ABOUT US

• She was born a lefty, but was taught to become a righty.
• Her elementary-school classmates nicknamed her “the fastest pencil in the East.”
• Her first big gig was in high school, painting the cover of an AC/DC album on the back of a jean jacket for twenty bucks.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the peak of her career. Since then she’s gone on to work with clients such as the Smithsonian Institution, National Library of Medicine, and Johns Hopkins, and she’s picked up plenty of bling along the way. Notably, she’s been recognized by industry leaders like Communication Arts and Fast Company. At the helm of Link Studio, she directed, designed, and coordinated projects for more than two decades. The coolest thing about Aline’s approach is that she views everything through a unique lens: she has an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s in medical and biological illustration. Combined with her design experience, she views every design project from a user’s eyes, and, if we’re honest, sometimes we think she can even read the user’s mind. It’s a little creepy but it makes her good at her job.

While she’s pretty darn good at running Astriata, she loves bringing all different aspects of design together–from brand strategy, identity systems, print design, digital marketing, and website design to usability testing on our proprietary platform, UserHappy®.

Aline enjoys keeping up with her two sons and traveling with them and her husband. She buys her furniture on eBay because she’s always on a quest for mid-century furniture and collectibles. Before long, she’s going to be on a quest for a mid-century house to match all her furniture! She relaxes by traveling, cooking, watching movies, and wishing she had a greener thumb. If you can’t find her, Aline has probably snuck off for a catnap, because we’re not quite sure when she actually sleeps.

As our Director of Technology, Alex is usually behind the scenes. But there’s more to this guy than meets the eye:

• He once scored a goal on the Polish national team goalkeeper in a soccer tournament.
• On a recent move, he found 80 boxed board games in his closet.
• He’s so competitive with his older brother that he learns a new programming language every year just to keep ahead of him. (His last “win” was .NET’s F# while his brother was still trying to master Japanese.)

Astriata is fortunate that Alex’s brother unwittingly keeps us at the very forefront of technology. With more than 12 years of experience in software engineering, application development, and web technologies, Alex is skilled at requirements gathering, architecting systems, developing application frameworks, and leading projects through all phases of development. His specific technical skills are impressive: he has extensive knowledge of VB.NET, ASP.NET, C#, Classic ASP, PHP, C / C++, Visual Basic 6.0, Java(j2ee), LabVIEW, PC Assembly, Assembly and C for microcontrollers, MATLAB, MathCAD, ModelSim, and XILINX.

Before Alex brought his brains to Astriata, he was a software engineer with Transistor Devices Inc., a developer of high-technology power conversion products. It’s no surprise that he spends his free time role-playing in online games, playing board games with his brother and his wife and friends, and playing soccer. It is a little bit of a surprise that another of his hobbies is writing short stories. We do publish blogs on this site, so you never know...

Nikki brings her expertise in SDLC project management, along with her passion for writing and strategic thinking, to wear the hat of hats as Astriata’s Client Success Manager. Want to know what else she’s hiding under her hats?

• Nikki is an award winning storyteller of the stage. She even has a trophy shaped like a golden microphone to prove it.
• After dreaming of being on Saturday Night Live since 5th grade, Nikki wrote, directed and starred in her own all-female sketch comedy production called Girls Gone Live!
• She studied Creative Writing, Spanish, and Literary Translation. She has several publications and awards for her original short stories and for Spanish translations.
• Nikki spent her first 27 years living and thriving in the frigid state of North Dakota. After a few moves in and out of the country, she landed in Mesa, AZ, where she enjoys hiking, going to comedy shows with friends, and spending as much time as possible with her adorable almost-2-year-old, Otto.

Nikki can quickly identify a risk or a bug, distinguish a requirement from a nice-to-have, and cross-check up to a dozen calendars in 4 seconds or less. OK, maybe that last part is a bit of an exaggeration… Thanks to her wealth of personal and professional experiences along with her passion for technology, Nikki brings a balance of competence and compassion to everything she does here at Astriata.

