager
Kurt Cruse
Lead Web Designer
Mary Fran Wiley
Web Designer
Lauren Sandherr
Project Manager • 773.353.8309 •
lauren@orbitmedia.com
As Project Manager, Lauren puts her communication and organizational skills to good use to keep projects on time and on budget and keep clients happy. She loves getting to know clients and delivering the best results to them with the help of her fantastic co-workers.
Lauren graduated in 2010 from Northwestern University with a BA in Radio/TV/Film & Psychology. She is originally from Pittsburgh, PA, and misses her home city’s one-of-a-kind quirks, but adores living in the endlessly fun (and flat!) Chicago. While not at Orbit, Lauren is either watching (and critiquing) a lot of television, tutoring Chicago Public School children, or volunteering at her favorite cageless, no-kill animal shelter.
Interests
Writing
Television (watching it, reading/writing about it, making it, etc.)
Knowing an ungodly amount about pop culture and unabashedly spouting it off
Psychology
Geography
Traveling
Animal rights (proudly living free of meat/leather/animal-tested products)
Favorite Flicks
Can I do TV shows?
Friday Night Lights
The Wire
Community
Pushing Daisies
Parks & Recreation
Justified
Accomplishments
Graduating Northwestern University cum Laude
Getting a job at Orbit
Having lots of writing/photography published
Surviving college/post-college while working 4 jobs
Placing 5th in the PA State Spelling Bee when I was in 7th grade...yep, still proud 12 years later. Not many good things come out of middle school.
Kelley Fogg
Web Support Manager •
kelley@orbitmedia.com
Kelley happily joined Orbit during the blizzard of February 2011. She brings to Orbit a decade of web support experience, beginning her career in 1999 as a customer support representative for an online start-up, then managing a large client base in the B2B website building & hosting arena. As the Web Support Manager she handles various aspects of client related support. She looks forward to forging long term relationships with all Orbit clients.
Kelley holds a BA in Business Administration and more recently graduated with a Masters of Information Technology/Internet Security both from American InterContinental University. She hopes to return to school to further her education in the near future.
Interests
Contacting the Mothership - Still perfecting my tinfoil hat.
Writing - Working (slowly) on a children’s book.
Reading - Favorite authors: Jane Austen, Irvine Welsh, Anchee Min. Favorite book: Fahrenheit 451.
Cyber-Crime - Preventing/stopping, not committing.
Music - Mood dependent, any genre except hardcore rap and most opera. Favorites: The Cure, Rachmaninoff, Crowded House, NIN, Blink 182, Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish, SR-71, Cat Stevens, Eminem and so much more....
Gaming
Pets and Animal Activism/Rescue
Favorite Flicks
Princess Bride
Alien
Emma
Pretty In Pink (anything John Hughes),
Independence Day (anything Will Smith and/or aliens),
Fargo
...just to name a few
Accomplishments
Contributed to shutting down hundreds of phishing websites and online scams, identifying/reporting credit card thefts and assisting the victims of said crimes.
Sports Editor for my community college’s paper without knowing the difference between a puck and a pigskin.
Discovering eggplant is flammable and generally surviving my accident prone nature with all appendages intact (yes, it is possible to accidentally super-glue one’s lips together).
Kurt Cruse
Lead Web Designer • 773.353.8104 •
kurt@orbitmedia.com •
In between checking in on Gowalla and tweeting about what he's currently eating, Kurt designs super rad websites. Assembling Legos without instructions as a kid, he's always been interested in creative challenges. He studied graphic design back in his BGSU days, but has since moved onto the web where he couldn't be happier. Consistently focused on learning and being involved in the web community, Kurt's personally invested in every project he works on.
His laugh can be heard across a crowded room and he's often in crowded rooms laughing. He gets way too excited when there's an Apple keynote or chance of Lou Malnati's delivery and listens to too much My Morning Jacket. KC is pubs over clubs.
And now, if you'd please sing along, Kurt-so-good, come on baby make it Kurt-so-good, sometimes...
Interests
Good Times
Music/Shows
Eats
Internets
Geek StuffsFavorite Flicks
Tommy Boy
Gladiator
Food Inc.
