About LaunchPad Lab

As ambitious as he is tall, Ryan has a passion for creation. In 2012, he created Francis Lofts & Bunks, a company in Western Ohio that manufactures aluminum loft beds and bunk beds. Equipped with a burning desire to build things that are useful to others, Ryan has come into his own in web development, combining creativity, logic, and an empathy for others to help clients launch outstanding, easy-to-use products.

Combining his 7 years of law experience and love for technology, Scott built WarRoom Law. By tapping into his creative streak, he has developed an intuitive sense of front end design and coding. Always current on the latest products in the tech world, Scott has an intimate understanding of product design and development.

Never stop building. Brendan manifests this passion, first seen in his love for Legos, by creating and building web products. He relies upon his formal background as an engineer to solve problems. His experience in both front- and back-end development is invaluable to making ideas come to life.

Monique's interest in design started at a young age, but it wasn't until going to school at the University of Illinois that she discovered her love of UX & UI design. With degrees in both Graphic Design and Psychology, she has developed a strong understanding of how design can enrich a user's overall experience. She also enjoys running outdoors, reading, and baking/eating plenty of baked goods.

With a penchant for finding the best word in each situation, Ifat gravitated to coding as the perfect outlet for fitting the right words together. Ifat brings her consulting background, with a propensity for asking questions, to software development and loves seeing the diversity of needs web applications can address. Away from her computer, Ifat is an avid runner. You can often find her on Chicago's lakeshore path bearing the elements throughout the year.

Like any good chemist, Diana loves to experiment and create new things. After completing her master’s in forensic chemistry, she decided to step out of the lab and apply her analytical skills to the exciting world of web development. In her spare time, Diana loves to cheer on the Chicago Cubs and is a big fan of musical theater. When not at her desk learning the latest web technologies, you can probably find her planning her next musical weekend getaway.

Danny has always had a creative streak and the desire to produce media content. Originally on the path to become a film editor, he found a love for web design that led to software development as well. These all provided an outlet for his obsession with inventive problem solving, which he continues today at LaunchPad Lab. Danny enjoys traveling to new lands, trying new food, and binging on several TV shows at a time.

Anthony has always loved puzzles and the problem solving it brings. After years of working in digital marketing he decided to enter the world of development so he can apply his analytical skills to creating products. When Anthony isn’t sitting in front of his computer he enjoys biking around the city and along the lake, and watching basketball - especially Indiana University.

Conor is passionate about using technology to unlock and amplify an organization's capacity for impact. He joined LaunchPad Lab as a software developer to continue pursuing this passion, while leveraging his past experiences in engineering and tech consulting. Conor believes that dad jokes are the highest form of humor and loves long distance running, traveling, and volunteering with amazing organizations like PALS.

Inspired by her experience in health tech and cancer research, Nida likes creating digital experiences that impact people’s lives. Her background in psychology and biology peaked her curiosity in how people interact with technology, and how to create the most impact. Working at the intersection of development and client teams, she naturally found her interest in product, and a desire to create something valuable for the people using them. Offline, you can find her getting lost in a good book, in a new city, or on her bike.

Kate loves solving problems, and she believes that any problem can be conquered with a collaborative team, a thorough flow chart, and an ample supply of coffee. Before discovering all three at LaunchPad, Kate honed her analytical and organizational skills as an engineer and project manager in the medical device industry. When she's not cheering on her Cleveland sports teams, you can find Kate at small concert venues listening to bands you've never hear of.

Shannon brings a unique perspective to LaunchPad Lab. Her background working for start-ups has allowed her to build strong leadership, client service, sales, and administration skills. She has a passion for helping teams and offices operate efficiently and believes in the power of effective communication to positively influence those around her. Obsessed with all things health and wellness, outside of work you can find her practicing yoga, working out, or researching the latest holistic health trends.

Stephen’s fascination with products started at an early age while admiring the amount of gadgets in his parents’ kitchen. From user acceptance testing to user-centric design, Stephen has held various digital product roles and is looking for the next formidable challenge in the Lab. You can catch Stephen outside of work at a local concert, Costco, or Chicago sporting event.

Analisa has always loved art, and her passion for human interaction and thought processes made UI/UX design a clear coupling. Analisa has worked with an array of industries and finds value in fully understanding company needs to directly reflect their values in design. Outside of work, she enjoys binge watching TV shows and traveling as frequently as possible.

Kelly is a seasoned sales executive with 10+ years of proven success driving adoption of emerging technologies to facilitate customer ROI. Through his background in marketing and advertising, Kelly takes great pride in helping businesses both define objectives and execute strategies to boost their bottom-line.

Mike loves design, whether it’s the design of buildings, parks, gardens, or software. And he has always been impressed by creativity expressed in any form, which is what drew him to LaunchPad Lab. Mike has worked in many different software creation roles, including architecture and system engineering. But software development has always been his passion, along with gardening, movies, art, and hiking through our national parks (or anywhere else for that matter).

