MightyMerchant Services & Features > About > Meet Our Web Development Team

Meet the MightyMerchant Web Development Team

Datahost, Inc., the creators of Mighty Merchant, 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.

As a family my husband, and 2 daughters love vacationing in Maui, camping, and trips to the beach.

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

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.

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 Linder

Web Solutions Specialist

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."

Kehl Van Winkle

PPC Accounts Manager

I've lived in Oregon my whole life and I've been working at HEROweb for almost a year now. I work in the marketing department managing Pay-Per-Click advertising through the Google and Bing networks. I really like the way my job presents new challenges every day, trying to keep up with advertising trends and the constant updates Google and Bing throw out to keep marketers on their toes.

When I'm not at work, I'm a full time student at the University of Oregon. I'm currently a junior majoring in linguistics of all things. I'm also on the debate team at the U of O and I also coach a local high school program. I suppose that what one could take away from looking at my job, choice of major, and extracurriculars is that I really love words. I study words for school, try to win with them in debate, and carefully craft and count them for advertising. I'm always up for a good game of scrabble or boggle and of course enjoy a good book. GO DUCKS!

Clayton Glasser

Web Projects Assistant

I relocated to Eugene from cold old Cleveland, Ohio. I came for Gutenberg College and stayed for the many loving and brilliantly intelligent people that seem to condense around it. The alternative culture of the Northwest and Eugene's emerald hills have only sweetened the deal.

I earned a BA that covered western philosophy, history, sociology, science, math, art, Greek and German, and much of the ground in between. However, the real core of the education was critical thinking and dialog.

My career in Web Design and Development took shape after graduating, when I began to parlay a combination of independent spirit, aesthetic interests, and technical hubris into a freelance web design business. In 2012, I joined the HEROweb/MightyMerchant team as Web Projects Assistant, and now enjoy meeting its daily challenges with my talented coworkers.

Among my interests are history, philosophy, open-source design, 3D printing, permaculture, backpacking, and their various combinations. I love working with the internet because of its power to help open a space for free, decentralized, global community, although most of my free time is spent serving the smaller community around Gutenberg College as their Community Life Services Coordinator, along with my lovely wife Diana.

Lindsay Bradley

Special Projects Coordinator

As a native Pacific Northwesterner, I am grateful to have returned to the west coast after a longer-than-expected detour through Texas (by way of California). I have lived in Eugene since 2008, but feel as though I've just arrived, as I remain overwhelmed by the natural splendor, opportunities for adventure, and friendly and engaging community of people that share this place called Home. I have lived in Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Japan, Korea, Florida, Arizona, Texas, and California, but Oregon is the place for me. Last year, our family bought a house and, once we got chickens, we decided we are never leaving Eugene.

My professional background includes work as a cryptologic linguist in the Air Force, editor for an educational assessment organization and, most recently, as the special assistant to the CEO of a nationally recognized educational policy firm based here in Eugene. I value opportunities to engage with diverse groups of people, collaborate with others on innovation and ideation, and learn about exciting developments in technology. I earned both my bachelor's and master's degrees in English from St. Mary's University. In a nutshell, I believe in the Oxford comma, comfortable shoes, and good beer.

Jessica Chestnut

Web Projects Assistant

Although I'm originally from the south, I've called Oregon home for almost 22 years. The last four and a half have been around Eugene/Springfield, and I'm convinced that I'm never leaving this area. Before moving here, I spent time in Corvallis at OSU cheering on the Beavers while earning a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, with an option in Marketing and a minor in Writing.

I come to HEROweb/MightyMerchant after almost four years as Channel Coordinator for a national rep firm working as a liaison between their national sales team and vendors. Before that I was the Student Program Assistant for the National Pesticide Information Center at OSU. I'm looking forward to the new opportunities that HEROweb and MightyMerchant will offer.

I love to explore the great outdoors (mostly snowboarding in the winter, and camping or rafting in the summer). The rest of my free time is spent at concerts, cooking with my husband, chasing my puppy around, working on house projects, enjoying local microbrews, watching college football and traveling.