Meet our team

Todd Marks, Daily Record’s 3-time Most Admired CEO, 2-time EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist, member of Baltimore Magazine’s 40 under 40, Maryland Tech Council’s 2022 CEO of the Year, and The Daily Record’s Innovator of the Year, is the founder and CEO of Mindgrub Technologies. Mindgrub, a member of the Inc. 5000 for ten years running and the Maryland Tech Council’s Tech Company of the Year, is an agency at the intersection of technology and business, designing and engineering solutions that define a company’s digital presence.

As Chief Operations Officer & Chief Diversity Officer with a demonstrated history working across a variety of industries, Shalisa has the ability to shape and mold organizational operations to ensure growth and success. Her skills in Requirements Analysis, Enterprise Architecture, Agile Methodologies, Software Project Management, and IT Strategy enable her to make educated, fact-driven decisions to propel business objectives and drive operational enhancements. Shalisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The George Washington University.

Aaron Bickoff is the Vice President of the Project Management Office at Mindgrub, guiding our team of project managers to address and meet every client’s need from project conception through completion. As a Certified Scrum Master and Project Management Professional (PMP), Aaron believes that efficient processes and team collaboration within each project lead to innovative and customized outcomes.

Whether building new operational practices or collaborating with designers, developers, and architects, Aaron facilitates accurate and efficient production for all clients. Aaron utilizes a mix of waterfall and agile processes to help teams develop viable products.

Prior to joining Mindgrub, Aaron spent over 10 years serving as a Senior Project Manager and Operations Director for internationally renowned agencies. In addition to his efforts with Mindgrub, Aaron is invested in improving his community. He is a 2016 graduate of Business Volunteers Maryland’s GIVE Program and is a regular participant with Volunteering Untapped.

Andrew Dalton is our Vice President of Professional Services at Mindgrub, where he leads a multidisciplinary organization spanning project management, product strategy, research, design, engineering, and quality assurance. He is responsible for the successful delivery of all digital products and platforms across Mindgrub’s portfolio.

A seasoned technology and go-to-market leader, Andrew has spent his career leading startups and Fortune 500 companies through digital transformation, product innovation, and operational scaling across a range of offerings, both digital and physical. He has led numerous multi-million dollar initiatives in industries including energy, transportation, healthcare, and retail, bringing innovative solutions to market and driving measurable business growth.

With a background in both strategy and execution, Andrew specializes in aligning customer needs, business goals, and technical architecture. His teams are known for delivering high-quality outcomes through collaborative processes, rigorous planning, and continuous improvement.

Prior to Mindgrub, Andrew held leadership roles focused on corporate innovation, greenfield product development, growth strategy, and go-to-market execution. He has worked with globally distributed teams to build high-performing platforms that serve tens of millions of customers and generate hundreds of millions in revenue.

Dean Merritt is the VP of Sales for Mindgrub, leading a team of engagement directors and business analysts in providing emerging technology and custom digital experiences for global industry leaders including Exelon, NASA, Wendy’s, Under Armour, Yamaha, and Crayola. Dean is a licensed Maryland attorney and brings over 13 years of technology sales experience to the team. He has assisted law firms, courts, sheriffs, and other businesses in identifying inefficiencies, improving operations, and using technology to better manage their practice and increase business opportunities. Dean is also a licensed real estate broker and has handled both residential and commercial real estate transactions.

John serves as Head of Client Services, where he leads a team of accomplished account directors dedicated to delivering exceptional client outcomes. As a seasoned IT and Operations executive, he brings a distinguished track record in cloud migration, digital transformation, and web and application development. John is recognized for driving operational excellence, establishing innovative practices, and cultivating strategic partnerships. Renowned for building high-performance teams and fostering a culture of productivity, he consistently advances organizational success. Beyond his professional pursuits, John enjoys boating on the Chesapeake, hiking, golfing, and coaching Navy youth hockey.

Jolene is a seasoned VP of Sales with a knack for building strong connections and driving serious results. With 15+ years of experience, she has helped companies grow across industries like Marketing, SaaS, AI, Software Development, Mobile Device Management, and Digital Solutions.

She believes sales isn’t about gimmicks or pressure. It’s about understanding needs, knowing how to help if you can, and focusing on the people and businesses you can truly support. Throughout her career, Jolene has led high-performing teams, built sales departments from the ground up, developed winning playbooks, and helped scale companies from $16 million to $100 million fast.

In her current role, she is diving deep into AI consulting and digital transformation, helping businesses uncover ways to save time and boost profits.

Outside of work, Jolene is a proud mom, wife, daughter, and friend. She’s always up for glamping weekends with her family, girls’ trips to the beach, and Champagne Sundays with neighbors. Whether at work or at play, she’s all about making life and business a lot more fun.

Michael Pierson is a graduate of University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), and is currently seeking a Masters of Business Administration at UB/Towson University.  Mike enjoys Ravens football, Orioles baseball, Capitals ice hockey, and golfing in his spare time.

Kim Paradise is Chief of Staff at Mindgrub.

With a robust background in strategic marketing and brand development, Branddy’s focus lies in elevating businesses through innovative campaigns and digital solutions. At Mindgrub, we harness the synergy of marketing communications and technology to deliver transformative results for industry leaders. Our approach has positioned us to partner with organizations like Exelon and NASA, crafting award-winning strategies that resonate with audiences and drive growth.

Previously, as the head of marketing at MarqVision, Branddy’s leadership in content initiatives significantly enhanced our sales pipeline. The experience honed her expertise in online marketing, particularly in the LegalTech industry, where she successfully built thought leadership and brand authority. The culmination of these roles reflects her dedication to not just meeting, but exceeding business objectives through strategic marketing excellence.

Meagan brings over 19 years of experience in digital and product design, creating award-winning websites, apps, advertising campaigns, and brand identity for a wide variety of clients from non-profits to hospitality to beauty brands. She leads the creative and design team at Mindgrub, overseeing a multidisciplinary team of super-talented product designers, UX designers, UI designs, content strategists and copywriters to research and bring human-centered design solutions to life. Meagan is passionate about integrating design, technology, and business strategy to craft impactful products that empower users and drive clients’ success.

Past clients include Livestrong, AIA, United Way, APL Civil Space, the National Aquarium, Kleenex, Marriott Hotels, Carey Business School, University of Maryland, and Under Armour. She holds a BA in Graphic Design from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and has previously taught design and user experience as an adjunct professor.

Justin Bend is Director of Product Strategy at Mindgrub, where he leads cross-functional teams in delivering high-impact digital products across industries including healthcare, fitness, energy, and AI. With nearly 20 years of experience in digital product design and strategy, Justin helps organizations turn complex challenges into clear, user-centered solutions that drive measurable outcomes.

He holds a terminal MFA in Integrated Design from the University of Baltimore, where his thesis explored how technology can foster more civil and inclusive online political discourse. That work continues to inform his passion for building digital experiences that support trust, connection, and thoughtful engagement in today’s fragmented digital landscape.

Karen Nickel is an accomplished Director of Quality Assurance with over 20 years of leadership experience in driving quality excellence across complex, regulated environments. With a strong background in software development, she has built a reputation for establishing and optimizing quality systems that ensure compliance, mitigate risk, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Throughout her career, Karen has led cross-functional teams in the design and implementation of quality frameworks, including ISO standards, FDA regulations, Accessibility compliance, and industry-specific compliance protocols. Known for a hands-on leadership style and a commitment to continuous improvement, she has successfully guided organizations through audits, product launches, and process transformations that have significantly improved performance metrics and reduced defect rates.

Karen is passionate about fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and excellence in quality practices.

In addition to her work with Mindgrub, Karen is deeply committed to giving back to her community. She founded Gabby Hugz, a charitable initiative that supports breast cancer patients by providing thoughtfully curated care packages filled with comforting and practical items to ease the challenges of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Cynthia Philpot (aka CyPhi, pronounced “Sci-Fi”)

CyPhi is a connector of people, processes, and technology. Since joining Mindgrub in October 2020 as a Support Coordinator, she has steadily grown into her current role managing the Managed Services team, also known as ACES. In this role, she ensures that client requests are handled efficiently and with care, maintaining clear communication and keeping projects on track.

With a background in organizational development and a passion for process improvement, CyPhi is recognized for streamlining operations and resolving issues before they escalate. Her attention to detail, combined with her strengths in communication, mentoring, and cross-functional collaboration, makes her a trusted leader within the organization.

Always seeking ways to work smarter, CyPhi turns everyday challenges into opportunities to improve outcomes for both clients and teams.

Matthew Glace is the Director of Software Engineering at Mindgrub, bringing over 25 years of software development experience across a wide range of industries, including education, healthcare, public sector, and consumer technology. At Mindgrub, he leads a large, multidisciplinary engineering team focused on delivering innovative, scalable software solutions tailored to client goals.

Matthew is an expert in the Microsoft technology stack, with deep proficiency in .NET, Azure, and Power Platform. He specializes in architecting cloud-native applications, designing modular APIs, and implementing secure, performant systems that support both rapid development and long-term growth.

A strategic and hands-on leader, Matthew is known for setting engineering standards, enabling CI/CD with Azure DevOps, and guiding complex modernization efforts. These include legacy system migrations to modern frameworks like React and Next.js, with a focus on SEO continuity, feature parity, and maintainability.
His areas of focus include enterprise application architecture, cloud infrastructure, AI-driven chatbots, front-end modernization, and performance optimization. He approaches every engagement with a practical, business-aligned mindset—ensuring technical excellence translates to real-world results.

Christina Jugel, CF APMP, CTM
Director of Sales Enablement & Bid Strategy

Christina Jugel is Mindgrub’s Director of Sales Enablement and Bid Strategy, where she leads the firm’s proposal operations with a focus on growth, process optimization, and strategic positioning. With over a decade of experience in proposal management, client services, and integrated marketing, Christina brings deep expertise and a proven track record of winning complex, cross-sector work.

Born in the Southern United States and having lived in cities across the country, including Georgia, upstate New York, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and now Baltimore, Christina offers a well-rounded national perspective and a strong ability to adapt to diverse teams and industries. Early in her career, she worked for an experiential marketing company based in Chicago as a Regional Operations Manager and later as a National Training Manager. She went on to spend ~10 years with a retail marketing firm as a Senior Account Director and Senior Project Manager, overseeing high-impact campaigns for national brands.

She is also a Certified Training Manager and Business Operations Analyst, with a keen eye for efficiency and cross-functional collaboration. Her client experience spans a wide range of industries, including fashion, beauty, consumer goods, gas and oil, pharmaceuticals, blood supply and health systems, higher education, K–12 education, music, and entertainment television.

Since joining Mindgrub in June 2020, Christina has been responsible for managing all formal RFP responses, leading teams across strategy, writing, pricing, and delivery, while ensuring both public and private sector proposals are compliant, compelling, and tailored. Other certifications she has earned include the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (CF APMP), IDEO U, and Baskar’s AI Bootcamp, reflecting her commitment to communication, innovation, and lifelong learning.

Christina is the proud recipient of Mindgrub’s Gold Mind Award in both 2022 and 2024, a testament to her leadership, collaboration, and impact on company growth. She loves the RFP process, describing it as a strategic puzzle – bringing together the right pieces to create a tailored, winning solution.

She is also passionate about giving back. Her volunteer work includes service with the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, Habitat for Humanity, the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Response Team in early 2020, and Maryland Horse Rescue.

Known for her ability to quickly interpret a client’s needs and translate them into well-structured, persuasive proposal responses, as well as her strategic thinking, calm presence, and attention to detail, Christina approaches every opportunity with empathy, enthusiasm, and a drive to win.

Laura Gousha is the Engagement Director, Energy and Utilities at Mindgrub. In her role, she oversees Mindgrub’s utility practice, which focuses on transforming customer experience through the development of engaging digital platforms.

She brings extensive experience in custom software development, project requirements definition and estimation, agile process implementation, team management, and overall strategic planning for clients that range from startups to Fortune 100 organizations.

With a strong track record of success with clients including Exelon, Entergy, and LG&E KU, Laura enjoys collaborating with clients to enhance digital experience. Laura’s thought leadership in the utility sector has been tapped by organizations and event committees including Chartwell, Distributech, Behavior Energy and Climate Change Conference, Mobile Payments Conference, The Association of Edison Illuminating Companies, and Energy Central.

Kevin brings a deep background in math and computer science education together with a passion for digital innovation in the public sector. As a former high school teacher and National Board Certified educator, he led curriculum development, coached new teachers, and built computer science programs from the ground up. At Mindgrub, Kevin guides strategic partnerships across federal, state, and education markets, helping organizations modernize through purposeful, user-centered technology solutions that drive real impact.

Scott Willingham
Engagement Director

Scott Willingham is an Engagement Director who helps clients turn bold ideas into impactful digital experiences. With deep expertise in augmented and mixed reality, he works with organizations to explore emerging technologies, uncover opportunities, and solve real-world challenges through thoughtful strategy and execution. Known for his collaborative approach and sharp business insight, Scott partners with clients to drive innovation and deliver work that not only performs—but elevates.

Eric Cimon is the Director of Project Management at Mindgrub. Eric has been leading teams in the successful execution of high-profile digital transformation projects for nearly a decade and has a combined 20 years of Project Management experience. With a focus on transparency, collaboration and open communication, Eric has been able to turn projects into partnerships across several industries. Past and current clients include Georgia Pacific, Forvis Mazars, Nova Scotia Power, Northwestern Energy, National Fuel, the State of New Hampshire, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Eric understands the regulatory requirements of government and utility organizations and has mentored teams of nimble and experienced Project Managers with experience and knowledge across many industries.

In addition to his approach to managing successful projects and partnerships, Eric leverages his experience as a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Project Management Professional (PMP) to run projects lean with a focus on efficiency throughout. He brings an individualized approach to each project engagement, ensuring stakeholders needs are met and project goals are achieved through project specific processes and ceremonies. The Project Management team at Mindgrub, under Eric’s leadership, have embraced the use of AI tools to simplify tasks, standardize ticket creation and automate efforts to allow the team to focus and have the capacity to be more effective the human centric elements of managing each project. Eric is always challenging himself and his team to question the status quo, find new ways to accomplish goals and innovate across the spectrum of the Project Management field.

Eric lives with his wife and two children on the New Hampshire Seacoast.

With more than 15 years experience in the Client Services world, Stephen is a valuable resource for everything clients and accounts. A listener first, Stephen loves to learn and understand. Need strategic input? Problem solving or solutions? An ear or a new best friend? He’s your guy.

Casey is a strategic Account Director with a strong background in client relationship management, digital project delivery and long-term partnership growth. With experience across agencies, she supports clients by aligning project outcomes with business goals and identifying opportunities for expansion. Casey brings a collaborative, detail-oriented approach to every engagement and thrives at the intersection of strategy, service and execution.

Rich Dent is an Account Director at Mindgrub with nearly 20 years of experience leading client strategy, digital marketing, and performance-driven solutions. He supports a wide range of industries and project types, including full-scale web and mobile applications, startup consulting, and agency partnerships.

Rich is passionate about helping clients achieve their goals and building custom experiences that make a real impact on their customers. He brings a collaborative, down-to-earth approach to every engagement and loves seeing the results when great strategy and creative thinking come together.

When he’s not working with clients, there’s a good chance you’ll find him at an Orioles or Ravens game, or checking out a concert somewhere around Baltimore or DC.

Blake brings 20+ years of experience architecting, developing, and managing SaaS and tech solutions for demanding customers. Blake founded and operated a development and SaaS firm, balancing product, customer, and vendor management with solution architecture, delivering cloud services and development for B2B and B2C enterprises ranging in size.

He is comfortable communicating with developers, cross-functional team members, customers, and executives to balance risk and budget to deliver right-sized solutions. He is an experienced account manager as well as a direct contributor in consulting, development, project, and product management roles. Blake helps a team deliver customer value in dynamic, constrained environments by applying a positive, adaptable approach to achieve business and technical requirements while designing for simplicity, efficiency, flexibility, modularity, reliability, scalability, and predictability.

He currently serves as an Account Director for Mindgrub focusing on managing and expanding the accounts within the energy and utilities sector through the delivery of innovative custom mobile app development, web solutions, and the integration behind them.

Robbie Callen is Associate Engineering Director at Mindgrub, where he leads cross-functional teams to build innovative digital solutions. With a background in neuroscience and over a decade of tech experience, Robbie blends strategic thinking with hands-on expertise to drive impactful results.