Meet HEROweb's Web Development Team

HEROweb Marketing and Design, the creators of MightyMerchant, is based in Springfield, Oregon and has been providing top-level technical services to nationwide clients since 1996.

Our Goal

We believe getting your business online should be a fun and stress-free adventure for you. We love getting to know you, learning about your business, and putting together great websites. Our goal is to provide business owners with straight-forward, comprehensive, and affordable Internet services that produce positive financial results.



Staci Schipporeit

Co-Owner and Software Architect
I'm Staci, creator of our hosted eCommerce platform, MightyMerchant. I have been fascinated with computers since I got my first Radio Shack TRS-80 back in the 70's. I graduated with a CIS degree from the University of Oregon in 1987 and I've been writing database driven software applications non-stop since then.

After graduating, I spent a few years at the UO writing conference and course registration software, then moved onto mortgage origination software and sprinkled in several vertical market applications as an independent consultant. I've been developing software for the web for about 10 years.

Professionally, I love user-interface design, ideas, marketing, OOP, php, social networking and all things internet. I love to create software that is transparent so you don't have to think about how to use it, it just works as you expect it to.

Personally, I love spending time with my three kids, gardening, playing volleyball, tennis and soccer, working outdoors, reading and doing art.


Michael Stearns

Co-Owner, CEO, and Thumbs-Up Guy

I am Michael Stearns - the co-owner, jack-of-all-trades, and head cheerleader at MightyMerchant. My main areas of responsibility include System Architecture, Technical Administration, Customer Support, and doing anything and everything it takes to keep our customers' websites ticking along.

Since Al Gore has already laid claim to founding the Internet, I can't take the credit for that one, but I have been a die-hard Internet user since the early days. Prior to founding MightyMerchant, I worked as an Internet Technical Writer at the University of Oregon and went on to be the lead designer and maintainer of the University's central website. My initial focus of doing visual design and writing content has evolved into a much more technical one. My primary interest, as far as computing goes, is how people can use computers to improve the quality of communication.

For the past half dozen years my life has been focused on our Internet business, my wife and 3 kids, and our 17 acre mini-farm in Oregon. Sometimes this is a hard act to balance. But I am never at a loss for something fun and interesting to do.

While the Internet has been a very fast rags-to-riches-to-rags story for many participants in the dot-com craze, Datahost has taken a slow and steady approach to building our business. We like to think of ourselves as the Heinz Ketchup of Internet companies. We invite you to give us a try!


Kathy Smith

Lead Designer

After a previous life as an RN, I graduated in 1997 from the University of Oregon with a degree in English and a certificate in Electronic Publishing. Since that time, I have worked as a graphic and web designer.

I have been a web designer with MightyMerchant since Feb 2003 and think I have the best job around. I enjoy creating websites that look good and function well, and MightyMerchant's software features make that easy.

In my free time I like to watch movies, hang out in the backyard, and spend time with my husband. And I'm always up for a good game of Guitar Hero (yes, I am a rock goddess).


Carrie Todd-Michelson

Customer Care Specialist

I joined the Datahost/MightyMerchant/HEROweb Marketing and Design Team in Oct 2005. My daily tasks are customer relations, domain management, bookkeeping, administrative support to the office team, and reception.

My work history includes variety, human resources, customer service, medical billing, retail sales, and floral.

When I am not juggling a busy schedule, taxiing teenagers, caring for 3 cats, a puppy, and 3 fish tanks, I enjoy gardening, and growing pretty colorful dahlias. With two active teenagers, my volunteer efforts are endless at Pleasant Hill High School, and the Pleasant Hill Community Theatre.


Nekhia Christian

Web Projects Facilitator

Oregon born and raised, I graduated from the University of Oregon in 1999 with a specialization in entrepreneurship, a passion for business, and experience running a franchise of a home painting business. It was the height of the dotcom boom, and I jumped in and started a web services company up in Seattle specializing in websites and Internet marketing for brick & mortar small businesses.

After 10 interesting, rewarding, and successful years working with great businesses all over the Puget Sound & Pacific Northwest, I decided it was time to move on and try new things. It had been awhile since I spent much time with my family, so I came to back to Oregon for an extended visit, and ended up deciding to stay. My entrepreneurial spirit, as well as my interest in the Internet, has continued through my own eCommerce business: www.DiffuserStore.com.

I had been missing working with clients and helping to improve their businesses; then I found HEROweb/MightyMerchant. They are a company that shares my values of genuinely caring about helping their customer's businesses over the long term. I like them so much in fact, that not only am I now part of the HEROweb/MightyMerchant team, I am also a client myself.

I look forward to putting my wealth of experience and knowledge to work growing HEROweb/MightyMerchant and improving our client's/your businesses.


Jay Thompson

Project Manager

Hi, I'm Jay Thompson, and I am the Project Manager at HEROweb Marketing and Design.
 
I produced my first commercial website in 1997, designing and "hand coding" the first website created by a leading Northwest design and advertising agency in Corvallis. From there I moved into roles of project and account management—serving dozens of business, government, and non-profit-sector customers, creating marketing materials of all types, including websites, large and small. I also have a more than a decade of experience helping businesses successfully market themselves through advertising, brand development, and marketing strategy. My greatest pleasure at work is to help my customers achieve their goals through the high quality websites we produce—great visual design, marketing savvy, plus a mastery of the technology behind it.
 
