We’re thrilled to introduce Molly Hop, envisionit media’s new Digital Media Director. Molly has previously held leadership roles at agencies such as Starcom Media Vest Group, Critical Mass and Razorfish. She’s championed digital strategies and driven results for a variety of brands including General Motors, Mercedes Benz, Kellogg’s, Moen, and Best Buy.

Besides bringing wonderful experience and intelligence with her to envisionit, Molly just so happens to be quite funny and fun. It’s win-win!

A bit more about Ms. Hop:

Where are you from?
Holland, Michigan.

What do you do at envisionit?
As the Digital Media Director, I work with the web marketing team to develop strategies to drive traffic, create engagement, and promote the brand communication platform.

Tell us something you’ve enjoyed about working here so far.
I have enjoyed the people since day one. They are smart, friendly, witty, and passionate.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
My choice would be tons of crab legs, a baked potato heaped with butter, and apple pie for dessert. Yum.

What’s a book you could read over and over again?
My three favorite books are East of Eden, Pillars of the Earth, and Are you my Mom?

We were so excited to meet Vlad, and even more excited that he decided to come join the team! Without further ado, ladies and gentleman, our new Senior Analyst—who would be happy to brave the crowds of Wrigley with you at the next Cubs game.

Vlad Chaykovsky

Where are you from?

Originally from Kiev, Ukraine, but lived in Columbus, Ohio for most of my life.

What do you do at envisionit?

Senior Analyst.

Tell us something you’ve enjoyed about working here so far.

The atmosphere here is really nice, everyone is so supportive and relaxed.

What did you want to be when you grew up? 

A veterinarian.

Fill in the blank: My favorite thing about Chicago is …

Going out to a Cubs game!

As Controller and Director of Marketing, respectively, Amy and Ben have been indispensable new members of our team, crafting up innovative marketing plans and keeping track of lots of numbers (don’t worry Amy, we know you do more than that). See what they like about working at envisionit! And what (and who) their childhood selves wanted to be as adults!

Amy Russell

Where are you from?
Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

What do you do at envisionit?
Controller.

Tell us something you’ve enjoyed about working here so far.
Working with such engaging people.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Dancer, which I still am when I’m not crunching numbers.

Fill in the blank: My favorite thing about Chicago is…
Living by the lake.

Ben Cox

Where are you from?
I was raised by horses in Shelbyville, Kentucky.

What do you do at envisionit?
I’m Director of Marketing, so I drive the strategic marketing bus. I’m responsible for understanding our clients and making sure we deliver delightful experiences that matter.

Tell us something you’ve enjoyed about working here so far.
Far and away the people. I love the youthful energy and genuine passion. And working beside seasoned marketers is equally rewarding and challenging.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Indiana Jones.

Fill in the blank: I’m really good at…
Making my three boys laugh until they drool.

It’s great to have Dan and Kerry aboard to help us stay organized, keep our projects on task, and add another layer of awesome to the office. We salute them and enthusiastically welcome them to the envisionit media team.

Dan Levengood

Where are you from?
I was born in Ottumwa, Iowa, and raised in East Moline, Illinois.

What do you do at envisionit?
My official title is Program Director. I lead the project management and account management teams.

Tell us something you’ve enjoyed about working here so far.
I love the entrepreneurial spirit at EIM. The “can do” attitude starts at the top and drives creativity, strategy and production.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Portillo’s. Are there other places to eat?

Tell us a story in six words.
My dog’s name is Mr. Deuce.

Kerry St. Joseph

Where are you from?
Crystal Lake, Illinois.

What do you do at envisionit?
I’m a Senior Project Manager.

Tell us something you’ve enjoyed about working here so far.
All the smiling faces! And the abundance of candy.

Fill in the blank: I’m really good at…
Running.

Fill in the blank: Three things I can’t live without are…
My running shoes, my family, my chapstick.

Erin and Kara came here to be part of the account team and chew bubble gum, and they’re all out of bubble gum. (So they’re still part of the account team, which is good). Their humor, hard work, and mad potluck skills have made them very welcome additions.

Erin Miller

Where are you from?
Planet Earth.

What do you do at envisionit?
I’m a Project Manager. I make sure projects stay on track by keeping everything organized and bothering the development team.

