Our Team
At ThinkShout, we help progressive organizations achieve their goals by leveraging open source technologies. We treat our business and nonprofit clients as partners. We work with forward-thinking companies and progressive organizations to bring their missions to life - visually and technically. Our motivation comes from knowing that they make the world a better place.
Although ThinkShout is a boutique open source web agency with an engineering backbone, we believe that design and user experience are tantamount to creating a successful web application for our clients.
We approach our work knowing that no two projects are the same, but that with an open source mindset, we can collectively build better tools. We look for solutions that match each client’s unique requirements. We start by defining the problem and evaluating all options, then implementing a high-value, high-quality solution. While we do claim technology agnosticism, the right choice for most projects as of late is Drupal, the leading open source content management system available. (Alright, that statement is subjective, but we are far from alone in our thinking, just ask the President.)
And now, we'd like to introduce our team...
Partner - Director of Engineering
Lev Tsypin (levelos on Drupal.org) has over 12 years of experience leading technology projects and is a technical architect and co-owner of ThinkShout, Inc. where he leads technical design, user interface and module development. Prior to ThinkShout, Lev ran the highly-respected consultancy, Level Online Strategy, here in Portland, OR.
In the 1990's he worked as a consultant with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) and Inforte Corporation in Chicago. Before starting Level OS, he served as the Director of Programming at Pop Art, Inc. He holds a bachelors degree in business administration (BBA) and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
When not working to help organizations through technology, Lev likes to take advantage of the areas they protect, be it on foot, skis, or bike. At least when he's not wrapped up with his 2 boys, which isn't very often these days!
Partner - Director of Strategy
Sean (seanberto on Drupal.org) brings over ten years of diverse leadership and technical consulting experience to the team. He has been working with the best and brightest software engineers and designers in the Drupal community for the past five years. He has led national community organizing initiatives and international relief projects, served as a fundraising strategist for environmental groups worldwide, and run two open source software consultancies specializing in Drupal development. He holds a master of public administration (MPA) degree from Syracuse University's Maxwell School.
Outside of work, Sean is an avid whitewater enthusiast, certified kayaking instructor, raft guide and whitewater videographer. He has been a long-time advocate and supporter of river conservation organizations such as River Network and Waterkeeper Alliance.
Director of Professional Services
Betsy Ensley (Betsy Ensley on Drupal.org) is the Director of Professional Services at ThinkShout, Inc. Passionate about process improvement, Betsy develops efficient systems to help focus on what we do best -- collaborating with clients to deliver streamlined solutions using open source technology.
Prior to coming to ThinkShout, Betsy was the Marketing Director at Phase2 Technology and continues to serve on the Drupal Association Marketing & Branding Committee. Betsy previously managed advocacy websites for Environmental Media Services and MoveOn.org in the build up to the 2004 election cycle. She also has several years experience in conference planning, including the development of Washington, DC's first DrupalCamp (CapitalCamp.org) and OpenGovDC.com.
Betsy holds an MBA from Kenan-Flagler Business School at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she focused her studies on Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Enterprise and consulted for Burt’s Bees and TransFair, Inc. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Iowa.
Senior Engineer
Brandon (bleedev on Drupal.org) cut his teeth on Drupal and nonprofit technology building a television content distribution system for Portland Community Media. In addition, he has over ten years experience in enterprise software development.
Brandon says that he joined the ThinkShout team because he wanted to be part of a community of developers with a passion for open source and a commitment to best practices. Outside of work, Brandon is active in community theater and is focused on starting a family here in Portland, OR.
Brandon does not enjoy living on submarines.
Solutions Architect
Tauno (tauno on Drupal.org) has over a dozen years of web development experience ranging from running his own consulting firm to working for the University of Oregon. In his consulting practice, he has worked with a wide variety of small businesses and non-profits in the outdoor and tourism industries. At the University of Oregon, Tauno had the opportunity to help develop a complex Drupal-based online learning platform for language teachers.
With a degree in Natural Resources Planning & Interpretation and a passion for the outdoors, Tauno enjoys getting out as much as possible by boat, bike, or foot.
User Experience Engineer
As ThinkShout's User Experience Engineer, Brett brings over 10 years of experience working in software and web development. Brett is passionate about working with mission driven organizes and development a user experience that optimizes constituent engagement.
Prior to joining ThinkShout, Brett was a Production Director at Wardenclyffe, a design and development agency based in New York. Brett worked with clients on high-end fashion and entertainment brands. Brett also previously worked at OpenSourcery, a Portland-based web development firm, as a User Experience Developer.
After clocking out for the day, you’ll often find Brett playing guitar, building in his modest wood shop or spending time with his wife and pups.
Software Engineer
Gabe has been making technology look like magic for non-profit organizations since 2002. He has been refining metaphorical explanation for how the magic works for almost as long. Gabe has extensive experience in streamlining processes for various non-profit programs using Salesforce as a central tool. As ThinkShout's resident expert on Salesforce integrations, Gabe is also well-versed in building a custom Salesforce implementations for constituent tracking and fundraising.
Gabe is a long-time open source enthusiast and joined ThinkShout to combine that interest with his passion for working with non-profits. Prior to joining ThinkShout, Gabe worked in the non-profit world at Ecotrust, the Wild Salmon Center and Immigration Equality.
With a BA in Computer Science and Theatre from Oberlin College, Gabe spends his free time telling true-ish stories and playing Magic: The Gathering in a variety of time zones. No joke.
Software Engineer
David dived into the open source world in 2004, and continues to apply his commitment to open source and more than 15 years of experience making websites tick to helping our mission-driven partners achieve their organizational goals.
Prior to joining the ThinkShout team, David worked to develop seamless ecommerce integration for distinct Drupal 7 and Drupal 6 sites for AllPlayers.com, a provider of technology to more than 100,000 national and local community users. David was also the Director of Web Development at Blue Tent Marketing where he focused on refining the best practices of their internal development team.
David has an undergraduate degree in Music Composition, Theory and French Horn Performance from West Texas A&M University. An accomplished boomerang thrower, David also has an uncommon fascination with papercraft and enjoys exploring the world of journals and notebooks.
Technical Project Manager
Brett built his first website in 1996 and has been actively involved in Internet development ever since, with particular focus on project management, user experience, and analytics. A stint in the Peace Corps, working at a radio station in rural West Africa, brought him into the nonprofit world. Prior to ThinkShout, Brett spent 6 years at the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), serving as its Communications Director; while there, he helped NTEN grow its community from a few thousand to more than 50,000 participants and found a calling in helping cause-driven organizations use technology to better meet their missions.
Outside of work, Brett spends more time than he'd care to admit playing and watching soccer, but he does find time to cook several times a week and to escape on backpacking trips with his wife Melissa, where they work on their photography portfolios. He's also an excellent source for beer or restaurant recommendations in the Portland area.