Speakers

Matt Mullenweg

WordPress
Founding Developer

Track: Create Speaker

Howdy. my name is Matthew Mullenweg. I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I write code, prose, and music. I love taking photos.

WORDPRESS

I am a founding developer of WordPress, the Open Source software used by about …

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Dries Buytaert

Acquia
CTO, Founder of Drupal

Track: Create Speaker

Dries Buytaert is the original creator and project lead for the Drupal open source web publishing and collaboration platform.

Buytaert serves as president of the Drupal …

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Liza Kindred

Lullabot
Startup Mentor

Track: Profit Speaker

Liza Kindred loves start-ups, and she loves helping people kick ass. She helped her last company, the Drupal shop Lullabot, grow from two people to 30 with a solid gold client list including Sony Music, The Grammys and Martha …

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Karen Walrond

Chookooloonks Media LLC
Photographer + storyteller

Track: Reach Speaker

She is a former engineer and a current (though non-practicing) attorney. (This means that in the off-chance you find yourself in trouble, while she'd love to help you out, she's more likely going to refer your case to someone with …

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Ed Schipul

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
CEO and Founder

Track: Profit Speaker

Ed Schipul is the Founder and CEO of Tendenci - The Open Source AMS (formerly Schipul – The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com) located interestingly enough in Houston Texas (long, but short story).

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Aimee Woodall

The Black Sheep Agency
Leader of the Flock

Track: Reach Speaker

Aimee Woodall is an energetic, creative brain trust full of offbeat ideas that help businesses market themselves in ways never before explored!

She leads The Black Sheep, a Houston-based creative agency that assists businesses …

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GONZO247

Aerosol Warfare
Commander of Aerosol Art & Design

Track: Create Speaker

GONZO247 was born and resides in Houston, Texas.  He was exposed to graffiti and began his pursuit as a self-taught artist in 1985.  He is a leader and incredible spokesman for anything that involves creativity!  GONZO spends most of time …

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Brock Wagner

Saint Arnold's Brewery
Founder

Track: Reach Speaker

Brock Wagner has a long history with beer. In fact, it starts before he was born. His great-great-great grandfather came from Alsace in the mid-1800's and opened Wagner's Beer Hall in San Francisco (now the oldest existing bar in the …

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Brian Wheelis

Facebook
Manager, Agency Management Operations

Track: Profit Speaker

Twenty years of developing and delivering media strategies for brands such as MasterCard, AT&T, Continental Airlines and Nestle has taught me one thing. Nothing, simply nothing, is more important than truly and authentically understanding the mindset and mindstate of a …

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Steven González

NASA + Houston Tech Center
Director, NASA/Aerospace Acceleration

Track: Create Speaker

Steven González serves as the NASA Loaned Executive for the aerospace sector.  He has over 23 years of experience in the aerospace industry.  He is currently the Deputy of the …

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Nicholas Skytland

NASA
Program Manager, NASA’s Open Government Initiative

Track: Reach Speaker

Skytland is an engineer, designer, entrepreneur, and advocate for space exploration.  

As Program Manager of NASA’s Open Government Initiative, he has a passion for engaging all generations in the adventure of space exploration and is continually working to help …

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Giovanni Gallucci

@Giovanni
Marketing strategist and resident photo bad ass

Track: Reach Speaker

Giovanni Gallucci lives a double-life. On one hand he is a recovering .NET programmer turned online evangelist and internet troubadour. On the other hand he is a professional, natural-light photographer who focuses on music, fashion, events, and candids.

Giovanni develops …

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Kelsey Ruger

ChaiOne
Vice President of Operations

Track: Create Speaker

Kelsey Ruger has spent the last decade as a developer, user experience designer, marketer and manager in pursuit of his passion for creating solutions that people love. He has lent his expertise to projects with AT&T,  Yahoo,  Microsoft,  AIM Management, …

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Beth Bellanti-Walker

Tito's Vodka
Creative/WOMM Pioneer

Track: Reach Speaker

Working with individuals and businesses locally and nationally to help identify their motive, message, and strategy. Emphasis on word of mouth and relationship marketing.

