Members Directory

PJ Christie

I had built a strong history in web design and marketing before joining the founders of Small Box Web Design in 2006. My work in the Interactive group within Publicis in Mid America predated many of the conversations about applying integrated branding to the web, an era where many of the national brands had no web site at all. A shift to the smaller boutique agency Young & Laramore was where the creative envelope was pushed beyond branding and into experience design.

During the first crash, interactive budgets were slashed and I moved, as many did, into academia, becoming the Webmaster at Xavier University. Here I introduced an institutional content management system, chaired the committee responsible for all web standards and network use, and then guided Xavier into recovery following Hurricane Katrina. My disaster preparedness plan allowed for the leadership to have an avenue to communicate status to everyone displaced, and the partnerships were quickly established to restore Internet and e-mail in 2 weeks, with the campus reopening four months later.

And then four years later we built Small Box from the ground up to nearly $1 million in billing.

In 2010 I moved to Austin with the goal of being recognized as the top Internet marketer in the country, and I'm building that reputation at CoSpace.

My current activities include independent consulting as Grow Your Base, self-publishing the Base Marketing System (a DIY marketing playbook for entrepreneurs and startups), CMO for NowLegal.com, blogging at PJChristie.com (on such topics as What a Bass Player Can Teach You About Marketing), moderating a panel at SXSW (The Virtual Music Scene, New Communities and Influence) and pursuing large projects as Heads of State.

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• Business Name: Grow Your Base
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Jeffrey Taylor

Jeffrey has been programming for 40+ years. He currently is doing freelance writing and Ruby on Rails development after decades of C/C++ programming with sidetrips through university teaching.

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• Business Name: Uncommon Software
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H.Sandra Chevalier-Batik

I am a research analyst and web content developer as well as a partner in Pleiades Publishing Services. A professional researcher and information technologist, I study technical data, conduct client-sponsored research, develop feasibility studies, competition and market analysis. I use this data to develop Search Engine Optimized web content including, newsletters, blogs, white papers, press releases, training materials and e-books. All of which are published on websites developed in WordPress. Tracking through statistical data, and oblique cross-references to find the relevant connections that help my clients solve a problem, or take action on a business venture is my passion. As a former SBA Business Counselor, I love helping my clients make money online, and to me WordPress is how I can do that easily and affordably.

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• Business Name: Pleiades Publishing Services
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Nick Batik

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Pat Ramsey

Pat is the Design Chief & Accessibility Guru Extraordinaire for Inbound Interactive. Specializing in standards-based design, Pat believes in making code that works… beautifully. He leads the Austin WordPress meetup group and is active in Refresh Austin, a group of Web professionals “refreshing” the creative, technical, and professional aspects of their trade. Pat serves as both an adviser and trainer for Knowbility’s Accessible Internet Rallies. He’s been a speaker on the topics of accessibility and web standards at events around the country.

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• Business Name: Inbound Interactive
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Kyle DeHaas

Entrepreneur and franchise business consultant. Twenty-year background in software, entrepreneurship, information technology and management consulting, serving Fortune 500 companies, government, and non-profit customers while working at firms including PriceWaterhouseCoopers, GE, eLoyalty, Convio, and SystemWise (as founder and CEO).

Holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship from The Acton School of Business, and a BBA in Management Information Systems from The University of Texas.

Values breadth of experience as well as depth. Believes that specialization is for insects.

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• Business Name: SystemWise Solutions, Inc.
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Lee McNiel

Lee founded the company Hooked Media and is responsible for helping businesses succeed online through search engine marketing, social media and online reputation monitoring.

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• Business Name: Hooked Media LLC
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Kirtus Dixon

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Andy Hite

Andrew Hite is a Ruby on Rails developer who has a special place in his heart for Javascript and (disposal of) zombies. By day, Andrew is the lead developer at Impulse Development, a small web development agency based out of El Paso, Texas; by night, he’s a hired gun – an “Internet mercenary”, if you will.

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• Business Name: Impulse Development
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Kevin Neuse

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Paul O’Brien

Seeking asylum from Silicon Valley, Paul is relatively new to Austin with 3 kids and a wife seeking a better life. A fractional marketing executive and entrepreneur, I serve as the marketing, business development, and monetization organizations for early stage companies. While not or seeding images as Anonymous, what entrepreneur isn't building a startup; I'm passionate about Local, mobile, social networking, and eCommerce.

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• Business Name: SEO'Brien
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