Jessica has a knack for organization and a love for solving puzzles, so when it comes to planning the harmonious fusion of requirements, budget and timeline, she’s a natural! A firm believer in process improvement, Jessica is always on the lookout for solutions to even the smallest of problems.

But Jessica isn’t all business all the time. In fact, she has quite an adventurous spirit!

• She absolutely loves off-roading!
• While working for a cruise company, Jessica got to work and visit French Polynesia several times.
• She has been married for 5 years, but married her husband after only 4 months!
• Jessica’s last name is Stephens, but that’s only since her great-grandmother decided on a whim to legally change the family name from Ciechanowski!

Jessica’s love for technology and design inspired her to pursue an education in Graphic & Web Design, but she was only getting started. She went on to complete a Product Manager / Product Owner certification program to learn more about Agile Practices in website development before launching her career in Marketing and Project Management.

With a strong background in digital marketing, a love for finding solutions, and curiosity that has carried her over dirt roads and overseas, Jessica is here to oversee projects and project positive outcomes.

If you’ve met Jodi, you know she’s got a great laugh. But did you also know…

• Her house is the headquarters for all things social, whether it’s a million college kids watching a game or her favorite cocktail-hour friends coming over to gossip.
• Her secret vice is watching hours of true-crime television, and if you ask her nicely, she’ll tell you what really happened to JonBenét.
• Lake Huron is her home away from home and she spends every summer as an honorary Canadian, eh?

But on to her skills as a project manager…ask any client, and they’ll tell you Jodi is a superstar. She makes it her mission to make every project successful, and she works diligently to make sure we are serving our clients the very best we can. As a PM, she streamlines processes, tracks progress, manages resources, stays within budget, and delivers results on time.

Because she’s raised three children, Jodi can multitask like a boss. She’s helped by the odd obsession she has with yellow sticky notes, which line her computer, desk, and office with a seemingly insurmountable list of “to dos.” However, hats off to her, because it works and she is not one to miss a deadline or drop a ball.

Though her children are almost all out of college, there’s a new baby in Jodi’s house. But don’t worry: she has four legs and she’s furry. Her name is Millie, and Jodi’s spare time is spent taking care of this puppy. Once she wears Millie out, Jodi can be found traveling as far as California to deliver in-person hugs to any of her children. She loves to hang out with her husband and her friends, and she relaxes by taking long walks (and then getting back to her favorite TV shows).

Meet Sarah, our Design Dynamo, whose artistic flair and tech-savvy finesse converge to create stunning designs. Hailing from Philadelphia, she embarked on a creative journey that led her to the vibrant heart of Baltimore, Maryland, where her skills evolved into a powerhouse of design expertise. But there's more to Sarah's creative surface…

• Sarah's culinary adventures know no bounds, but her attempts at cooking are often fiery spectacles that would make a firefighter proud.
• She adores horror movies, especially those with intricate sci-fi or mystery plots. The scarier, the better!
• Beyond design, Sarah is a tech enthusiast. She has upgraded her historic row home with projects like home automation, setting up a media streaming server, and configuring a home theater system.

In her downtime, Sarah transforms into an adventurous explorer, with a particular fondness for traversing the East Coast. While international escapades, including dreams of marveling at the Louvre and trekking Machu Picchu, occupy a prime spot on her bucket list, her culinary escapades are equally noteworthy. Fueled by a passion for diverse cuisines, Sarah, along with her fiancé, has recently embarked on a mission to explore new neighborhoods regularly, turning each outing into a delectable adventure.

Peering into the future, Sarah envisions tying the knot, placing a premium on quality time with her growing family. Reveling in the joys of being an aunt to her nieces and nephews, she paints a picture of a life where personal and professional pursuits blend seamlessly. As Sarah continues to weave her creativity into digital masterpieces, her life story unfolds as a vibrant tapestry, a testament to the harmonious balance she effortlessly strikes between the design realm and the kaleidoscope of experiences that paint her personal journey.