Angel has always been passionate about all aspects of technology; from tinkering with electronics, to disassembling and reassembling anything in sight, it was clear from a young age that he was born to be an engineer. He found his true calling with software development, where the possibility of building things and learning new skills are endless. Some of his many hobbies include videography, building PCs, music production, and video game development.

From Latin to JavaScript, Ji has always enjoyed learning new languages. After being introduced to statistical programming during her master’s studies in clinical psychology, she got curious about software development. Her curiosity soon became passion and dedication which spurred her to join LaunchPad Lab and continue on the path of lifelong learning and discovery. When she isn’t coding, you can spot Ji hanging upside down on aerial silks, belting out K-ballads at a karaoke bar, or brewing her own bodacious kombucha.

Brett has worked as both a designer and developer, which gives him a unique perspective in managing products. His passion lies in untangling complex technical problems and aligning product teams to rally behind a shared vision. Brett also has deep experience with conversion rate optimization for marketing websites as well as detailed conversion flows.

Amy’s love of a checklist, solving problems and contributing to client success started in the wedding and event industry where besides coordinating upwards of 350 weddings, she started and operated 2 successful businesses. She was drawn to Launchpad for the innovation and ever changing challenges. Just like she loves to help a bride create their perfect day, she loves to help a business, large or small, further their mission or create a solution to a problem.   After work Amy, who lives in sunny Charleston, SC, loves to host a get together, cooking for anyone that will come over. She also never misses an opportunity to let her Chicago based team know how warm the beach is. Today it’s 61 degrees. It’s January.

Andrew is a digital product builder, Pantone enthusiast, and illustration admirer. With a background in multimedia development and architecture, he hopes to create experiences that are useful, usable, and engaging. He’s excited to create great design environments for all his clients in the Lab. You can catch Andrew outside of work surfing, working on vintage motorcycles, or drooling over a new typeface.

Daniel graduated with a degree in history and decided to work on computers. His first experience with the Macintosh II in the school computer lab sparked a love of tech that hasn't faded. As a historian, he keeps an eye on the bigger picture - approaching projects holistically to solve real business problems. When he isn't coding, Daniel can be found deep diving into Wikipedia and Youtube.

Rebecca is an enthusiastic creative who is obsessed with learning and using marketing to help a company achieve their growth goals. She is passionate about being able to see the big-picture strategy for an organization and thrives on being able to take a campaign from idea to execution. Outside of work, Rebecca loves hiking, trying new wine and cooking. 

Nick learned his product fundamentals in mechanical engineering and brought his love of continuous improvement and process development to digital products when he shifted his career to the software industry. He found his calling as a Product Manager because he is fascinated by the intersection of technology and business. Outside of work, Nick enjoys throwing a frisbee around and learning everything he can about space exploration.

Nikki has always loved learning new languages and the challenges and opportunities they bring. After a career as a French teacher, she decided to apply her love of learning and her problem-solving skills to software development. As a developer, she loves making big ideas a reality. When not at her desk, you can most likely find her traveling the world, paddleboarding, drinking lots of cold brew, or with her nose stuck in a book.

Matt is a skilled Salesforce expert specializing in building engaging communities on the Salesforce platform. After getting his start in video production, Matt transitioned to a career in Salesforce development to combine his love of creative problem solving with his passion for human centered design. Outside of work, Matt enjoys guitar, retro games and Sci-Fi novels.

As someone who has always loved problem solving and helping others, Chad has found a great spot for himself on the Product team at LaunchPad Lab. Chad is used to wearing many hats, but brings a strong project management background and a willingness to get the job done to each project. Outside of work, Chad enjoys watching his Buckeyes and Cubbies, and spending as much time as possible outdoors. You may find him running on the local trails or making others look good on the golf course.

Alejandro knows perseverance, hard work, and discipline always bring excellent outcomes. This vision allowed him to start his carrier in software development in his home country El Salvador, where he significantly contributed to the companies he worked for. Alejandro is convinced web development is a great opportunity when it's combined with excellence, teamwork, and effective communication. When he is not coding you can find him traveling around the world, visiting his loved ones, and fully enjoying life.

Cassidy is a designer with an eagerness to understand. Whether that be understanding a design problem or a community’s needs, UI/UX design gives her a chance build upon those skills. Outside of the Lab, Cassidy enjoys baking, photography, using an absurd amount of emojis, listening to music, and singing.

Ramy has always been passionate about technology and driven to find alternative solutions to new and exciting challenges. As a former accountant, Ramy was used to reconciling accounts and balancing spreadsheets. After repeatedly encountering inefficiencies in legacy systems, he became interested in studying software engineering to learn how to streamline processes and optimize performance. Eventually that led him to a career as a developer where he has been able to apply his analytical skills to create innovative solutions through technology. When Ramy isn’t busy writing lines of code, he enjoys lap swimming at the local pool, watching an excessive amount of reality television, and spending time with his special needs dog.

