Movers & Shakers

In case we haven’t bragged enough, we feel pretty darn lucky to have such an incredible team here at thunder::tech. We’ve been growing and having a blast welcoming new team members and celebrating some well-deserved promotions. But we don’t want to keep all this excitement to ourselves but share it with you! 

In this edition of Movers and Shakers, we met with the latest members to join our crew and connected with a familiar face to learn about their new role. We learned a lot about some secret talents, so don’t stop now, read on! 

 

Katie Gacka - Employee Engagement Strategist 

Tell us about yourself! What brought you to thunder::tech? 

My winding journey first began at Kent State, where I earned my degree in PR and marketing. After graduating, I worked for a non-profit doing fundraising and event planning. However, COVID messed with that, and I landed at a staffing agency where I wasn’t exactly sure what my plan was, but I soon found out I loved recruiting. I love meeting and talking to new people every day and knew I wanted to continue in the realm of recruitment and helping companies develop their teams. 

thunder::tech has been on my radar for a bit now, and when this new position opened, I jumped at it and knew it was the right place for me. 
 

What are you looking forward to in your new position?  

Meeting new people! I'm at my best meeting new people, getting people involved and constantly connecting people to new roles and positions. The thunder::tech team is incredibly people-focused, which drives my enthusiasm for my role and has my mind turning with ideas to further develop our company culture. 
 

What was your first job?  

I worked at a Starbucks on the Turnpike! It primarily served as a truck stop, and I met some very interesting people during my time there. 
 

What wakes you up in the morning?

It depends on the day, but any morning could consist of coffee, tea or Redbull. The caffeine in coffee doesn’t do much for me, so on busy days, I definitely turn to a Redbull, particularly the blueberry one. 
 

What’s your best dad joke?  

What do you call a sad strawberry? 

A blueberry!
   

What is your learning style?  

Absolutely trial by fire. I’ve got to jump in and get my hands dirty for all the information to really sink in. 
 

Do you have a go-to work playlist or do you prefer the quiet?  

Typically, I don’t listen to music. When I’m at home, I usually have the tv on in the other room as background noise, but almost never listen to music at the office. 
 

What is your favorite mid-afternoon snack?  

A quick PB & J is a great pick me up! 

What are some of your talents?  

I'm a pretty good cook! As a vegetarian, I had to learn how to cook early as no one in my family shared the diet. My favorite cuisine as of late is Mediterranean! 
 

Do you have any pets? If so, please share everything about them! 

I have a few! Lenny is my Beagle and German Shepard short-haired pointer, also known as a Boingle, who may be four years old but still acts like a puppy. He’s a crazy lunatic and always on the hunt in the yard. 

I also have two black cats, Shadow and Salem. Salem is the baby of the family at three years old. I founder her at a Little Ceasars, and she has a crazy, funny personality that includes greeting all guests that come to the door. Shadow is 11 and a bit of a grumpy old lady. She joined the family last year and enjoys spending her time as a basement cat. 
   

So far, what has been your favorite t::t moment? 

Definitely Bingo during Spring Fling! Learning from my colleagues during the Tech Fair was a fantastic opportunity, but the competitiveness that came out during Bingo was next level! 


 

Matt Schott – Performance Marketing Strategist - Marketing Automation Lead 

Tell us about yourself! How have you enjoyed your time here at thunder::tech and what does your new role entail?   

I started at thunder::tech at the end of 2020 as a Digital Marketing Specialist working specifically on paid search and SEO. Soon my role evolved to include more and more services with an emphasis on programmatic advertising.   

When I first took on email, we didn’t have a ton of clients utilizing email, but that has changed significantly, allowing me to take on additional responsibilities and learning opportunities. In this new role, I have exposure to lots of software and tools to assist our clients with fresh and new programs constantly being released. 
 

What are you looking forward to in your new position? 

Mostly the opportunity to create more structure within our processes to free up our team’s time. Then, we can focus on the more fun and creative areas to develop unique ideas that’ll benefit our clients. 
 

What was your first job? 

I worked at Szalay’s Farm and Market, where I sold corn! I mostly stocked shelves with dry goods such as caramel corn and peanuts or ran the melon tables.  
 

What wakes you up in the morning?  

Coffee! Usually black, but sometimes I’ll mix in the occasional espresso shot and slowly drink it throughout the morning. If I’m feeling caffeinated, I’ll switch over to tea. 
 

What’s your best dad joke?  

What do you call a sad frog? 

