Giving real and accurate accounts of what it’s like to start a company in Chicago, detailing both the good and the bad, we are committed to profiling and celebrating the people behind the leading companies in Chicago. Read More
To learn about our amazing team, read about us below.
Seth Kravitz
CEO & Co-Founder
After falling in love with the Chicago entrepreneur community Seth started volunteering as a mentor at the Coleman Center at DePaul University, the Knapp Center at IIT, Excelerate Labs, the Founder Institute, Code Academy, and the Startup Leadership Program. Seth started a web design firm out of his dorm room at Ohio State when he was 19 and in 2004, he merged his company with InsuranceAgents.com to start an insurance marketing company. Since then the company has grown into a 65 person operation in two cities and was honored to make the 2009 & 2010 Inc 500 List.
seth@technori.com
Website: SethKravitz.com
Twitter: SecondCityCEO
Blog: Entrepreneur Blog
Val Chulamorkodt
COO & Co-Founder
Val is a lawyer by day and new media enthusiast by night. Her tech endeavors include blogging for TheFootballGirl.com, as well as managing social media projects for the American Bar Association’s International Law Division and serving as the Director of New Media for OWIT Chicago. Val enjoys consuming and burning calories. Her favorite sushi roll is the Crazy Horse from Sushi Toro.
Kevin Lucius
Creative Director & Co-Founder
Kevin grew up in a small town in Ohio and discovered his love of drawing and designing at a young age. After high school he attended Bowling Green State University where he studied Visual Communication Technology. In 2004 he graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Technology and a Minor in Marketing. He is currently employed with InsuranceAgents.com in Chicago. He works as the Senior Designer creating websites, email and advertising campaigns, print related products, and tradeshow graphics. Kevin sells prints and teeshirts of his own work in his spare time as well as co-owning LUCIUS Fine Jewelry with his wife Christy.
kevin@technori.com
Website: www.kevinlucius.com
Dan Verakis
Director of Technori Unwind
Over the years, Dan’s lived in three foreign countries, but always ends up returning to Chicago. He’s an idea guy, and a strategy and communications expert who, after 16 years in Corporate America, finally decided to set free his inner entrepreneur. Dan’s the founder and CEO of SafetyBook.org ??“ a consumer product recall monitoring service. On the side, he still helps companies tell their story through Verakis Associates.
dan@safetybook.com
Twitter: danverakis
Mark Bertrand
Co-Founder
Mark moved to Chicago to attend DePaul University in the Fall of 2004 and has no plans of leaving. After graduating with a Bachelors in Entrepreneurship and Finance he had a realization - wearing suits is for suckers. As a result, Mark started ChicagoBlueprints.com in 2009 and facilitates Startup Weekend’s across the country. Most recentlyhe’s combined his love for startups and adventure with his newest project, CloudBot. He’d love to chat, so hit him up on “The Twitter”.
mark@technori.com
Twitter: MarksBertrand
Web: markinreallife.com
Zack Gilbert
Co-Founder
Zack is a Western NY native who likes to build things on the web. He’s one half of the Adams/Gilbert Co. and the co-founder of Chicago.concat(). While not particularly photogenic, his friends still occasionally like to dress him up in funny clothes and take sweet photos.
zack@technori.com
Twitter: ZackGilbert
Website: www.zackgilbert.com
Hashim Ali
Technori Data Analyst
Hashim is currently a DePaul University undergraduate student. He spends a lot of his free time with DePaul’s CEO club and is very passionate about entrepreneurship. He plans on one day launching his own venture. Most importantly, he loves to meet people, so be sure to give him a buzz!
hashim@technori.com
Twitter: HashimFAli
Megan Weinerman
Journalist
Megan Weinerman, writer, has worked in advertising for brands such as Dove, Suave and Sears. She was also co-founder of a retail/lifestyle brand, SimplyShe, which was part of the “chick-lit” phenomenon of the early 2000′s and showcased her smart and witty writing voice throughout a series of humor books, greeting cards and gift products. Megan’s unique skill in communicating with an audience is one that she’s currently contributing to the entrepreneurial community in Chicago.
megan@meganweinerman.com
Website: http://meganweinerman.com/
Clay Neigher
Journalist
Clay has been writing creatively since he could wield a crayon. Holding a degree from Tufts University/SMFA, with a Masters from The University of Pennsylvania, doesn’t simply imply that Clay is a highly educated man; it also means that he’s in debt till the next millennia. When he’s not writing for Technori, Clay is busy writing screenplays, speeches and ad copy. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, improv, and documentaries.
Stella Fayman
Journalist
Stella is passionate about entrepreneurship and Chicago. She works for Chicago startup FeeFighters, where businesses compare credit card processors. Stella promotes entrepreneurship by organizing Ignite Chicago events and also mentors motivated high school students in underserved areas through the Future Founders program. A graduate of Northwestern University, Stella holds a degree in Psychology and Business Institutions. She’s love to hear what you’re up to, so feel free to say hi!
stella@feefighters.com
Twitter: @StartupStella
Rachel Hyman
Journalist
Rachel is currently studying geography at the University of Chicago and making her first foray into the startup world with Edit Huddle. She is excited to participate in the growing Chicago entrepreneurial community and hopes to get other young people involved. In her free time, she loves biking, going to shows, and exploring the city. Rachel would love to get in touch with you.
rachel@edithuddle.com
Website: http://banangolit.tumblr.com/
Griffin Caprio
Journalist
Griffin is a technologist and entrepreneur who has been helping companies of all shapes and sizes with their technology needs for more than a decade. He runs 1530 Technologies, Inc. ( http://www.1530technologies.com ) and A Part-Time CTO ( http://www.aparttimecto.com ). He’s passionate about Chicago entrepreneurs, starting both the Bootstrappers Breakfast and the Chicago Lean Startup Circle. Of course, he’ll give anyone an hour, so feel free to contact him!
me@griffincaprio.com
Website: http://www.griffincaprio.com
Twitter: @gcaprio
Len Feldman
Journalist
Len is CEO of and Principal Consultant for Klemfarb (http://www.klemfarb.com), a consulting firm specializing in product management, marketing and market research services for companies in the eBook and new media industries. Len graduated from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management in 1980, and after a few years in the Pacific Northwest, spent the next 25 years in Silicon Valley at companies including Toshiba and Netscape. He returned to the Chicagoland area in December 2008, and started Klemfarb in May 2010.
len@klemfarb.com
Twitter: lenfeldman
Blogs: http://feldmanfile.blogspot.com
YouTube: thefeldmanfile
Marian Mangoubi
Journalist
Marian is the founder of Sassy CEO, an online community for women entrepreneurs to connect with and learn from other women as they launch and grow their own “empires”.
marian@sassyceo.com
Twitter: SassyCEOs
Facebook: Sassy CEO
Website: http://sassyceo.com
Ryan Jones
Developer Extraordinaire
Ryan Jones is a multi-talented developer and is currently in the process of launching his own mobile development startup in Chicago. He loves meeting with people and talking technology, feel free to contact him for coffee (or beer).
email@technori.com
Twitter: Ryan Jones
Blog: Portfolio
Robbie Abed
Developer & Entrepreneur Extraordinaire
Robbie Abed has over 8 years of extensive IT consulting experience specializing in software development and project management. He founded ERP Mobile Consulting in January 2012.
robbie@technori.com
Twitter: Robbie Abed
Blog: Robbie Abed Personal Blog
Company Website: ERP Mobile Consulting