About Us

Renato Alves

Principal Software Developer

Renato Alves is a Principal Software Developer at Alley who specializes in back end development. Prior to Alley, Renato worked at XWP, where he worked on the relaunch of RollingStone.com and other projects. His specialities include the WordPress CMS, React and GraphQL. Renato is a big supporter of Open Source, contributing to projects such as BuddyPress (where he is a core committer), bbPress, WP-CLI, and WPGraphQL, Outside of work, Renato loves eating, biking, karting, and helping Brazilians to learn English. Renato graduated from CEETA with a degree in tourism and hospitality. He also has two pending A.A. degrees in Marketing and Computer Software and Media Applications. He based in Fortaleza, Ceará, in Brazil.

Nicole Arnold

Senior Software Developer

Nicole Arnold is a Senior Software Developer at Alley, who specializes in back-end development. Before Alley, Nicole worked as a web developer at funeralOne where she built and maintained client websites using company-exclusive CMS systems and PHP/MySQL-driven sites. She also coded PSD design files to WordPress templates and websites. Her specialties include extensive use of Adobe software, jQuery, CSS, HTML, PHP, MySQL, and WordPress. She is also a frequent speaker at WordCamps. She is also a frequent speaker at WordCamps. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys knitting and crocheting, reading, camping, and spending time with her husband and three children. She is also a long-time Lego enthusiast. Nicole graduated from Baker College with an A.A.S. and B.S. in web development. She is based in Clyde Township, Michigan.

Kaitlin Bolling

Director of User Experience Development

Kaitlin Bolling is the Director of User Experience Development at Alley who specializes in front end development. Before Alley, Kaitlin worked at Haley Marketing Group where she was the Director of Interactive Design. In that role, she contributed to the development of internal products, plugins, and business solutions from concept to implementation. She also was responsible for the design, development, and maintenance of WordPress websites and software for diverse clients in the global staffing industry. Outside of work, Kaitlin likes to travel, spend time with family and friends, and explore Buffalo with her dog, Roy. She graduated from Ohio University with a B.S. in visual communications. She is based in Buffalo, New York.

Ben Bolton

Director of Development Operations

Ben Bolton is the Director of Development Operations at Alley. Before joining Alley, Ben was the Technology Operations Team Lead at Church Community Builder where he managed internal tools, internal and external infrastructure, development operations, and internal development services for the company. Earlier in his career, he worked as a System Administrator in Windows, Mac, and Linux environments. Outside of work, Ben is delighted to be the father of four children who keep him quite busy. He keeps bees and has a small hobby farm with chickens, ducks, a guard goose, barn cats, and a faithful dog. Ben graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.S. in computer science. He is based in Black Forest, Colorado.

Matt Boynes

Chief Executive Officer

Matt Boynes is the Chief Executive Officer and a Partner at Alley, overseeing the company’s business strategy and project delivery at Alley. As Alley’s previous CTO, he is deeply ingrained in the software development and technology delivery at Alley. Matt is an active open-source developer, a WordPress core contributor, and a frequent speaker at meetups and conferences. He has given numerous talks to developers, sharing his ideas and insights on a variety of topics from performance to chat robots.

Matt lives in the Boston suburbs with his wife and two children.

Julio Braña

Senior Software Developer

Julio Braña is a Senior Software Developer at Alley who specializes in WordPress development. Before Alley, Julio worked as a WordPress developer at Hachette UK, where he built new sites for publishing divisions littlebrown, Hachette Ireland and Quercus. He also developed new functionalities such as display events imported from a REST API, FormStack and Adobe CRM (SOAP) integration. He previously worked at Financial Times as a web developer, too. Outside of work, Julio loves traveling, climbing, being outdoors, hiking, cycling, and playing basketball. Julio graduated from the Universidade de Vigo with a Master’s degree in telecommunication engineering. He is based in the Spanish port city of A Coruña in the Galicia region.

