Key Bios

Lawrence Neisler

Brand Obsessed Web Developer, the Glue

Lawrence loves to ask questions and then brainstorm how to sell products, build brands, create efficiencies, track results, and break the rules. And, he finds that the web to be the perfect medium to harness his skills in marketing and process development.

Lawrence's entire working career has been in marketing, sales, production management and advertising—with P&L responsibilities. He has won awards and been published in professional journals but he thinks that the experience of starting and building his own companies benefits his clients most.

Lawrence is crazy about Jena, his wife of twenty-five hundred years, and he gleefully plays the "it's ok to be crass, I’m from Pe-o-ria" card to get away with asking incredibly personal questions.

Dan Slage

Senior Network Engineer, Programmer, Super Geek

Not only is Dan one of our founders, he is our senior programmer and network engineer. He makes sure does what it is supposed to and works – all of the time.

Dan was developing hospital bulletin board systems before the Internet, web-based data applications before most of us had a PC or email and he can write code in languages that even most computer geeks have never heard of!

He is skilled in ASP 1.0/2.0, MSSQL, T-SQL/Stored Procedures, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, DHTML, XML, ASC X12, Visual Basic, ActiveX, Access, ADO, DNN, asp.net, .net, Access, Clarion, Crystal Reports, TCP/IP, Sybase, Novell, Btrieve, Microstep, PowerBuilder, Network Design, NT Server Administration, Lease-line Internet Connectivity, Remote Access, Virtual Private Networks, Web hosting, E-mail Hosting, DNS Servers, Digital Certificate, MS SQL Server Administration, Firewalls, MS Windows Server Applications, Cisco Switches & Routers, 3-Com Routers, Citrix/MS Terminal Servers, Large Database Manipulation and Conversion, Data Mining/Reporting, Client-Server Applications, Accounting, Specialized Utilities, Telecommunications, Customer Tracking, Front end user interfaces, Medical Supplies Management, Real-time Eligibility and Referral, HCFA 1500 & Custom Claims Submittal, ANSI ASC X12 Transactions, HCFA/HIPAA Compliance, Physician Credentialing, Formularies, Provider Manuals, Provider/Payer Matrix, Surgery Scheduling, On-Call Scheduling, Rounding Scheduling, Transcription Management, Procedure/Diagnosis Tracking, HMO, IPO, Hospital and Practice Specific Applications, E-commerce, ActiveX Controls, File management, Appointment Scheduling, Security, Contact management, Vacation management, Employee Manuals, Forums, 401K Management, Project Management, Help Desk, Dynamic database driven content, Expense Reports, Smart Forms, Programmable Logic Controllers, Boolean Logic, Ladder Logic, Specialized PLC Languages and a host of other stuff that that we would have to talk him into telling us.

But we think Dan’s greatest gift is his ability to patiently find simple solutions that truly help clients communicate efficiency and powerfully.

Outside of work, Dan likes to mow his yard for exercise and living in Orlando provides year round opportunities for it. He spends his free time with his wife Kathy, daughter Anna and his arrogant dog, Mc Duff.

Laurence Minsky

Creative Director, the Professor

Larry has forgotten more about brand development, advertising, and promotions than the rest of us will ever know.  He ever so diplomatically keeps the creative team and clients on track and never loses site of the desired outcome or the right strategic direction.

He teaches marketing veterans something new every day and, as a tenure-track professor of advertising, teaches his students at Columbia College Chicago real word applications for advertising. He has written two books on advertising, including the classic How to Succeed in Advertising When All You Have Is Talent and has won numerous industry awards. 

He has created marketing and communications solutions for many blue chip clients, including Bay Valley Foods, Beltone, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Charter One Bank, Coca-Cola Fountain, Dean Foods, Diners Club, Direct Merchants Bank, Dole 100% Juice, eHow.com, Fleetwood Homes, Frito-Lay, GE Finance, S.C. Johnson & Sons, Kraft, McDonald’s, Motorola, Nike, PETsMART, ScottForesman, Sears, Skil Tools, SunTrust, Time-Life Video, Tropicana, True Value, Unilever, United Airlines, United States Postal Service, Upromise, USG, and Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization.

Larry lives in Evanston with his wife, daughter, and, until recently, two of the world’s oldest cats.

Mark Ingraham

Art Direction, Ingy

Mark sees the world with unique eyes and innovates to ensure that every client's project stands out from the competition. He has been an Art Director for the best of the big and small agencies, including BBDO, Ogilvy & Mather, and the Ungar Group.

And he has won the awards, including Addys, Tellys, New York Festival, Effies, London International, AICP, International Film Festival, Creativity Annual, Mobius, and many others. Bob Garfield of Advertising Age singled out Mark's work as being among the very best in the country.

Mark lives in Evan-okie with his wife and two kids. He likes to hang out in his wooded backyard and play the guitar in his funky mint condition, just as it was built in 1958 basement rec room.

Kristen Althoff

Graphic Design, the Resident Design Snob

Kristen’s unique talent is making sure the brand is defined visually as a campaign in every medium and looking at internet development as, which rules are we going to break and which ones are we going to keep? And what new rules are we going to create to make each project unique and a stand out.

She previously worked as a graphic designer for Grrr Records and as a freelance designer for many local bands, shops, and organizations.  She has also worked for numerous non-profits including Cornerstone Community Outreach Homeless Shelter, Illinois and US Public Interest Research Group, Sierra Club, and Human Rights Campaign.

In her free time, Kristen creates limited edition clothing made from recycled vintage fabric and refashioned clothing, and on her days off, she can be found sewing, reading, and exploring alleyways.