Branding Intuitive/Consultant, music roadtripper, WOMM & creative pioneer/spirit communicator …

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Gina Rotolo

Gina Rotolo Public Relations
President and CEO

Track: Reach Speaker

Gina Rotolo Public Relations specializes in media relations, marketing and branding, crisis management and event planning. Her background includes developing and executing comprehensive public relations and marketing plans for high profile clients, large-scale events and festivals, creating and implementing image …

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Lennie Ambrose

Saint Arnold's Brewery
Marketing and Events

Track: Reach Speaker

How Lennie got to work at a beer joint:

First Lennie emailed from Beaumont during ad breaks in the evening news where he was the sports anchor. He really wanted to work at a microbrewery. Then Lennie came to pub …

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April Kyle

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Silicon Valley Sales Manager

Track: Profit Speaker

April is a degenerate gambler at heart that had the good fortune to turn it into an actual marketable skill. She started working for Schipul in 2009 as an account executive, hired for her poker smarts to take the lead …

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Rowan TwoSisters

Urban Curandera

Track: Reach Speaker

We are SO excited to welcome Rowan as our hoop dancing guide to help loosen up your brain, body and creativity during our 'Breathe and Play' sessions at SchipulCon!

Rowan TwoSisters LMT, MTI, CIMI, TTTtm, Minister, Reiki master, Nia Blue …

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Kurt Podeszwa

Camp for All
Camp Director

Track: Reach Speaker

A highly energetic and effective individual with a strong record of leading non-profit organizations to become the “premier” of their kind by putting together teams of people who excel in their area and become leaders …

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Austin Govella


User experience strategist and designer

Track: Create Speaker

Austin Govella has designed successful user experiences for over a decade. He co-authored the second edition of Information Architecture: Blueprints for the web with Christina Wodtke for New Riders/Peachpit, and he’s spent the last few years improving how user experience and …

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Keith Casey

Twilio
Developer Evangelist

Track: Profit Speaker

Keith Casey has been a developer for over a decade and until last year, a professional agitator within the DC tech community. To pay the bills, he works as a Developer Evangelist with Twilio where his job is get …

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Katrina Esco

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Creative Services Account Executive

Track: Create Speaker

Katrina Esco (KatrinME) is an account executive on the Schipul Creative Services team. She helps clients produce copy for the web, and maintain fresh content for their websites. She also helps create social media strategies to help clients extend their reach to …

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James Crossman

James Crossman Associates
Owner

Track: Profit Speaker

James get the right data to the right people in the right way at the right time.

Starting in computer networking over 25 years ago, I discovered I have a passion for how information gets from here …

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Grace Rodriguez

Culture Pilot
Community Builder of Awesome

Track: Create Speaker

Grace’s mantra is “Live By Design”: Live Intentionally, Strategically, Creatively, and with an attention to problem-solving Form+Function. She works on “Accelerating Design and Marketing Culture” with Culture Pilot, guards the gate at DFJ Mercury, and is Co-Founder and Community …

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Don Vaughn

Baylor College of Medicine
Scientist and Drummer

Track: Create Speaker

Don Vaughn is a San Diego native, who moved to Houston in 2009 in pursuit of a dual career as a drummer and scientist.  During the day he works in the neuroscience department at Baylor College of Medicine, where he …

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Kerry Gayle

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Customer Service and Support Manager

Track: Create Speaker

Kerry Gayle oversees the Client Support Team for Schipul – The Web Marketing Company. The Team is responsible for training and support, project management and taking Web sites online and maintaining the security of our network.

Eloy Zuniga

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Senior Programmer

Track: Create Speaker

Designer at heart.  Eloy walked into the tubes of the internet while in highschool.  Designing posters, business cards, fliers, and websites for local bands and a book author while at John H. Reagan.

While at the University of Houston Downtown …

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Amy Robinson

Amy L. Robinson
Owner

Track: Profit Speaker

Amy L Robinson isn’t your ordinary coach business coach. She prides herself on being “just a tad outsidethe box.” Her business origins are pretty darn main-stream, if not a wee bit impressive. Beginning at theage 26, Amy was groomed to …

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Courtenay Siegfried

20K Group
Vice President

Track: Profit Speaker

Courtenay Siegfried is the Vice President at 20K Group. She brings expertise in public relations, writing and editing, as well as program development and management for community organizations. She also leads our 2.0K services, where traditional and interactive methods …

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Aaron Long

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Business Development Director

Track: Profit Speaker

Check out Aaron's great sales presentation:  'How the Internet has changed sales in 2011'

Aaron Long is the Business Development Director and an equity partner at Schipul. An accomplished artist, animator and businessman, Aaron is responsible for …