Un-hoppy. 
   

What is your learning style?

Auditory and visual. I’m a good listener, and I like to diagram things to help me understand or plan ideas. 
 

What is your favorite mid-afternoon snack?

Oatmeal with chia and flax seeds. I usually add cinnamon and sometimes nuts, dried fruit or peanut butter. 
 

Do you have a go-to work playlist or do you prefer the quiet? 

I turn on a playlist that includes a mixture of my favorite bands, especially Peach Pit. However, I'll switch to chill lo-fi beats if I don't want lyrics. 
 

What are some of your talents?  

I bet I could out-juggle anybody in the office. 
 

Do you have any pets?  

Do roommates count? (No. No, they don’t.) 
However, I've got a bonus dad joke instead!

What type of shoes do frogs wear? 

Open-toad sandals!

So far, what has been your favorite t::t moment? 

In general, I love when the Communications team ends meetings with a game of JackBox. It always gets very competitive and is hilarious.  

Another memory I like to look back on were the All Team Meetings held during 2020 and 2021. Since we were all stuck at home, being on the phone with the thunder::tech team was the highlight of my day. Everyone always brought a great attitude to the meetings, keeping things light and fun. We never lost our sense of humor, and it convinced me that thunder::tech really is the place for me. 


 

Matt Larsen - Digital Support Developer 

Tell us about yourself! What brought you here and what will you be doing here at thunder::tech? 

Hi, I’m the most recent Matt to join thunder::tech (we have 4!) and am working as a Digital Support Developer with the support team. I help update and manage websites and eventually will start developing them. I’m enjoying the thunder::tech approach of deep listening and problem-solving. 
 

What are you looking forward to as the latest thunder::tech team member?

I look forward to learning the many different styles of website management and using my programming skills to problem solve. 
 

What was your first job?

I worked in my father’s architecture office doing filing, errands and blueprints using an ammonia-based blueprint machine. It’s not nostalgia, but it does leave tears in my eyes. 
 

What wakes you up in the morning? 

Coffee. I’m also a fan of diet soda but am trying to cut back. 
 

What’s your best dad joke? 

A group of tourists is walking through the deep jungle. Suddenly, they hear deep drumbeats and their guide stops, saying, “When drums start, is bad. When drums stop, is very bad.” 

They keep walking. The drums get louder. Their guide holds up his hand, visibly sweating. “When drums start,” he says, “is bad. When drums stop, is very bad.” 

They begin walking faster, trying to change direction. It’s no use. The steady beat seems to follow them everywhere. The guide, now shaking, stops and says, “When drums start, is bad. When drums stop, is very bad.” 

One of the tourists, swallowing hard, works up the courage to ask, “What happens when the drums stop?” 

“Then bass solo begins.” 
 

What is your learning style? 

Lots and lots of notetaking in the early stages. But to really absorb something, I need to get into and alter it in some way. I come from the world of improvisational comedy, where the motto is, “Jump off the cliff and build the airplane while you’re falling.” This is, obviously, not always possible with complicated technology, but the idea still applies. 
 

What is your favorite mid-afternoon snack? 

Popcorn or carrots with hummus or dip. 
 

Do you have a go-to work playlist or do you prefer the quiet? 

Focus music on YouTube. 
 

What are some of your talents?  

I can juggle, paint and have two things memorized reasonably well: the Nations of the World by Yakko Warner and the soliloquy from Hamlet. Also, long-form and short-form improvisational comedy. 
 

Do you have any pets? If so, please share everything about them! 

One dog named Chai, a 30-pound golden doodle rescued in December of 2022 by way of a Kentucky puppy mill. She is the sweetest, most-even-tempered pooch with people. She’s also learning the limits of her play and will occasionally destroy boxes of cereal and stuffed animals, resulting in a stuffing crime scene. 
   

So far, what has been your favorite t::t moment? 

Illicitly stepping onto the roof of the thunder::tech building to look out at downtown Cleveland. I’ve lived in Chicago and New York, but I still enjoy the view of my hometown skyline. 

 

t::team 

Thanks to these exciting editions to our team, we now can look forward to a juggling competition between the Matts! But in all seriousness, three cheers to our new hires and promotions - we can't wait to see what they'll accomplish next! Stay tuned for more updates and shenanigans from the t::team. 

Are you a curious marketer that loves to innovate and partake in the occasional circus act? We’re hiring, and we’d love for you to join us (especially if your name is Matt)! Check out our open positions here and apply today!