Lead Organizer

Aaron started crafting websites came at the age of 14, when he built a fan site for his favorite video game: Age of Empires. This passion led to a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics and, befitting the game, a minor in Economics. Aaron cultivated a passion for HTML, CSS and PHP and built his own Content Management System months before discovering WordPress in 2004.

After managing a hospital website for 5 years, Aaron’s passion for engineering online publishing solutions drove him to focus on WordPress full time. Before he knew it, Aaron found himself speaking at 5 WordCamps and leading the organization of WordCamp Chicago 2013. He even managed to make core contributions to WordPress 3.5 and 3.6 and release a few plug-ins on the official repository.

Tell us something else about yourself:

When Aaron isn’t rocking WordPress, he’s playing video games (he’ll even cop to watching “professional StarCraft matches”), working out, hanging out with his 2 kids, and on at least one occasion, jumping out of airplanes.

Follow Aaron Holbrook:

Organizer Role: Co-Organizer, Head Minion, Graphic Monkey, Location Scout, Print Lackey

Michelle Schulp is a graphic designer and co-owner of Marktime Media, a multimedia company in the Chicago suburbs. While she has a general design background, she specializes in high-end presentations, infographics, and WordPress-powered websites, which she has built for herself as well as her clients.

How did you get involved in WordCamp?

Though I had heard of WordPress, I got really interested after attending sessions at the CMS Expo in 2010. I attended my first WordCamp in Chicago 2011, after which I decided that my goal for the following year was to get involved. When the organizer (Heather) posted on a LinkedIn page looking for volunteers, I reached out, and the rest is history. I now am a major WordCamp Chicago organizer, as well as helping with WordCamp Milwaukee doing some designs, and I’ve spoken at several meetups and WordCamps about design. I think I’m now one of the biggest evangelists for the WordPress community and how awesome it is!

Tell us something else about yourself:

I am always reading blogs about design, social media, business, and technology to keep up-to-date with the latest and greatest in my field. In addition to my piles of design books, I am an avid reader of all sorts, and I play the flute in a local community band (band geeks forever!) I also try to balance living a Primal/Paleo lifestyle with the five million hours a week I spend sitting at a computer desk running a creative business.

Follow Michelle Schulp:

Organizer Role: Co-Organizer, Lead Advisor

Heather Acton is the founder of Helio Interactive, a WordPress-centric digital agency in Chicago, IL, and is a self-proclaimed WordPress fanatic and WordCamp groupie. Heather has built over 50 WordPress sites in the past 4 years, most while her kids were climbing on her lap or asking her for food or a hug.

How did you get involved in WordCamp?

I organized two WordCamps (Chicago ’11 and ’12), volunteered and/or sponsored several others, and I founded and organize the WordPress Lake County Meetup.

Tell us something else about yourself:

When I’m not doing something related to the most awesome publishing tool in the world, I’m likely cuddling with my two kids, analyzing something with my husband, or drinking a craft beer at an O.A.R. concert.

Follow Heather Acton:

Volunteer Coordinator

Sylvia Lima is a WordPress developer in progress, continually working on expanding my knowledge base to create modern sites that are practical and cost effective.

How did you get involved in WordCamp?

I maintain a website for a non-profit education foundation and attended my first WordCamp 2 years ago at the suggestion of a friend. I was immediately drawn to the laid-back atmosphere while learning and making new friends within the WordPress community.

What else should we know about you?

I’m the proud mom of two beautiful kids, bi-lingual and love the sun and ocean.

Follow Sylvia Lima:

Organizer Role: Foundation Friday Organizer

I am a WordPress developer concentrating on sites for small business owners. As a former small business owner myself, I can relate to their operational and marketing struggles, and I love to help them with their website needs and make sure they are getting what they want and what they need at a good price. Last year at WordCamp, I did not know anything about WordPress. After being inspired at WordCamp Chicago, I decided to pursue this as a new career and become a freelance WordPress developer. With the help of the Chicago WordPress community and some long hours using Google, I am so excited that this is becoming a real career for me, and I LOVE it!

How did you get involved in WordCamp?

I’ve attended a couple of WordCamps and really enjoy meeting all the new people and learning so many new things. This year, I am looking forward to speaking at Foundation Friday.

Tell us something else about yourself:

I am an entrepreneur, chocoholic, dog lover and a total geek.

Follow Kari Sharp:

Organizer Role: Advisor (WCMKE lead)

I create websites for clients using WordPress making custom themes and plugins.

How else do you use WordPress and how did you get involved in WordCamp?

I run my own site on WordPress and organize the Milwaukee WordPress Meetup and WordCamp Milwaukee.

More about Dustin Filippini:

I am a developer and tech enthusiast living in Milwaukee. I am a Yooper, originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I enjoy golfing, basketball, the Packers, and Brewers and spending time with my wife, 1-year old daughter, two dogs, and cat.

Follow Dustin Filippini:
   

Organizer Role: Social Media, Speaker Interviewer & Photography

Emily Barney is the Technology Development and Training Librarian at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she uses WordPress to host blogs and project websites for faculty, staff, and students. Besides managing WordPress sites for the law school where she works, Emily has also created and manages WordPress sites for her community garden, church, and another nonprofit organization.