Willow Brazuk

Senior User Experience Developer

Willow Brazuk is a Senior User Experience Developer at Alley who specializes in front-end development. As a User Experience Developer, she uses HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build the parts of websites that users see and interact with while also ensuring that they meet accessibility and usability standards. Before Alley, Willow worked for several small agencies like P’unk Avenue and Tonic Design Co. She specialized in building CMS-driven sites and web apps for nonprofits and higher education. Willow is an avid roller coaster enthusiast, devourer of books and graphic novels, a very okay dungeon master, and just a big old nerd in general. She and her partner are also parents to two feline sons. She graduated from Kutztown University with a B.A. in history. She is based in Philadelphia.

Jonathan Byerley

Senior Operations Manager

Jonathan Byerley is the Senior Operations Manager at Alley, specializing in finance and product operations. Prior to Alley, he worked on a team that developed and supported CollectiveAccess, an open-source collections software platform for the capture and preservation of museum, archival, and research data. He also previously worked at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, procuring historical artifacts for the museum’s permanent collection and leading cataloging and digitization workflows for all accessions and incoming loans. Outside of work, he enjoys seeing live music and collecting books and records. Jonathan graduated from the Pratt Institute with a Master’s in Library and Information Science. He is based in Brooklyn, New York.

Bradford Campeau-Laurion

Managing Partner

Brad Campeau-Laurion is a Managing Partner in the Alley Consulting Business, leading business development, marketing, and strategy. Brad led Alley’s rebuild of the New York Post’s sites, one of the largest launches in WordPress history. Brad also led the relaunch of TwinCities.com, DenverPost.com, and MercuryNews.com for Digital First Media as well as People.com and EW.com for Time Inc. Brad continues to provide strategic consulting for Alley’s clients.

Prior to Alley, Brad held CTO positions at multiple media organizations. Brad began his career at Forbes, leading development teams for nine years, directing new product initiatives, and spearheading business relationships with key revenue sharing partners. Brad graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with B.S. degrees in Computer Science and Electronic Media Arts and Communication. He is based in New York City.

Corey Collins

Senior Quality Assurance Engineer

Corey Collins is a Senior Quality Assurance Engineer at Alley who specializes in QA, end-to-end testing and breaking things on purpose. Before Alley, Corey worked at WebDevStudios, where he created tailored project plans with technical requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria. He also performed full-site QA, including performance, accessibility, and end-to-end testing. Outside of work, Corey likes horror movies, games (video and board), watching way too much professional wrestling, and attempting to become a woodworker. Corey graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh with a B.A. in audio-radio/digital media production. He is based in Peru, New York.

Christina Deemer

Principal Software Lead, Lede

Christina Deemer is Principal Software Lead at Lede, where she champions accessibility and headless WordPress in her work with enterprise-level publishers and nonprofits. Passionate about inclusivity and community, Christina co-founded the Interactive Mechanics Fellowship for Diversity and Inclusion. She has previously spoken at WordCampUS, WordCamp NYC, the Museum Computer Network Conference, LibertyJS, and the Philly JS Meetup. She has also given webinars for Pantheon and the Online News Association. Christina also is an IAAP-certified Web Accessibility Specialist. Outside of work, she enjoys poetry, classic films, and Star Trek. She lives with her husband and two cats, Pickles and Luna, in Philadelphia.

Ryan Domingue

Principal User Experience Developer

Ryan Domingue is a Principal User Experience Developer at Alley specializing in front-end development, with a keen interest in accessibility. He brings a great attention to detail and over a decade of experience as a front-end developer crafting user-focused sites. In his role at Alley, Ryan has worked extensively to optimize high-traffic media sites and contributes to internal tools focused on team productivity. Outside of work, Ryan is an insufferable Sounders FC fan. He also enjoys playing guitar and going on adventures in the Pacific North West with his wife and dogs. He is based in Seattle.

