Meet the Team

Mike Montgomery

Mike Montgomery built liQuidprint by understanding that companies need help doing business on the Web. His marketing background gives him an advantage over other Web design consultants and ensures that liQuidprint Web sites will engage the end-user through results-driven interactive technology.

It's this innovative and effective approach that has built liQuidprint from a basement start-up to a leading voice in the industry.

Before founding liQuidprint in 1996, Montgomery was involved in providing high-end workflow solutions to Fortune 1000 companies.

Mike Benedetto

Mike has been with liQuidprint since 1998. He has over twenty years of experience working with design, fine art and photography.

Mike believes that the design of a website holds great power: it can greatly enhance ability to communicate a company's purpose, and it can be a substantial support in meeting a company's goals.

He believes that the ability to listen is by far the most important asset a designer can have. If we as designers can hear what a client wants, regardless of how well-versed the client is in design speak, we can not only deliver what is wanted, but can exceed expectations.

Some other things you may or may not want to know:

- He was born feet first.

- He once had a bike stolen from him while he was riding it.

- He drinks half-caff.

Eric Wood

Eric brings years of experience in all things search marketing along with an education in advertising to his new role at liQuidprint.  Most recently, Eric was the Marketing Manager at Channel Clarity, Inc.

His analytic mind and attention to detail coupled with his broad background in internet marketing as a whole made Eric the perfect candidate to lead liQuidprint's  offering.   His vast range of expertise includes; SEO, PPC, Affiliate Marketing, Email Marketing, Website Usability, Web Analytics and social media.

Eric has enjoyed working with The Masiello Group to help them achieve their SEO goals.  As Eric put it, "They are not afraid to make the investment and really get results."

Regardless of the weather in Chicago, Eric always feels that it's a good time to water ski.  Guess we forgot to tell him that as a transplant to the Midwest, he might want to take up some winter sports.

Sri Ajjarapu

Sri has been constructing Web Applications since completing his Masters Degree in Information Systems in 2000.  In addition to programming, Sri brings a broad spectrum of technical and industry knowledge to the liQuidprint development team.  All of these skills combined with his ability to mentor and guide others made him the obvious choice for Team Lead.

Whenever possible, Sri still likes to "get his hands dirty" and code applications.  Some recent examples of his work include: Luxury Portfolio, Stock Yards, American Sale and Cycling Closeouts.

Katie Kranz

As Assistant General Manager, Katie helps make sure liQuidprint runs smoothly. She joined liQuidprint in 2008 after working for Prime Properties, a real estate and property management company.

Katie holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from the University of Warsaw, Poland.   We think it's this training in diplomacy that makes her a favorite of clients and colleagues alike.  It's possible that her attention to detail and willingness to take on any task may add to her appeal.

While she is happy to assist in any capacity, Katie has especially enjoyed the role of project lead on the Jame Roll Form website redesign as well as some of her Quality Assurance work on our sites.

And no, Kasia is not Katie's evil twin or alter ego.  Just her real name.

Brian Krall

Brian came to liQuidprint after logging some time as a Web Developer for the University of Iowa.

Since joining the team in 2008, Brian's two favorite projects have been Perspectives Ltd. and Cycling Closeouts. In his own words, "Awesome clients, great projects."

Brian's easy manner and ability to explain technology to those not as savvy make him a client favorite.   He has taken on the role of trainer and is always a great resource for clients learning the CMS ropes.

These days when Brian isn't at the office, he's training for the Chicago Urbanathalon (a 12 mile obstacle race in held in October).  He can also be found traveling and recent adventures include Athens, Paris, Hawaii, and skydiving in the Nevada desert.

Julie Camarato

Julie joined liQuidprint in 1999 after spending seven years at a Fortune 100 health care company. The various positions she held during her tenure at Cardinal Health ranged from operations management to marketing and prepared her well for the various roles she plays at liQuidprint.

Satisfied clients and happy employees are the goals that drive Julie.  She is passionate about ensuring liQuidprint delivers an amazing product and firmly believes that the great team we have assembled will do just that.

When not working, Julie enjoys spending time with family and friends - especially her daughters Sophia and Ella.

Paul Erickson

Prior to joining liQuidprint, Paul worked with one of our partners - The CS Group.   During his time there, Paul gained experience in VB6 programming, systems administration (Windows/Exchange), Classic ASP development and SQL programming.

Paul is our resident genius.  We've yet to come up with a calculation, formula or programming logic that Paul couldn't process and answer.  It's because of this genius that you will often find Paul assisting his colleagues in their quest to solve our latest challenge.

His favorite project at liQuidprint was the Jameson Realty site.

And did we mention that he's never been stung by a bee?

Pete Zundel

In case you don't already know it, Pete was liQuidprint's very first employee. liQuidprint 'stole' him from the University of Chicago, Networking and Telecommunications Department, where he was responsible for a University wide project to install a new networking infrastructure.