Nothing excites Gillian more than creating intuitive user experiences and designs that people can easily access and navigate. What you may not know about the London native is that she:

• Relishes not only graphic design but also traditional arts like printmaking, sculpting, and pottery
• Yearns for the outdoors and loves to traipse through tropical rainforests, hike mountains, and kayak rivers
• Stalks Instagram foodie accounts to find her next favorite meal

Before moving to the United States and joining Astriata, Gillian's passion for learning about life and cultures worldwide took her to multiple countries—Colombia, Taiwan, Peru, and Honduras—where she taught English in schools and developed and operated her own business teaching English in a virtual environment. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic arts from the University of East London and took courses in user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design at CareerFoundry, where she discovered the enormous potential of using design to empower individual users.

At Astriata, Gillian spends the bulk of her time planning, conducting, and analyzing user research—and then translating what she learns into user personas, user flows, information architecture, and wireframes. She utilizes UX research methods and empathy to identify user pain points and UI design concepts to create human-centered products and prototypes, tailored to each client’s unique needs. “I’m excited to collaborate with creative minds and design content that is made accessible for everyone,” she says.

• Hunting for the next addition to her collection of film cameras, including one that was used in Poland during WWII. Photography is what inspired Rylee to pursue a creative career; she’s had photos featured in People Magazine and TMZ.
• Traveling the world: she’s been to 44 states in the U.S., and 9 countries and counting. Her favorite destinations so far include Ireland and Italy.
• Reading legal cases in her spare time, feeding her side passion for legal studies.

Rylee has worked in a diverse range of industries, from startups to renowned nonprofits. She came to Astriata after 3.5 years working as a web and graphic designer for the Denver Zoo, where she designed everything from exhibit signage to video billboards to website layouts. During her time at the Zoo she documented the release of Boreal Toad tadpoles, an endangered species that lives in the alpines of the Colorado Rockies. She even had her photos attached to a news story that later went on to win an Emmy! If you want to hear fascinating or shocking animal stories, Rylee’s your gal.

At Astriata, Rylee is excited to collaborate on innovative and purpose-driven projects that challenge her to push the boundaries of design, while always keeping the user at the forefront. She collaborates closely with Astriata’s developers and the design team to maintain brand consistency across all digital and print materials. Her work includes user research to inform design decisions and stay updated on the latest trends to improve performance and functionality.

Meet Adam, our WordPress Maestro, who effortlessly bridges small-town allure with the limitless digital realm. Hailing from tranquil Anaconda, Montana, his digital odyssey has made him a master of the web. Here are some lesser-known facets of this digital artisan:

• Adam—the baby of the family—knows how to keep family gatherings lively with his 10 nieces and nephews. Oh, and did we mention he’s got a twin sister?
• Beyond pixels and code, he's the driving force behind Anaconda's economic growth as Chairman of the local development group.
• And if you're craving a tasty adventure, Adam co-owns a pasty shop with a tradition dating back to 1959, delivering delectable bites across the Northwestern United States.

Adam's affinity for working with technology dates back to the tender age of 7 when he would take apart computers and put them back together, marveling at the intricate dance of circuits. Eventually, he made the connection to coding, a realm where he could simultaneously explore challenging concepts and incorporate structure, languages, syntax, and logic into his creations. At Astriata, Adam believes that success in web development projects is a harmonious blend of team ability. It's this synergy that determines which tools and technologies he wields in each project, ensuring that every website he crafts is a masterpiece of relevant functionality and aesthetics.