Matt Ell

Senior User Experience Developer

Christa Field

Chief Design Officer

Christa Field is Chief Design Officer and a Partner at Alley, specializing in brand development and user-centered design methodologies. Christa guides User Experience and Design team members and supports the wider organization by facilitating design feedback sessions, providing creative direction for projects, and fostering a collaborative design practice. She has provided immense value to the design and launch of such sites as Lede by Alley and The Dallas Morning News.

Prior to Alley, she worked for the large media organization, Viacom, as a leading UX Design team member for MTV’s shows and global responsive web products. Christa started her career in print, working for Walter Bernard Consultancy, where the focus of her work was editorial style guides for print publications like Forbes India and ESPN. Outside of work, Christa enjoys exploring non-digital projects that nourish her creative outlook — from sidewalk chalk with her three children to collaging, photography to painting. She is based in the New York City area.

Susan Finkelpearl

Chief Experience Officer

Susan is Chief Experience Officer and a partner at Alley. She joined in 2014 to integrate a full suite of design services into Alley’s existing development practice. Today, Susan leads a strategy department of Product Managers, Agile Process Leaders, and Editorial Strategy professionals. In this capacity, she promotes expansion of Alley’s product strategy services and creates spaces for cross-team learning and professional development so that all teams are equipped to guide clients through each stage of a product’s lifecycle from discovery through design, development, launch, evaluation, and ongoing support.

On any given day, those in her department can be found analyzing user behavior with analytics, conducting qualitative user research, identifying the most valuable features for a product’s release, recommending improvements to the the publishing workflow in a CMS, removing blockers to a team’s productivity, or tracking a project’s budget and timeline health.

Susan has conducted user research, usability testing, and crafted information architecture for large scale, multi-faceted organizations such as KFF, The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, The Brookings Institution, Colorado Public Radio, and Bassmaster.

Susan holds a master’s degree in communications from Johns Hopkins University. She is based in Ottawa, Canada.

Sean Fisher

Principal Software Architect

Sean Fisher is a Principal Software Architect at Alley specializing in complex development projects involving enterprise media companies. His work includes handling complex problems on the back-end with WordPress as well as the front-end with tools such as React. Prior to Alley, Sean was a software engineer at ImageBrief, a NYC Startup working in the stock photography market. He also worked as a full stack freelance developer. In his free time, he likes cooking, exploring the outdoors and enjoying comfortable weather. He also likes hiking and camping. He graduated from New Jersey Institute of Technology with a B.S. in web and information systems. He is based in Staten Island, New York.

Lauren Flannery

Software Developer I

Lauren Flannery is a Software Developer I at Alley who specializes in AdTech and JavaScript Development. Prior to Alley, Lauren worked at Penske Media Corporation, where she worked on their in-house ad software to generate better online revenue for digital publishers. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys playing soccer, hiking around state parks in Washington and going to concerts with her buddies. Lauren graduated from the University of Florida with a double major in Journalism and Business Administration. She is based in Seattle, Washington.

Kevin Fodness

Chief Technology Officer

Kevin Fodness is a partner and the Chief Technology Officer at Alley. Kevin oversees the company’s overall development efforts, its relationships with the broader technology communities, and the team of developers. He is responsible for the hiring and performance of all those at Alley whose primary role involves software development or technology delivery. Kevin also leads Alley’s mentorship program, develops standards and best practices for the development team, and coordinates professional development activities around emerging technologies. Additionally, Kevin is a WordPress core contributor and has given several talks about WordPress and accessibility at various meetups and conferences catering to the WordPress community, publishers, and higher ed.

Kevin holds a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he authored a dissertation on web accessibility. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, reading, kayaking, snowboarding, mountain biking, and taking the occasional cross-country road trip with his wife and four children. He is based in the Lake George area of upstate New York.

Jake Foster

Director of Engineering Development

Jake Foster is the Director of Engineering Development at Alley focused on WordPress theme development and backend customization. Prior to Alley, he was a web development consultant for a variety of WordPress clients. He was also a developer at Mindshare Studios and Anagram. Outside of work, Jake teaches kickboxing and also coaches. He also enjoys reading, training in muay thai, riding his motorcycle, seeing live music and just generally trying to take in all that New York has to offer. He graduated from St. John’s College in Santa Fe with a degree in philosophy. He also holds two minors in linguistic studies and historical mathematics. He is based in Brooklyn, New York.