How did you get involved in WordCamp?

I’ve been attending WordCamp Chicago since 2010. In 2011, I shared my notes on the site as a guest blogger after the weekend was done and was invited to join in the fun officially. Last year, in 2012, I helped with social media and photography. This year I’ve been adding interviews with our speakers and planning more ways to make this site as useful as possible!

Tell us something else about yourself:

I’m always spinning plates with multiple projects, from home improvement to gardening, new websites to travel plans. Or I’m reading if I need a break. My photography and cooking sometimes appear together on my recipe blog The Kitchen Tourist (which runs on WordPress, of course).

Follow Emily Barney:
   

Ryan Erwin uses WordPress in many ways professionally from blogging to inbound marketing and SEO to generate leads and business for his clients:

www.ryanerwin.net

How else do you use WordPress and how did you get involved in WordCamp?

I love WordPress and enjoy spreading the word about how it works and how powerful it truly is. WordPress is has moved far beyond a simple blogging platform and most people are not aware of that. I got involved with WordCamp Chicago because I am very passionate about WordPress and want to get more people excited about it. I learned by attending WordCamps and networking with people and really enjoy the whole WP scene.

More about Ryan Erwin:

I like to snow and waterski and spend time outdoors. I love computers but in this digital age, I find that unplugging completely can really energize and refocus life.

Follow Ryan Erwin:

Organizer Role: Speaker Committee, Runner

I own a site development and SEO company in the SW Surburbs of Chicago. We focus on serving other tech companies such as social media companies provide more services to their existing clients.

How did you get involved in WordCamp?

We use WordPress for almost all of our sites. I got involved in Wordcamp in 2009 and started volunteering in 2012. I’m volunteering and helping out at Milwaukee and Chicago this year.

Tell us something else about yourself:

I spend all day online doing what I love playing online building sites and helping companies. Started doing desktop software development recently and other techie hobbies. And work with certain causes related to Autism, ADHD, and veteran related causes.

Follow Joshua Alexander:

Organizer role: Speaker Reception & After Party Organizers

Rick McGrath works with Resonate Web Marketing in public sector B2C associations, event, visitor & tourism, destination marketers. As he says – “You know… folks with a calendar and a fundamental need to update their content. Folks who can’t afford to coast. We focus on content.”

How else do you use WordPress and how did you get involved in WordCamp?

Having attended ~ a dozen WordCamps over the last five years it provides us an opportunity to get to know folks better and contribute to the community.

More about Rick McGrath:

I enjoy community volunteering, kid’s activities and storytelling. I’m a serial historic house home owner. Chair our community’s Landmarks Commission. A former direct mail catalog marketer transitioned to internet marketing in the mid 90’s.

Follow Rick McGrath:

Organizer Role: Speaker Reception & After Party Organizers

Along with my husband Rick we head up Resonate Web Marketing. We’ve been doing front-end web development on WP exclusively since version 2.6. I do the hard stuff, Rick does the easy stuff… like writing this bio for me. 🙂

How did you get involved in WordCamp?

How did we get involved? We volunteered. It’s the best way to get to know folks and we’re recreational volunteers in general anyway.

Tell us something else about yourself:

Am a recent, first-time Grandmother.
Ask if you dare. 🙂
Still have a house full of kids. Along with Rick we’re very involved in our community serving on  boards, commissions, school district stuff etc. etc.

Follow Ana Kelly

Organizer Role: Sponsor Liaison

I have been dabbling in WordPress for over a year. Nothing serious, but that is starting to change big time. Check back with me in a year.

How did you get involved in WordCamp?

I heard about WordCamp at the local meetups. Last year was my first WordCamp and when it was over I thought, “Wow! I was given all of this knowledge for how much???” This year I wanted to give back and volunteering was the way to do just that.

Tell us something else about yourself:

If I’m not pounding away on the keyboard, I’m most likely playing golf (because the day job isn’t frustrating enough), at a SCCA club racing event (I love the smell of racing fuel in the morning), or somewhere up north (getting away and hiding).

Follow Brian Heitz:

Organizer Role:  Eatery and Restaurant Liaison

Clare Parkinson uses WordPress to build websites for small businesses and non-profits, from out-of-the-box installation with a theme setup & a few plugins, to creating a child theme or other custom functionality the client needs to be built in PHP. She has been building websites with database-driven content management systems since the 90’s, and Ioves how easy WordPress is to set up, customize, and extend.

How else do you use WordPress and how did you get involved in WordCamp?

I attended WordCamp in 2011 and 2012. I had a great time, learned a lot, and met many wonderful people. I’m happy to be able to help make WordCamp the great experience it is! One of the best things about WordPress is that there’s so much information freely available online; it’s easy to teach yourself whatever you need to know. But there’s nothing like getting involved with the community in person, and learning from people first hand. You can learn so much so quickly at WordCamp!

More about Clare Parkinson:

I’m a geek of the role-playing comic-book-reading linux-command-line-using variety. I’m also interested in water conservation, native plant species, and the bugs that eat them, especially caterpillars. My prairie plants garden is registered with the Monarch Lava Monitoring Project.

Follow Clare Parkinson: