Speakers

Lisa Ghisolf is Gizmo Design, Inc., with 15+ years in print, web & email design. She created websites for Allstate, Kraft, Merck & many corporations & organizations.

Lisa helped develop blogging software in 2005, & was interviewed by The Chicago Tribune as a blogging expert. In 2008 she discovered the power of WordPress as a CMS & developed a custom themed site, leading to licensed templates & more custom sites.

Mary is a Digital Marketing Strategist and founder of I.M. Think Tank, LLC in Chicago. She taught social media marketing at the college level and holds trainings and events on various digital marketing topics.  I.M. Think Tank, LLC is a group of tech professionals representing a variety of the facets of online marketing.  They consult, develop websites and create digital strategies for successful businesses. She started blogging with WordPress in 2008 and loves how easy it is for people to create a professional online presence so quickly with WordPress and BuddyPress.  Mary is also the founder of Chicago WomenTech.  Her Twitter handle is @ExPrTMary.

Michelle is a graphic designer and co-owner of local multimedia company Marktime Media, which provides design, branding, and video solutions to small and medium sized organizations across the country. WordPress is her CMS of choice for her clients.

She has been designing ever since she was old enough to pick up a pencil or sit at a computer (anyone remember KidPix?). She studied Visual Communications Design with a double-minor in Psychology and Sociology, which contributed to her love for all things problem-solving and user-experience related.

When she’s not designing, catching up on industry blogs, or interacting on social media, she plays flute in the local Community Band (band geeks forever!) and attends networking events, meetups, conferences, and MuteMath concerts.

Mike Van Winkle is a developer with WP Engine where he focuses on creating features to help analyze
and improve the performance of thousands of WordPress sites. He also frequently assists in support of high-traffic WordPress installations.

Mike has been developing with WordPress since 2006 and developing professionally since 2008. Before starting with WP Engine in 2012 he was a freelance developer for 2 years. He lives in Santa Rosa, CA but loves to come to Chicago where he lived from 1999 to 2010.

Rachel Baker is a freelance Web Developer living in Chicago, IL.  She develops custom WordPress themes and plugins through her company Plugged In Consulting.  Rachel is currently working on a new project to make building custom WordPress websites easier for developers.

Samuel Wood, better known to the WordPress community as “Otto”, lives in Memphis, Tennessee, the Birthplace of Rock and Roll. Otto is a Tech Ninja at Audrey Capital, Matt Mullenweg’s investment and research company. When not hacking away at WordPress or the WordPress.org website, he spends his time homebrewing or scuba diving or searching out the best BBQ he can find, which he will always say is in Memphis.

Steve Hernan is the founder and primary content producer of Open Water Chicago, one of the nation’s leading open water swimming and endurance sports related information and social networking websites. With the help of WordPress, Steve took a personal hobby and managed to become a leading voice among a local and worldwide community of over 5,000 swimming, fitness, and endurance sports enthusiasts.

Tom has been working with WordPress for over three years. He has been developing and designing WordPress websites for YellAdworks, a King of Prussia based company, for over two years. He has also founded Tec Doc Design, a WordPress and Web development site that utilizes website development and design concepts for small and medium sized businesses nationwide in January 2012. He has developed and customized many WordPress themes using various uses of many WordPress functions to get his client’s websites working the way clients request.

Despite a decade of computer engineering experience, from hardware (chip design at Intel and Robotics Fairs) to enterprise software (SAP), Trafton specializes in translating developer speak into plain English. He uses this superpower to solve technology problems with the WordPress developers that build amazing sites and host them on WP Engine.

Outside the office, Trafton is always organizing communities, including Burger Thursday, a 4 year quest to find the best burger in Austin, Texas. He is also an avid mountain biker, a certified Emergency First Responder and a Rescue Diver. He recently got into the Twitterverse, and you can follow him via @traftonesler.

Zack has been building websites for over 8 years, specializing in WordPress implementations since 2007. Zack was attracted to WordPress’ blend of exciting features in combination with a highly usable and engaging publishing environment. When Zack is not building websites for 10up clients, he gives back to the community by building plugins, teaching new developers about WordPress, and contributing code to other projects.

With a PhD in Psychology, Zack has special insight into how human users interact with computer systems and knows how to build highly effective, rewarding working relationships with clients. It should come as no surprise that, while he loves tackling technical challenges, Zack’s inspiration is drawn from interacting with engaging clients of all stripes.

When Zack isn’t engaging clients or working with WordPress he can often be found in a hockey match or playing the guitar. He loves spending time with his wonderful fiance and incredible dog.