Eric Fuller

Senior Software Developer

Eric Fuller is a Senior Software Developer who specializes in WordPress development. Before Alley, he worked at WebDevStudios where he built complex, custom websites as a Frontend Developer and eventually a Backend Developer. Before becoming a self-taught web developer, he worked in the IT consulting industry. Eric is passionate about testing and software architecture. He also loves building complex features using JavaScript and React. Outside of work, he is passionate about improving land by creating better habitats for all types of wildlife. He also enjoy fishing in the summer and hunting in the fall and winter. He graduated from Pittsburgh Technical College with an A.S. in computer specialized technology. Eric is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Nicole Furlan

Senior Software Developer

Nicole Furlan is a Senior Software Developer at Alley. Prior to Alley, Nicole worked at Mercy For Animals where she managed the organization’s technical infrastructure and built and led a team of developers who managed all of MFA’s public-facing websites. She is passionate about protecting and advocating for animals and other individuals who are commonly discriminated against. Outside of work, she likes watching stand up comedy and drag racing, listening to music and hanging out with her cats. Nicole graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with a B.S. in computer science. She also earned a Master’s in software engineering from Pennsylvania State University. She is based in Troy, Vermont.

Jessica Goddard

Senior User Experience Developer

Jessica Goddard is a Senior User Experience Developer at Alley, focusing on front-end development. Prior to Alley, Jessica worked at Beacon Digital Marketing, where she worked on front-end development for WordPress and Hubspot websites. Before that, she worked for a small firm that specializes in websites and branding for nonprofits. She also previously owned her own business for more than a decade where she specialized in pairing with designers to create custom WordPress websites for their clients. Outside of work, Jessica loves to create projects such as embroidery, knitting, crocheting, calligraphy and pottery. She also loves hanging out with her kids and dog. Jessica graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Architecture. She is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Elisa Gomez-Monzo

Senior User Experience Designer

Elisa Gomez-Monzo is a Spanish-American Senior User Experience Designer at Alley specializing in visual solutions tied to functional design. She has worked across a wide range of disciplines for national and international clients, where she’s developed projects from discovery to website launches. Outside of work, Elisa enjoys watching good movies at the theater and discussing them afterward with her husband. Elisa also loves cooking Spanish dishes like paella and tortilla de patata. Elisa graduated from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia as an industrial design engineer and has two Master’s degrees, one in print production & graphic arts and the other in design engineering, specializing in graphic design. She is based in Houston.

Mark H

User Experience Developer II

Mark Harless is a User Experience Developer II at Alley who specializes in front-end development, React, Gutenburg, Figma, and styling. Prior to Alley, Mark worked at Bitcoin.com as a software engineer using Vue as the main technology. In that role, he helped build and maintain a Bitcoin casino. Outside of work, Mark loves spending time with his wife and dogs. He also enjoys going running, playing games and reading books. He regularly partakes in the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. Mark studied Full Stack software engineering as well as Java Spring at the Flatiron School in Atlanta. He is based in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Russell Heimlich

Principal Software Developer

Russell Heimlich is a Principal Software Developer at Alley with a strong background in WordPress and systems administration. Russell previously worked at CoderPad where he led a redesign of the marketing website and built a living style guide. Russell is based in Ellicott City, Maryland, where he stays busy chasing his kids, playing Settlers of Catan, and hunting for funny t-shirts.

Sam Hermes

User Experience Developer II

Sam Hermes is a User Experience Developer II at Alley who specializes in front end development and accessibility. Sam works to bridge the gap between development and design in order to create a seamless user experience. Prior to Alley, Sam worked at Crate & Barrel where he focused on front end development, including gift registry features and a site header redesign. He also previously worked at Washington University in St. Louis, contributing to many of the university’s major web properties. Outside of work, Sam loves reading, writing, going biking, attending plays & musicals, and traveling. Sam graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a B.S. in computer management and information systems. He is based in Chicago.

David Herrera

Principal Software Developer

David Herrera is a Principal Software Developer at Alley who specializes in backend development. Before Alley, David was a web developer for Religion News LLC, a nonprofit news organization covering religion, ethics and politics. He was responsible for migrating Religion News Service, including partner sites around the country, to WordPress. Before that, David was a web producer at the Detroit Free Press. David is active in the WordPress community and often attends WordCamps around the country. Outside of work, David likes to read, play music with friends and contribute to open-source software projects like WordPress. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a master’s in journalism. He is based in Philadelphia.

Linnea Huxford

Principal Software Architect

Linnea Huxford is a Principal Software Architect at Alley who specializes in enterprise WordPress solutions with focus on technical strategy, security, and scalability. She is a WordPress core contributor and backend focused software developer. Prior to Alley, Linnea was a freelance WordPress plugin developer where she solved challenging integration issues, like integrating WordPress with the Amazon Product Advertising API. Linnea loves solving problems and using the scientific method to debug tricky issues. Outside of work, Linnea enjoys birding, bike riding, photography, and spending time with family. Linnea graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in neuroscience and behavior. She is located near Astoria, Oregon.

Matt Johnson

CEO of Lede

Matt Johnson is the CEO of Lede and a partner at Alley. He co-founded Alley in 2010. As Lede’s Chief Executive Officer, Matt oversees Lede operations and supports product strategy and publisher relationships.

Before Alley, Matt was a senior engineer for Slate and the New York Observer. Matt has spoken or presented at several conferences and industry events, including WordCamp Europe, WordCamp New York, SRCCON, and ONA. Matt graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in physics and astronomy. He also received his Master’s degree in astrophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is based in Los Angeles.

Kelsey Locotos

Director of Operations

Kelsey Locotos is the Director of Operations at Alley specializing in human resources. Prior to Alley, she worked in Annapolis, Maryland as a marina operations manager. In that role, she served as the single point of contact for customers, vendors and tenants; oversaw leasing and reservations for about 100 slips and managed leasing and account maintenance for commercial and residential rentals. Outside of work, she spends time reading, hiking, and playing Dungeons & Dragons. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and their daughter, as well as their English bulldog. She graduated from Salisbury University with a B.A. in graphic design. She is based in Crofton, Maryland.

Grant Mangham

Senior Software Developer

Grant Mangham is a Senior Software Developer at Alley, specializing in back-end WordPress development. Prior to Alley, he worked on websites and apps large and small for employers ranging from a hole in the wall in the North East of England to the Guardian Media Group. He also spent several years running his own business in both the United Kingdom and in Canada. Outside of work, Grant appreciates music and movies. He also spends a lot of time trying to keep up with his daughter and his dog, and enjoying some sleep when they allow it. He graduated from Northumbria University in the United Kingdom with a degree in media production. He lives on an island in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Greg Marshall

Director of Software Development

Greg Marshall is the Director of Software Development at Alley and specializes in backend development. Greg loves solving unique problems using WordPress and the WordPress block editor for some of Alley’s largest clients. Prior to Alley, Greg worked at Truman State University for 18 years, serving in a variety of roles that included desktop support, help desk manager and web developer. During his tenure, he moved many paper processes online and also created a WordPress-based digital sign solution used in buildings across campus. Outside of work, Greg volunteers in his community and is a dad of three teenagers. Greg graduated from Truman State University with a B.A. in music. He is based in Kirksville, Missouri.

Bridget McNulty

Managing Partner

Bridget McNulty is a Managing Partner at The Alley Group who specializes in Agile/Scrum; product development; operations; and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She oversees The Alley Group’s overall Agile/Scrum practice, and is responsible for product development at Lede. She is Pragmatic Marketing Certified and is also a Certified Scrum Master, a Certified Product Owner, a Certified Scrum@Scale practitioner, and a Registered Agile Coach.