Thursdays on NBCAccomplishments
My beard
Being the one big city Cruse
Learning the web on my own
Proposing to a waitress with a hollowed out pickle ring (she accepted)
Mary Fran Wiley
Web Designer • 773.353.8100 •
maryfran@orbitmedia.com
Mary Fran has been designing websites since the time that animated gifs were all the rage (and she apologizes for adding to that generation of websites) and CSS was just an experimental technology. These days, she works with clients to ensure that they end up with an attractive website and positive user experience.
Mary Fran has a bachelor's degree in French & International Marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but during her last marketing class in college, she realized that she had made a horrible mistake and should have gone to art school after all. Mary Fran obtained a certificate in graphic design after graduation and hasn't stopped designing since.
Interests
Baking delicious things
Knitting
College football
LanguagesFavorite Flicks
Amelie
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Kill Bill
The Boondock Saints
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Mostly MarthaAccomplishments
Having photography published
Writing a baking blog
Receiving awards for her portfolio & children's book illustrations
Speaking French & German fluently
Josh Frankel
Web Developer
Pete Croke
Lead Web Developer
Adam Gramling
Project Management Assistant
Fredric Mitchell
Web Development Manager
Josh Frankel
Web Developer •
josh@orbitmedia.com
Josh graduated from Purdue University in 2010 with a BA in Computer Graphics Technology and a minor in Psychology. He specializes in PHP, HTML5/CSS3, jQuery, and Ruby on Rails. From there, he ventured forth to Chicago to find a new home with Orbit Media. He is still trying to adjust, unsuccessfully, to the arctic tundra of the city.
Josh is a self-proclaimed perfectionist, with a passion for all things web which is exceeded only by his obsession with spicy food. You can find him on turntable.fm rocking out to some sweet Dubstep while coding. In his free time Josh is a cinephile moonlighting as a walking IMDB.
Interests
Live music
Honing my amateur photography skills
Video games
Going to the movies with my fiance
SkiingFavorite Flicks
Serenity
Moon
Anything by Darren Aronofsky
Kung-Fu Panda
V for Vendetta
The Thing (1982)Accomplishments
Landing this sweet gig
Hiking to 12,000 ft
Training my dragon
Getting Ruby on Rails certified
Eagle scout
Pete Croke
Lead Web Developer •
pete@orbitmedia.com
Pete came to Orbit in April of 2012 and brings 10 years of web development experience to the team. His background includes building websites utilizing PHP, Drupal, Javascript, and MySQL for a vast array of industries including real estate, restaurants, non-profit organizations, e-commerce, and financial services. He graduated from Illinois State University in 2001 with a degree in Computer Information systems, moved to Chicago afterwards, and has been a proud resident ever since. When he is not writing code at Orbit, you can probably find Pete at any one of the many music venues in Chicago, where he moonlights as a musician in several bands.
Interests
Drupal Development
Fender Bass Guitars
Emperor Custom Cabinets
All things Moog
Listening to the Melvins on repeat
Miller High Life
Taking care of my pug
Favorite Flicks
Fugazi - Instrument
Apocalypse Now
Dogtown and Z-Boys
Blazing Saddles
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
Accomplishments
Finding a fantastic group of people to work with (that's you, Orbit!)
Juggling a full time job and 5 bands
Fixing up an old house I bought several years ago
Adam Gramling
Project Management Assistant • 773.353.8302 •
adam@orbitmedia.com
As a Project Management Assistant, Adam helps out the team in any way he can, from website browser testing to help doc creation. Adam has a BS in Biological Anthropology from the University of Michigan and recently studied web design/development at Truman College.
Before joining Orbit, Adam was an assistant manager at a bookstore. Don’t challenge him to a friendly game of Booktastic because he will probably win; his brain is made up of book covers and author names. Once, a person came into the store and said, 'The cover is black and white' and Adam knew what book she was talking about. Magicsauce! While not at work, Adam likes to write music, ride his bike around town and read sci-fi novels/old satirical tales.
Interests
Writing music
Playing piano
Being a jokester
Fats Waller
Human evolution
Favorite Flicks
Office Space
2001: A Space Odyssey
Jesus Christ Superstar
Army of Darkness
AlienAccomplishments
Writing a play
Singing in falsetto
Studying at Cambridge
Biking year-round
Landing this awesome job!
Fredric Mitchell
Web Development Manager •
fredric@orbitmedia.com
Fredric has many years of experience in the IT field, including as a consultant in healthcare IT, an Interaction Designer, and a hardcore Drupal developer. Since the days of the Tandy 3000, tinkering has always been a passion, and before joining Orbit Media Studios, he dabbled in various aspects of the web through numerous freelance ventures.
Despite dabbling in Node.js and Laravel, he ultimately fell in love with Drupal. He regularly speaks at various Drupalcamps within the midwest, including Drupalcamp Chicago. Clean code is akin to clean design, and he ultimately believes this fosters great user experiences for any application, no matter how small or what framework is used.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and tried to coin the term 'spinologist' while DJ'ing tons of parties, but nothing stuck.
In his non-working hours, Fredric enjoys vicariously reliving the days of Thundercats and Voltron through his wife, Kimberly, son, Gregory, daughter, Kathleen, and dog, Drupy.
Yes, he named his dog after the Drupal project.
Interests
Snowboarding
Gardening
Graphic Novels
Video Games
Football
Baseball
Favorite Flicks
Braveheart
Bad Boyz
Boondock Saints
Any Given Sunday
Accomplishments
Fatherhood
Marrying Kimberly
Joe Hanson
Support Developer
Jason Smith
Senior Web Developer
Jimmy Klatt
Web Developer
Joe Hanson
Support Developer •
joe@orbitmedia.com
Joe was born in Massachusetts, grown in Southern California, vagabonded recent years around the western half of the U.S., and is now making Chicago his new home. Prior to joining the support team here at Orbit Media, Joe has had over 13 years of professional experience with design and both front- & back-end coding. He first started creating websites in 1996, making online tributes to the 80's cartoons M.A.S.K. and Silverhawks.
Interests
Web design
Lindy Hop (swing dance)
Dancing in general
Traveling to dance events
Modern videogames
Classic videogames
Sci-FiFavorite Flicks
Serenity (Firefly)
Fan Boys
The Wizard
Tron & Tron Legacy
Tron 3 if that gets made
The Rocketeer
Wet Hot American Summer
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Take Me Home TonightAccomplishments
Put together a concert for 12,000 people
Started my own record label
Taught Lindy Hop at various colleges
DJ’d at Hoover Dam
Performed on the Queen Mary
Won an award from the Aquabats
Got a hug from Brendan Fraser
Jason Smith
Senior Web Developer •
jason@orbitmedia.com
Jason was born on Long Island, New York, but has traveled back and forth across the country. It started with different duty stations in the Army and evolved in a love for new experiences. He has settled in Chicago with his wife and daughter, with a new little monster on the way.
His interest in computers and programming started with tinkering with a TRS-80 when he stayed after school in junior high school. He started his college education in Computer Science with Assembler and C, but decided to mess with everyone's head by pursuing a degree in Anthropology at the University of South Florida. Even with the change of degree, he maintained his interest in computers, programming, and technology. He has been using Linux as his primary operating system for over a decade and educated himself in the LAMP stack. Eventually he fell in love with Drupal and there has been no turning back.
Interests
Indoor/Outdoor sustainable gardening
Mid Century stereos and furniture
Critical Theory
Travel
Tinkering with anything
Favorite Flicks
Seven Samurai
Throne of Blood
The Lower Depths
Rashomon
Umberto D
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Way of the Gun
Last of the Mohicans
Accomplishments
Raised a daughter alone
Met my wife Jackie
Overtook the Drupal learning curve
Rebuilt a 1948 Philco tube radio and phonograph
Jimmy Klatt
Web Developer •
jimmy@orbitmedia.com
Jimmy was raised in a small town in Florida and moved to the big city of Chicago in 2008 to pursue his passion for programming. Jimmy holds a degree in Computer and Information Sciences with an emphasis on relational database structure and analysis. He is fluent in a variety of programming languages including ActionScript 3, ASP.NET, Java, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, Visual Basic .NET, and HTML/XHTML, and develops each project to comply with W3C HTML & CSS Standards.
Interests
WordPress Development
Backpacking
Creepy Kid Laugh*
Reading
Rock Climbing
Subtitled Foreign Films
Video Games (FPS, MMO, RPG)
Zombies
Favorite Flicks
Donnie Darko
The Fifth Element
Memento
Pan's Labyrinth
Accomplishments
Defeated Nefarian on 10-Man Heroic
No Broken Bones! ^_^
Seen (Almost) Every Zombie Movie… Ever.
Self-taught WordPress Guru
4043 N Ravenswood Ave Suite 316, Chicago, IL 60613 • 773 348 4581 • Google Map Us 