Pete's extensive experience in all phases of the web development process including advanced database applications provide him with the perfect background to lead our Front-end development team.  Pete's team is responsible for bridging the gap between our designers and our server-side developers. In his own words, "after many years on the job it is now official. I have now learned enough to be dangerous at every aspect of the web design process."

Pete has developed strong customer relationships over the years due to his recognized commitment to delivering the best product and incomparable service for each of his clients.  One of Pete's favorite projects was DeBrand Fine Chocolates. This was a great opportunity for liQuidprint to bring a local company to a national and even global stage.

Even though it's hard to imagine Pete anywhere but liQuidprint, a few of his previous professions include, an auto mechanic, a restaurateur and a paperboy.

Louie Zamarripa

Louie started off 2010 with a new job here at liQuidprint as a Front-end Web Developer.   Prior to beginning his illustrious career Louie graduated from the Illinios Institute of Art Chicago with a Bachelors Degree in Multimedia and Web Design.

He came to liQuidprint after spending about 3  years in the industry and has worked at other web design firms.  In his own words, "what separates liQuidprint from the other firms I've worked for is that our team is devoted to your project and to making sure you get the attention you deserve".

In his free time, Louie enjoys:

• Dancing
• Reading
• Drawing
• A good BBQ
• Turning lead into gold (as of yet no success)

Casey Lentz

Casey is a recent graduate of The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago, where he received a BFA in Web Design & Interactive Media. He will mostly be assisting in Front-End Development, but he has the design background to tackle creative as well.

Justin Grimm

As Senior Web Developer, Justin takes on additional tasks involving managing and mentoring the Web Development team.  Prior to joining liQuidprint, Justin worked for Cardinal Health on their Cardinal.com web team.   His responsibilities included back-end systems management and front-end website programming and production work.

While a developer at heart, Justin's strong organizational skills and attention to detail have made him an excellent choice for the role of project lead on a number of projects.  Regardless of the role he is playing, Justin makes sure that  clients receive a fantastic site on time and on budget.  All of his clients and colleagues truly enjoy working with Justin.

A member of the liQuidprint team since 2005, Justin's favorite project to date was the Chicago Parent redesign.  The project was challenging, fresh, and as a parent of young children himself, Justin could relate to the site.   In addition, the client was very easy to work with and the communication was excellent.

Justin has a soft-spot in his heart for: dogs, fresh design, his wife and 4 kids, Hot Snakes and Denver.

Lisa Schulist

Lisa worked with liQuidprint way back in 2000 in our first office. Fast forward to the summer of '11 when she got a call out of the blue from Julie Camarato, who had tracked her down via Facebook. Lisa now lived in the wilds of Northern Colorado. Lisa is thrilled be working with liQuidprint again! She talks to us via Skype most days and shows up in 3D at the office on a regular basis - sometimes she even brings us beer.

Prior to joining liQuidprint (again) Lisa had worked with a wide variety of companies in Chicago, as a designer/art director for both print and web projects.

Lisa's design philosophy is straightforward:

- Think first, execute second. Careful thought needs to happen before the first pixel is pushed. Have a reason, a really good reason, behind every element that appears on a page.

- Details make the difference. The details should be invisible to the user because the designer has carefully interwoven them into the whole of the design.

What does Lisa do now that she lives a mile high in elevation? Ski, of course. Truth be told, most times you can find her planted on a barstool at Jack's (Copper Mtn.) by 7:00pm!

Lisa was educated at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, getting her BFA in Fine Art and Visual Communication.

Sree Theja Nimmagadda

Theja spent his youth in India, pining for what his father told him was an impossible dream: working for liQuidprint in Lincolnwood, Illinois.

Undeterred, Theja committed himself to committing to memory his Web programming tables as well aerial maps of the Lincolnwood area. When he was accepted to graduate school to study electrical and computer engineering at West Virginia University, he knew his dream was just a road trip away.

The final stroke of luck was when he learned his childhood nemesis, Srikanth Chada, was a liQuidprint employee. Using a series of chess-like manipulations, Theja convinced Srikanth that it would be better for all involved if Srikanth got him a job.

Theja has fit in nicely with the liQuidprint team. He enjoys the friendliness of his colleagues, and the ability to work on a diverse range of development platforms and sites.

In his spare time, he hangs out with buddies, cooks, and plots his next move.

(To be continued...)

Janine Grandsart

Janine is an Account Manager with 7 years of sales and marketing experience. She has a proven track record in helping clients from a variety of industries achieve their business goals and increase revenue through digital marketing solutions.

Her strengths include understanding clients' specified needs, establishing mutually beneficial relationships and exceeding goals and expectations. Janine becomes personally invested in the best interest of her clients, which makes her a highly trustworthy Account Manager.

During her free time she enjoys taking her 2 dogs, Durden and Mia, to the park, playing guitar and organizing game nights.

She is also a self proclaimed movie quote genius and often times will sneak movie quotes into every day conversations.

Nick Wagner

Nick joined liQuidprint in early 2011 as the resident Help Desk Specialist. He's a very helpful guy, and has been helping folks through technical difficulties for the last ten years. He has worked for the federal government and a small software company, supporting Windows and Mac desktops, Microsoft server environments, and basically anything with a power switch. Most of the phone calls he receives from his friends and loved ones are regarding computer problems.

Nick leads a double life as a comedy professional, performing with the Improvised Shakespeare Company at iO Theatre and creating comedy short films with a production company he started with his creative friends. He recently launched a podcast called Improvised Star Trek. In short, he is a silly nerd and proud of it.

He finds the environment here at liQuidprint to be the best he's ever worked in--interesting, challenging, and rewarding. And his colleagues are seriously fun people.

Lyn Stimpson

Gentlemen farmer. Fireman. Family man. Web programmer. All melded into one man. A man his wife, children and southwest Montana mountain neighbors call Lyn.

Originally from North Carolina, Lyn started with liQuidprint in 2002 after a detour through the bicycle industry. He rarely detours now, however. Just as he does with his own ecclectic facets, he melds. He melds the goal of the client with the vision of liQuidprint's Web artists. And he makes it all work.

Lyn likes liQuidprint because it gives him a chance to work with smart, creative people. It gives him a chance to create simple, effective solutions to complicated problems.

When he's not working Lyn spends his time enjoying our country's northwest with his wife and 2 young boys.

His hobbies are mountain biking, skate skiing, fly fishing, and tending his 17 chickens, 2 goats, 2 cats, 1 sheep and 1 dog.

Sergey Tyurnin

Sergey is a traveler. He enjoys learning new languages He loves uncovering fascinating interesting new places.  It's no surprise, then, that he has found himself at liQuidprint.

Having his origins in Russia, Sergey found himself working in Atlanta as a Business Analyst for a major U.S. cartographic company. Restless in Georgia, Sergey began setting his sights on the City of the Big Shoulders.

Spotting a job opening at liQuidprint, Sergey applied on a whim, fortuitously hopping on a plane to visit a Chicago friend that same day. Upon landing at O'Hare Airport, Sergey received a call from liQuidprint. A month after that, he enjoyed his first Free Bagel Friday at liQuidprint.

As Sergey tells it, "We have an awesome team here. I feel the great innovation and
entrepreneurial spirit!"

Hopefully this engaging traveler has found a suitable home at liQuidprint. For now...

Phil Weiss

Phil joined liQuidprint in November 2010. He has experience making all kinds of videos - from weddings to commercials to sketch comedy for tweens. Whether the project is small or huge, Phil has the skills to make it happen.

Phil grew up in Chicago and went to the same high school as art director Mike Benedetto (Whitney Young). Their graduation dates are (more than) several years apart.

He believes video is an important and effective way to deliver your message. It can also make your web site, and by extension, your company seem more impressive.

Phil is a runner and cook and enjoys traveling to big cities and getting lost.

Gianna Neri

Gianna Neri's parents never allowed her to have a dog. Not that there wasn't love and warmth in her huge close-knit family. Her grandmother always kept her fed with what she claims to be the best Italian cooking in the Chicagoland area. When she wanted to take her dancing more seriously at age 5, her parents were on board; as were they when as a young woman she wanted to study Public Relations and Advertising at DePaul.

But even before her college years, Gianna was bitten by the social media bug. "I'm always using social media," says an enthusiastic Gianna. This dancer turned cyber-geek enjoys researching online marketing topics, writing about them, and bringing her passion for this virtual connection to her work at liQuidprint.

Gianna continues to eat her grandmother's cooking. She continues to dance. Her life-long desire to have a dog is no longer thwarted by her parents. Now her landlord is to blame. She is thankful then, for the open and comfortable atmosphere at liQuidprint, and its policy that allows workers to bring their dogs.

Rosanna Schatzki

liQuidprint Account Manager Rosanna "Ro" Schatzki enjoys crossword puzzles. She likes movies. She plays volleyball and poker. She likes to watch basketball. And sometimes when watching basketball, at the sight of the red and white jersey worn by Bulls great Jaokim Noah, the memories come flooding back.

Ro grew up in Manhattan, where it wasn't uncommon for her to find herself living in an apartment under Norah Jones one day, and attending the same school with Katie Couric's daughter the next. But the most enigmatic overlap is the time she spent in grammar school with Joakim Noah. "Well, I never actually met him," claims Schatzki, "but his sister was cool."

The hows and whys of the parallel paths Joakim and Ro took from Manhattan to Chicago are not clear, but this much is: Noah seems to enjoy his role as an energetic and unorthodox player for the Bulls, and pulls down many rebounds on both ends of the court; Ro on the other hand, loves being creative problem-solver for liQuidprint. She enjoys getting to know her clients and helping their businesses grow by creating powerful web presences and online marketing strategies.

Along with everything else, Ro plays music with a band. (If Joakim Noah, or Katie Couric's daughter play for a band on top of everything they do, we haven't heard about it.)

What's a two-letter word for: "competent and engaging Web consultant?"

We're happy she's here.