In his world, crafting pixel-perfect websites is second nature, but his heart finds solace in a cabin by the lake, where internet signals are scarce, and the hustle of the city feels light-years away. With his husband and their trusty German shepherd, Nubis, he embarks on adventures both online and off, savoring the joys of remote work and outdoor exploration. Together, they strike a harmonious balance between museum visits and culinary adventures, with a shared penchant for discovering the finest local eats and drinks, infusing their travels with vibrant flavors and cultural experiences. Adam's life story is a testament to the exquisite harmony he creates between the digital and the serene, a captivating tale of a small-town artisan who paints the web with his masterful coding brush.

Meet Brian, our Senior Developer, bringing over 20 years of web development experience to the table. He's all about combining solid functionality with sleek design, whether he's rebuilding internal systems or overseeing major infrastructure migrations.

When Brian isn’t coding or problem-solving, you might find him:

• Volunteering at pet shelters: Brian is passionate about animals and frequently lends his time to help at local shelters.
• Hiking with his wife: He enjoys exploring nature with his wife, Rachelle, whether they’re on a weekend hike or planning their next adventure.
• Watching his son play rugby: As a proud father, Brian loves cheering his son on at rugby matches.

So, how did someone so skilled in web development get started? Funny enough, it all began with his interest in 3D animation and modeling. But when he discovered he had a knack for programming, Brian made the leap into development—and he hasn’t looked back since. A high-honors graduate of Pittsburgh Technical Institute, Brian has mastered a wide range of technologies, including PHP frameworks, ASP.NET, CMS platforms, and database management.

Brian has led projects for high-profile clients in industries like e-commerce and digital marketing. His dedication to learning and innovation ensures that no matter how complex the project, Brian delivers top-tier results.

If you get the chance to work with Brian, ask him about his latest volunteer work or his favorite dad joke!

Meet Sumit, our Senior Front-End Developer, who’s been turning creative ideas into seamless digital experiences for over 15 years. A true problem-solver at heart, he’s either piecing together the perfect code or tackling a challenging puzzle in his downtime.

But there’s more to Sumit than his impressive technical skills, including:

• Nature photography: He loves capturing animals and insects more than people, combining his passion for photography with his appreciation for the natural world.
• Stamp and currency collector: Since childhood, he’s been fascinated by the stories behind his growing collection of postage stamps and currencies.
• Beach lover: Sumit finds peace sitting by the ocean, watching waves and soaking in the calm.

Sumit’s journey to UI/UX started after a few years as a Microsoft developer, when he discovered his knack for the finer details that make digital experiences user-friendly and functional. Since then, he’s worked on CMS platforms, eCommerce applications, analytics tools, and email marketing software. His ability to gather user feedback and integrate it into his work has been pivotal in creating effective and accessible solutions.At Astriata, Sumit thrives on the challenge of turning innovative designs into flawless, functional websites. And if you’re ever curious, ask him about his favorite childhood memory—his first flight to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands—or why Steve Irwin would be his dream dinner guest!

Michael is our accomplished senior full-stack developer and software engineer, meaning he can develop and design both the front- and backend of a website or application. Oh, and if you didn’t guess it already, he thrives on challenges and spends his spare time:

• working on a light fantasy book series (as an aspiring novelist, he possesses wizardry not only with coding but also with words)
• battling it out in the online gaming world (he’s no noob)
• perusing a work of anime (he’s an avid fan)

Michael comes to Astriata with a background in computer science and graphic and visual design from Polytechnic University (present-day New York University). A born-and-raised New Yorker, he left his hometown to work as a graphics and web designer, and later an Adobe Flash developer, for Hodgson Consulting in Maryland. Later, he worked for the Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM), before returning to his hometown to work as a consultant for various companies and organizations.

With extensive experience and exceptional skills in .NET, Michael is an asset to Astriata’s team, consistently delivering innovative solutions that make our clients’ lives easier. He’s also a family guy who values work-life balance and does his best to limit his screen time—and set a good example for his kids.