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Carolyn Figueroa

CKC StART
Intelligence Officer/Commander

Track: Create Speaker

A sucker for the urban arts and enjoyable conversations, Carolyn combines woman and brain power to assist the artists of Aerosol Warfare with art management, communications, decision making and creative support. Carolyn helps guide the creative spirit to a focused …

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Carter Cole

BrandExtract
Application Developer / SEO Analyst

Track: Create Speaker

Most recently Carter created the popular Chrome extension SEO Site Tools, which now boasts over 41k active users, but he was interested in technology from an early age. After creating his first website in the 5th grade, he continued to develop his programming skills in …

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April Guzik

AIGA Houston / Keystone Resources
President / Creative Director

Track: Profit Speaker

Born and raised in Chicago, April brings eight years of marketing and design experience to Keystone Resources.  With her BFA in Advertising and Design from International Academy of Design & Technology, Chicago; April has advanced her passion for print design …

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Tony Brock

thinkLA
Association Manager

Track: Profit Speaker

Tony Brock is the Association Manager for thinkLA, a regional nonprofit media, marketing and advertising collaborative. His wide-ranging career with the organization started shortly after its inception in 2006 and has included developing membership, marketing and communications strategies as well …

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Chris Everson

Primer Grey
Partner, Director of Web Services

Track: Create Speaker

With a passion for problem solving, logic, and aesthetic, Chris Everson has been involved with both the design and development sides of the web for the last decade and change. Current he serves as a founding partner and director of …

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Caitlin Kaluza

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
SEM Director

Track: Profit Speaker

Check out Caitlin's great presentations:

Caitlin Kaluza (aka QCait) is Manager of the Search Engine Marketing team at Schipul.

Caitlin began her journey on the internet as "qcait" at …

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Chris Valdez

Primer Grey
Creative and Strategic Director

Track: Profit Speaker

After spending most of this century on the agency front or client-side as Community and Search manager for a Texas Fortune 500 technology manufacturer, Chris counts among his achievements six ADDYs for his work as a copywriter and art director. …

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Sarah Gish

Gish Creative
Founder + Creative Champion

Track: Create Speaker

Sarah Gish is the proud mother of two feisty boys, Matthew and Alexander Buchanan, and is married to childhood friend Stuart Buchanan.  She has been a marketer and educator for various companies since 1985, including Blaffer Art Museum, The Museum …

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Todd Ross Nienkerk

Four Kitchens
Co-founder

Track: Create Speaker

Four Kitchens co-founder Todd Ross Nienkerk has been involved in the web design and publishing industries since 1996. Since that time, he has designed and built countless websites and written for, edited, and managed several online and print publications. Although Todd’s interests …

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Courtney Pemberton

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Business Development Rock Star

Track: Profit Speaker

Since joining Schipul in 2008, Courtney has been responsible for developing relationships with prospective Schipul clients – from first contact to a successful launch. Her goal is to ensure that all of our clients are provided with the best option …

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Brad Parler

TapeWorks Texas, Inc.
AV Communication + Tech Sales

Track: Reach Speaker

With over ten years experience in television, radio, and live theater production coupled with a freakish love for the web and social media. Brad both knows and understands what it takes to make live video production work for you or …

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Derek Key

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Business Development Rock Star

Track: Reach Speaker

Derek spent two years as a project manager at Schipul before moving over to the Business Development side of things.

As a University of Texas graduate, Derek has a degree in Advertising, a minor in Business Foundations, and …

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Brian Potter

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Video guru and support hero

Track: Reach Speaker

Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, and Christopher Nolan. You may have heard of these legendary film makers. So has Brian Potter. Brian LOVES movies and watches one, or maybe even two, each night. Sometimes by one of these filmmakers!

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Katrina Kokoska

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Creative Services Manager

Track: Reach Speaker

Katrina started her adventures in Schipuland in June of 2010. Since then it's been a whirlwind of internet fun and magic, and she loves every minute of it. 

Most people call Katrina by the nickname she's had since …

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Katie Laird

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Communications Director

Track: Reach Speaker

An Internet nerd and Social Media fanatic at heart, she spends much of her time testing out new online applications and has been published nationally for her ideas on integrating powerful online tools into smart marketing plans. Katie is also …

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John-Michael Oswalt

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Programming Manager

Track: Create Speaker

I am a Texas A&M engineering graduate living in Houston, TX. I currently work for a Houston web marketing company and spend most of my day in front of a computer. Below is a quick list of things that …

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