Prior to Alley, Bridget worked as a Product Manager at Ology Media, a product startup. She also worked in various quality assurance and product roles at Thomson Reuters, specifically in their tax provision software division. Outside of work, Bridget’s great passions are women’s gymnastics and women’s soccer, and she can often be found watching (and raving about) such sporting events. She also serves as a Trustee in her homeowner’s association. Bridget graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2008 with a B.S. in business and technology and a M.S. in management with an emphasis in technology commercialization. She lives with her husband and cats in Sparta, New Jersey

Ricardo Moraleida

Senior Software Developer

Ricardo Moraleida is a Senior Software Developer specializing in back-end development. Before joining Alley, he gained valuable experience at The Events Calendar, where he excelled in building integrations and implementing new features for the Event Tickets and Registration plugin, as well as the Promoter SaaS platform. As an Elastic Certified Engineer with a specialization in full-text search, he takes queries to new heights. Ricardo’s passion for innovation and continuous learning extends beyond programming languages; he also dedicates his free time to studying Mandarin Chinese, among other languages. For fun, Ricardo plays Peteca, a uniquely Brazilian sport, and dabbles as a drummer and as a bassist in his spare time. He’s based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Matt Nadolny

Lead, User Experience Designer

Matt Nadolny is the Lead User Experience at Alley who specializes in front-end development and design. In his role, he helped overhaul Kaiser Family Foundation’s site with over a hundred new custom page layouts and implemented responsive design for the entire site. Before Alley, Matt designed for startup clothing company Playback Clothing, where he conceptualized and built the entire e-commerce store. He began his career as a print and web designer on the marketing team for Vita Coco, managing the design elements of Vita Coco’s campaigns with Rihanna and Kelly Slater. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a B.F.A. in graphic design. He is based in Brooklyn, New York.

Scott Nellé

Principal Software Lead

Scott Nellé is a Principal Software Lead at Alley who specializes in publishing platform architecture, content migration and project launch. During his tenure, he has contributed to a number of major projects, including leading the development of Alley’s redesign of Brookings.edu. Before Alley, Scott had worked as an agency web developer since 2005. He focused on platform development and launched many websites in the real estate and automotive industries. Outside of work, Scott is an amateur photographer and musician. He also likes to DJ. Scott enjoys spending time in the mountains of Vermont whenever possible. Scott graduated from Champlain College with a B.S. in website development and management. He is based in Northern Central Vermont.

Morgan Newcomb

Senior Software Developer

Morgan Newcomb is a Senior Software Developer at Alley who specializes in WordPress. Within his role, Morgan is developing solutions for the New York Post and Page Six sites. Prior to Alley, he worked for Union Street Media where he led a wide array of CMS and open source software projects for businesses, nonprofits, educational organizations and e-commerce sites. Morgan developed numerous custom themes and plugins in the course of his work there. Outside of work, Morgan enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids. He also likes running and biking. Morgan graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.S. in business operations and production management. He is based in South Burlington, Vermont.

Dustin Paluch

Senior Software Developer

Dustin Paluch is a Senior Software Developer at Alley who specializes in back-end development as well as client-side application development. Prior to Alley, Dustin worked at Chatman Design where he built custom WordPress themes and plugins for a variety of clients. Within that role, he built a custom theater ticketing system complete with tools for automatically generating show schedules. He also built a system for generating and distributing email campaigns that draw from published site content. Outside of work, Dustin is an avid swing dancer, particularly lindy hop and balboa. Dustin graduated from Beloit College with a B.A. in computer science. He is based in Madison, Wisconsin.