Among my other skills are photography, graphic design, quality assurance, and process improvement. I'm having a blast applying all of these skills here at HEROweb.
 
Outside the office, I'm a gourmet cook, fly-fisher, scuba diver, and volunteer assistant for my sweetheart and life partner Kathy who is an equine veterinarian. We live in the Veneta area with our loveable Black Labradorks, Cooper and Bram (who think I'm the best cook in the world.)

Robert Asumendi

Web Developer

A nomadic path not unlike the plot line of The Alchemist brought me to the Willamette Valley in 2005, where I've met enough great people to convince me that this is Home. For a guy who started life among seemingly-endless Midwestern cornrows, this is a pretty amazing corner of the world.

My background in advertising design covers a variety of skills in addition to Web design and development, including brand identity, print design, art direction, packaging, and promotional merchandising.

I am well into my second decade of building Web sites. I joined the HEROweb/MightyMerchant team in 2010 because after having seen it all, I'm qualified to say we offer a really unique, bulletproof combination of people and technology. That's such a rare thing in this industry. I leave the office every day impressed with what we do.

Almost all of my spare time is spent salsa dancing and promoting the local salsa scene. I try to plug the holes in my dance schedule volunteering down at Food for Lane County.


Johnathan Curry

Web Programmer

Originally from Alaska, I moved to Oregon in 2007 with the love of my life.

My formal education and experience is in entrepreneurial management, information design, and website development. I began programming websites in 2002 as a paid hobby which quickly morphed into a lifetime obsession. All of my formal and self directed education revolves around architecting the perfect online experience.

I maintain a very active lifestyle full of bicycling, running, hiking, camping, dancing, and anything else that involves laughter and adrenaline. I really enjoy political and economic history, intellectual conversations about quantum mechanics, scalar technology, and theoretical discussions about where we came from. If I had not become an Internet enthusiast I would have pursued a career in the material sciences.

"When you want something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done."

Zend Certified Engineer PHP 5.3 Logo


Greg Gant

Web Developer

Like most Oregonians, I'm originally from California. I started my college tour at Art Institute of Seattle and made my way back south where I (eventually) graduated from University of Oregon with a degree in Digital Arts. At this point in my life, I'm pretty sure I'm Eugenian as I consider skateboarding a legit means of alternative transportation, I can't ever get enough Thai food, and I aspire to one day put solar panels on my house.

My life prior to Heroweb has been working primarily in education on the tech side of things. I enjoy skating, running, hiking, music, eating anything absurdly hot, listening to too much NPR, and watching the Ducks (preferably winning).


Mindy A. Linder

Web Projects Assistant

I joined the HEROweb/MightyMerchant team in the fall of 2011. I am an Oregonian, born and raised in Eugene. I have two degrees from the University of Oregon -- a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts, with a Minor in Business Administration, and a Master of Science in Arts and Administration with concentrations in Performing Arts and Media Management, and Cultural Policy.

I have dedicated my personal, professional and academic pursuits to my growth and development as a leader in the arts, culture and small business. The heart of marketing and customer relations is to inform, engage and inspire. I think of myself as a connector, connecting people, ideas and information to forge dynamic collaborative partnerships. Among my history of leadership and service to the community, I am one of the proud co-founders and steering committee members of the Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene.

When I'm not in the office I am spending time with my boyfriend, Jesse Lally, and our beloved dog, Lucy. I am also a theatre artist and can be found on stage in the local theatre scene. Additionally, I love to do yoga, rock climb, cook, play the guitar (learning to anyway) and laugh as often as possible. As Charlie Chaplin said, "A day without laughter is a day wasted."


Teija Stearns

Intern

Hi, my name is Teija and I am back for my fourth summer working in the family business. I've observed the growth of this business since an early age (when it was only Mom and Dad working out of the basement in our house) Working at HEROweb/MightyMerchant has taught me so much and it has been a great experience working here!

I just graduated from Pleasant Hill High School where designing the yearbook consumed most of my time. This fall I will attend the University of Oregon. I like photography, running, tennis, reading, playing piano, hiking, and surfing the web.


Quinn Stearns

Intern

Hi, I'm Quinn, and this is my third summer working at HEROweb/MightyMerchant. This year I've graduated from performing basic tasks in the office to heading up video production. In the fall I will be a senior at Pleasant Hill High School. I participate in cross country, track, and chess at school. In my spare time I enjoy playing tennis and making videos with my friends.


Megan Faber

Intern

This is my first summer at HEROweb/MightyMerchant and so far it has been great. I've been learning all the basics and working on a variety of projects. I just finished my sophomore year at Pleasant Hill High School, where I am a part of the volleyball team as well as various clubs. This year I had an amazing experience traveling to New Zealand, for 6 weeks of visiting friends and seeing as many of the sights as possible. I also enjoy reading, camping, canoeing, skiing and hiking.


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Contact Us

HEROweb/MightyMerchant

4660 Main Street
Building A, Suite 100-2
Springfield, OR 97478

Toll-Free: 1-888-257-2567
Local: 541-746-6418


 
The Merchant