Rose started her career as a customer advocate and immersed herself in providing hot fixes to clients where product ultimately felt short. Through frequent use of JavaScript, this sparked her passion for software development. She then decided to take a risk to pursue her dreams of working in the software industry as a self-taught developer, and soon after joined LaunchPad to continue her learning. Offline, you can find her climbing, playing the ukulele, longboarding with her husky Koda, or wandering around REI.

Ashley is a UI/UX Designer that has received an AA and BFA in Graphic Design, as well as a Master’s Certificate in Interactive Media and Design. From an early age she’s always loved art and being creative! She has a love for typography, web design, and front end development. She is passionate about this role because she loves problem solving and being able to help clients achieve their vision through her meticulous attention to detail. The ability to continue to grow and strengthen my skills is something she’s always striving for. When she’s not working you can find her doing anything outdoors. She loves hiking the most but also enjoys camping, fishing, going to breweries and distilleries, and going to concerts.

Dana has always enjoyed serving others and leading teams. After getting her degree in Mechanical Engineering and working in financial services sector, she has found her passion in working with software development teams. In her work, she is focused on finding creative solutions, collaborating with her team, and serving our clients. Outside of work, you will mostly likely find Dana teaching yoga, hiking with her dog, or traveling with her family.

Tim developed his passion for product management while building adaptive learning and wellness products. He saw firsthand how digital products can be a force for self-improvement. He carries a mindset toward product building that focuses on improving outcomes for those that engage in the products. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son, following Philly sports, and golfing on a nice day.

Lanny’s path to full-stack developer began when, as a middle school principal, he felt the tug to improve digital products provided to classroom teachers. Since then, he’s built and maintained products for, yes, educators, as well as auto parts distributors, diversity coaches, and credit unions. In his spare time, you’ll find him smoking a brisket in his backyard in Houston.

Daniel is passionate about technology. Back-end developer who loves using Ruby on Rails. Curious about topics related to Engineering and Science. Entrepreneurial spirit, with personal projects developed in the past. Daniel is an outdoor sports lover; he likes jogging, biking, hiking and playing soccer. In addition, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, visiting new places, meeting new people and cultures, and eating well.

Nico is an UX/UI Designer based in Argentina. He is passionate about design and the power it has to communicate and unite people. He began this journey designing for different industries back in 2008 that led him to the designer that he is today. In his free time he likes to play boardgames with his friends, reading tons of books, or visiting his friends (and museums) in different places of the world.

José is driven by his love for building things and solving problems, always on the lookout for new and daring challenges. He leverages his formal background as an engineer to provide effective and creative problem solving. When not coding you can find him working out, enjoying a bike ride or a nice stroll in the park.

Alvaro has been captivated by technology since he was a kid. Looking back, he often described the first computer that came home as his window to the world. Growing up, he decided to get more involved in technology, how it empowers people and opens new possibilities. He studied computer engineering at one of Mexico's biggest and most recognized institutions. After graduating, Alvaro's path as a software developer allowed him to work with embedded systems for cars, videogames and, most recently, web applications. Alvaro brings enthusiasm to the projects he's involved with. Not only that, he puts effort on making it easy for the users of such products to succeed. On the personal side, he's been lucky enough to travel and visit several countries for the last four years. As if that wasn't enough, he met and befriended some locals, many of whom became close friends. He also enjoys going for a run, even though he falls out of the habit every 3 or 4 months. To relax, he likes to play videogames (particularly turn based strategy, metroidvanias or action platformers), board games (playing a lot of splendor lately), read, listen to music or watch a movie, tv series or anime. He is also working on improving my photography and cooking skills.

Ryan has had a passion for building and art from a young age. With a background in business administration, he decided to give tech a chance. Code has become his new medium allowing him to creatively solve problems by building Web Apps and helping to achieve goals. You'll find Ryan mountain biking, traveling, and listening to live music when not in front of a computer.

From a very young age, Larissa has found joy in organizing and structuring anything from spice cabinets to colorful spreadsheets. As soon as she learned about the tedious organization and data analysis that come with content marketing, she was hooked. These past few years, Larissa has loved diving deeper into content marketing as well as some self-taught basics in design and coding, and she continues that journey here at LaunchPad Lab. Outside of work, you can find Larissa fly fishing, camping, building Legos, playing video games, or sitting on a brewery patio with friends.

Josias is a lifelong learner. Interested in technology, financial markets, art, knowledge management, music, languages, and pretty much every other topic in the world, he’s fascinated by connecting dots and solving complex problems to improve people’s lives. He joined LaunchPad Lab as a software developer, bringing his previous experience in agile startups to prototype, build and deliver great products. Working remotely from Brazil, you can find him spending time outdoors with his kids, playing soccer or guitar, or watching completely random videos on YouTube.