Ron Pasillas

Software Developer II

Ron Pasillas is a Software Developer II at Alley who specializes in backend development. Ron’s speciality is being a generalist who can do a little bit of everything on both the front end and back end. Prior to Alley, Ron worked as a WordPress developer at Cornershop Creative, a web development agency that specializes in WordPress for non-profits. Outside of work, Ron enjoys spending time with his spouse, three kids, and two dogs. He also loves working out in his garage gym and listening to music. In fact, his end-of-year Spotify unwrapped is a point of pride for him! Ron graduated from Mt. Sierra College with a B.A. in multimedia. He also earned an A.A.S. in aviation maintenance from the Community College of the Air Force. Ron is based in Temecula, California.

John Ragozzine

Director of Agile

John Ragozzine is the Director of Agile at Alley, focused on enabling clients and teammates to maximize value while acting as a guiding advocate for agile practice. Prior to Alley, he worked as a front-end developer. He is a Certified Scrum Master, Registered Agile Coach, Project Management Professional, and Certified LeSS Practitioner. Outside of work, John likes spending time with his family, including hiking and playing with the dogs in the yard. John is also a big gardener and likes to paint and craft when time allows. He graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie with a B.A. in writing and a minor in philosophy. He also later received his secondary education teaching certification for New York State. He is based in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Jacob Schweitzer

Senior Software Developer

Jacob Schweitzer is a Senior Software Developer at Alley who specializes in backend development and JavaScript. Prior to Alley, Jacob worked at XWP where he was a WordPress engineer. In that role, he architected solutions for clients with enterprise scale WordPress websites. He has also contributed to open source projects including WordPress core, the official AMP for WordPress plugin by Google and Stream by XWP. Outside of work, Jacob enjoys traveling (he lived for 3 years in Russia and 10 years in Brazil), hiking, biking, playing basketball, and spending time with family. Jacob graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in political science. He is based in Austin, Texas.

Austin Smith

President

As President of Alley, Austin leads our Business Analytics practice and leads key strategic consulting engagements with large-scale media companies and non-profits. Austin’s areas of expertise include media business models, analytics instrumentation and reporting, and large-scale content management systems. During his work with clients, he has built custom solutions to solve specific editorial needs, like an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Subsidy Calculator for KFF which accurately predicted subsidies before the launch of the federal health insurance law.

Prior to Alley, Austin worked for the New York Times Company, the Economist, and The New York Observer. Austin is a graduate of the New School and of Columbia Business School, from which he received an MBA. Austin is based New York City.

Damian Taggart

Senior Software Developer

Damian Taggart is a Senior Software Developer at Alley who specializes in complex development projects involving enterprise media companies. Prior to Alley, he ran a digital agency that specialized in WordPress and NodeJS. Before that, he built complex multimedia applications in Flash as a web developer. He also launched several other startups, including an arts and entertainment company called Meow Wolf. His specialties include PHP and JavaScript. Outside of work, Damian is a creative writer and a campfire strummer. He also enjoys mountaineering and has led wilderness trips all around the Rockies. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in English and Media Arts. Damian is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Meaghan Tongen

Director of Product Management

Meaghan Tongen is Director of Product Management at Alley and specializes in product strategy and systems thinking. Prior to Alley, she spent 8 years at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, leading digital strategy, CRM practice, product development, and large-scale technology projects. Outside of work, she enjoys planning trips near and far, visiting museums, being outside, and making things. She is happiest when searching for interesting rocks on the shores of Lake Superior. She shares in life with her husband, kiddo, and beloved springer spaniel. Meaghan graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in art history, which helps her pay attention to detail and make connections. She is based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Travis Weston

Senior Software Developer

Travis Weston is a Senior Software Developer at Alley who specializes in Backend Development and PHP. Prior to Alley, Travis worked at Bangor Daily News where he managed the IT department and led the development team. During his tenure, he untangled the paper’s IT systems and transitioned them to the cloud so the newsroom could work from home during snowstorms. Thanks to his efforts, the paper was able to continue publishing throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, his special expertise is clean code and teaching others how to write clean PHP. Outside of work, Travis loves writing, singing and playing guitar. He also loves playing games, both board and video, with his wife and two kids. He’s based out of Canaan, Maine.

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