Tell us something you’ve enjoyed about working here so far.
I am learning so much, and everyone is really helpful. The beer on Fridays isn’t bad either.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Rich.

Fill in the blank: I’m really good at…
Staring contests.

Kara DeWalt

Where are you from?
Oak Park, IL.

What do you do at envisionit?
I am an Account Coordinator focused on Magic Number.

Tell us something you’ve enjoyed about working here so far.
I love that everyone at EIM is very creative and there is a positive, dynamic atmosphere in the office. Having come from the financial software sales world, it is very refreshing to see people constantly brainstorming and thinking outside of the box.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
My mother’s roast chicken with stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Name three of your favorite movies.
Sideways, Goodfellas, American Beauty.

Over the summer, Mike and Marlon started coming to our office five days a week to write and program, respectively, and our lives have been all the better ever since. Read on to learn Mike’s favorite movies, Marlon’s hidden talent, and what they’ve been working on so far.

Mike Phillips

Where are you from?
New Orleans, and Chicago.

What do you do at envisionit?
I’m the Senior Interactive Copywriter. I write stuff that makes people want to do things.

Tell us something you’ve enjoyed about working here so far.
I really enjoy the environment. It’s open, creative, and collaborative. Working on the Binny’s TV spots and getting to meet Tony Esposito and Mike Ditka was fun, too.

Tell us a story in six words.
My great-grandparents were notorious bootleggers.

Name three of your favorite movies.
Goodfellas, Amelie, Rushmore.

Marlon Harrison

Where are you from?
Born and raised in Chicago.

What do you do at envisionit?
Senior Developer. I develop seniors.

Tell us something you’ve enjoyed about working here so far.
Getting to watch a British man dance to Easy-E.

Fill in the blank: I’m really good at…
Changing a diaper while getting kicked in the stomach by a baby that thinks it’s funny.

My favorite thing about Chicago is…
The street grid system.

Maria Kuznetsova, Graphic Designer

It’s clear the universe wanted Maria to join the envisionit team. Before she even applied for a position, she saw the office and liked the whole open creative collaboration-deal we have going on. As it turns out, she also designed the website for Blokes & Birds, where we had part of our 2010 holiday party. And now, she’ll be designing logos, websites, and print pieces for us.

Both form and function are equally important in her work. Her fine arts background in painting and studio drawing shapes the former, and her consideration for a user’s goals and overall experience is what leads the latter—so the result is a calm, aesthetically sound interactive experience. Win.

Tyler Beth, Web Marketing Manager

A connoisseur in the realm of SEO, Tyler came to us by way of organic search. Fitting. He looks at SEO as a big puzzle—putting the pieces together to raise rank so you can find it. But he’ll be exploring all of the pieces of SEO to do more than just optimize a site. Think social search, local search, mobile SEO, and social media strategy.

When he’s not SEOing websites, Tyler’s likely snowboarding down a mountain, following the ventures of the Cubs and Bulls, or going to a concert.

As envisionit media grows as an agency (one of the fastest growing privately owned companies, in fact), expanding our portfolio and building our roster of talented, creative, strategic thinkers, so grows our space. We’ve expanded into two levels at our abode on Ohio Street, and are quite enjoying the leg, elbow and thinking room.

Opening up the upstairs office space has helped us improve collaboration, not only with our internal teams, but with our clients. Dedicated working spaces in this now 15,000 square foot office make quick meetings, video conferences, and working sessions easier than ever.

Take a look!

The Porch, below, is a sunny meeting room overlooking Ohio St., with plenty of seating space.

The Card Room seats about seven. It’s perfect for smaller meetings—or even the occasional game of lunchtime Hold’em.

The spaceship-looking Den is the latest in futuristic working sessions!

With our new space all set, and plans to grow to 45 full-time employees in the next year, we’re excited to continue expansion, collaborate with our clients, explore new business, and everything else that’s coming up!

 
We’re proud to announce that we’ve been nominated for an OMMA Award! Our favorite restaurant that serves malt crust pizza is one of three finalists in the Web Site Excellence Food and Beverage category.

Winners are announced September 26—but you can register to vote for Roots Handmade Pizza for a Member’s Choice Award.

In the meantime, we’d like to congratulate all of the nominees, and the envisionit Roots team! This just might call for a malt crust pizza party.