Haymon crosses our Ts and dots our Is, while keeping our team on a timetable to stay on track with tasks and deadlines or making sure that design is implemented faithfully. What you may not know about her, however, is that:

• She bakes a mean Portuguese egg tart and crepe cake (with layer upon layer of whipped cream).
• With the goal of someday finishing a marathon, she can run like the wind.
• She plays an instrument from each musical family (as a refresher, that includes woodwind, brass, keyboard, percussion, strings, and even a subgroup of strings: chordophones).

While a student in philosophy and computer science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Haymon served as Astriata’s administrative assistant. Since graduating, Haymon is putting her programming skills to work as a developer. She was born and raised in North Carolina but has lived in Australia, New York, and Colorado, and loves discovering tucked-away, intimate spaces and neighborhoods in places of all sizes.

Haymon considers herself a small-town person at heart and enjoys the close-knit community and collaboration of Astriata. With a love of both numbers and words (and STEM and the humanities), she enjoys the chance to work with a creative agency that takes a science- and research-based approach to marketing, design, web development, and usability.

Meet Jac, our Senior Content Strategist who brings over 12 years of storytelling, content design, and communications leadership to help guide both internal and client-based content planning at Astriata. But it wasn’t always this way…

Some fun facts about Jac:

• Jac’s creative writing career began in the 90s, first as an attempt to produce catchy pop song lyrics reminiscent of her favorite Spice Girls jams, and typing up horror stories on the family MacIntosh that would make her friends shriek at sleepovers.
• She eventually put those pursuits aside to focus on how to communicate about climate change solutions to various types of audiences, and after 10 years in the environmental field she started her own content strategy business and began taking on clients in a wider array of industries.
• Away from the screen, Jac feels most energized running lush wooded trails, kayaking salty waters, and hiking up snow-covered peaks.
• This year she made a 30+ year dream come true and adopted her first dog: a Blue Heeler-Australian Shepherd-Border Collie mix named Zenith, Zeni for short.

Jac excels in cross-functional collaboration, working closely with designers, developers, and marketing teams to create high-quality, engaging content across various industries, including renewable energy, sustainability, e-commerce, med-tech, regenerative agriculture, and more. She reaps an unusual level of satisfaction from solving the puzzle of on-page optimization, identifying and filling UX gaps, and driving higher organic search traffic with exceptional content. She is particularly skilled at simultaneously holding the bigger vision of business objectives in mind while focusing on the nitty-gritty details that an effective strategy requires.

At Astriata, Jac is delighted to delve into the deep waters of content strategy, where she finds great joy in helping clients lay a solid foundation for an effective, user-centered, long-term content plan.

Natalia’s our multi-talented content input specialist who has a knack for nuance and detail. But beyond the behind-the-scenes work she does with client databases:

• She previously worked as a medical assistant in a neurology practice and is your go-to gal for all blood-drawing needs!
• Cooking is her favorite hobby; beef onion croquette is her specialty.
• Natalia’s quite the night owl, but you’d never know because she’s always on her toes!

Natalia's early years were marked by a sense of adventure and a love of new experiences. Born in Rhode Island, she spent her childhood in different countries and states, including Cameroon, Indonesia, Florida, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Eventually, she returned to her roots in Maryland, where she made her home once again with her furry feline companion, Jezebel (named after her favorite Iron & Wine song).

As a medical assistant at a neurology clinic, Natalia honed her detail-oriented, problem-solving, and composure skills. However, ever since childhood, Natalia had always been an avid artist, experimenting with different materials and colors on paper. Eventually, her passion for design and technology led her to pursue a career in the digital realm by studying these areas at Anne Arundel Community College and the Flatiron School. She believes design and technology drive innovation—and loves working at the intersection of both.

Natalia's diverse experiences and passion for design and technology make her a valuable member of Astriata's team, where she manages client databases with precision and care. Outside of work, Natalia enjoys whipping up culinary masterpieces, blending family recipes with her own unique creations—from elaborate fusion pastas to various seafood dishes. Other hobbies include tending to her thriving herb garden, reading and writing insightful articles on Medium, and, most importantly, lavishing love on Jezebel.