STELLAR IS THANKFUL FOR…

We are thankful for so much this year and always🖤.  

This year has been A LOT. But through everything, I have my people. My family, my besties, my SABs, my Stellar peeps, my theatre crew, my college girls, my hockey fam, and everyone in between. I am so thankful for the amazing, kind, and understanding people I have chosen to share my life with. I only hope I give them half of what they all give me!

Lindsay Coats, Owner

I always write about my family each year but I also feel like I talk about how amazing they are all year round.  Everyone knows this! 🙂   So I want to highlight Lindsay! I don’t know what I would do without her.  Not only am I thankful for her as a best friend and all we have been through together, but also as a business partner.  She holds this fort together and I am grateful for her.  We are entering into a new chapter in this Stellar life and growing to a spot I never imagined.  The years seem to get harder and longer but together we have got this!

Sin Van V, Owner

To say 2023 was A LOT would be an understatement (iykyk)! It has been the most difficult and challenging year of my life BUT also the most humbling and insightful. I’ve learned the true meaning behind, “it takes a village,” and I couldn’t be more grateful for the remarkable village that surrounds me. From my husband and son to my family, near and far, my Stellar fam, my husband’s fire crew, my besties, and countless others — you’ve turned the best days into gems and the toughest ones into stepping stones. So, here’s to my village, my support team, my everything. You are TRULY the BEST!

Kristin Kilian, Marketing Manager

As we say goodbye to 2023, I’m filled with an immense sense of gratitude. It’s been an unforgettable year, made by my incredible family, friends, and all the standout moments with my Stellar team. Seeing my kids excel at school, on the football field, and in cheer has been amazing. To Steve, my husband, your support has not gone unnoticed and is deeply valued. My crew, you know who you are, the ones that are always there for me…you are the best! A big thanks also, to everyone at Stellar, for the real talk and chance to advance and meet challenges head-on! Looking ahead, let’s grab every moment and make the next year the best one yet!
Stacy Krupa, Marketing Manager

I am thankful for the opportunities given to me through my family, friends, and work peers. I’m continuing to grow in my skill sets, explore new parts of the world, and learn about what it means to be an adult! I am grateful for my loving parents, and of course grateful to be dating my best friend (whom I love dearly)!

Bria Langworthy, Graphic and Marketing Specialist

There are so many things that I am thankful for this year, and always.  I am thankful for the wisdom that comes with each passing year, and for my loving and supportive family, friends, and my 3 fur babies.
Clare Srajer, Account Manager

I am so thankful for my supportive family and friends! They are my why, they are the reason I do what I do! I am also thankful for my “Stellar” family {pun intended laughing}! I am grateful to come to work with such great people on a daily basis! I am happy to be standing where I am today, and can’t wait to see what the new year brings!

Carly Legner, Marketing Assistant

I am thankful for everything the year 2023 has brought me. During this year, I started a new position that I have found I’m very passionate about! I also started back on a fitness journey to prove to myself that anything is possible. This year wouldn’t have been so great if I didn’t have such a supportive group behind me whether it is my co-workers, friends, or my wonderful lady, Maya. This year has changed my life significantly for the better and I am thankful for this now, and am looking forward to years to come!

Jason Pawlak, Web/SEM Assistant

I am thankful for my family for being as supportive as they are. They always know how to put a smile on my face and make me laugh. I am thankful for all of my friends that I have had in my life including the ones who I have met this year. I am thankful for Stellar and the opportunities that it has given me including everyone I work with. I am thankful for my health and of course my babies (my 2 cats).

Lexington Garcia, Marketing Assistant

Every year brings new things that I am thankful for. I am so thankful for my amazing family. They keep me grounded in my day-to-day life. I am thankful for my wonderful dog, Ginger, who always seems to know how to make me feel better. I am also thankful for all the people I surround myself with, from my coworkers to my friends. They inspire me to be better in aspects of my life.
Margaret Schleehauf, Marketing Assistant

Every morning on the drive to Stellar, I make a mental list all the things I’m thankful for – and BOY are there a lot! 2023 has been an exciting year for me, including graduating with my bachelor’s degree in graphic design, getting married to the love of my life Luke , and obviously starting as graphic designer and marketing assistant at Stellar!!! I’m thankful for my health and my ability to move my body every day, my friend’s and family’s health and happiness, as well as my ability to enjoy the little things I love like the taste of mac and cheese, the cool and crisp fall air, and the sound of a good 70’s song. I’m thankful and excited to see what 2024 has in store for me!

Cat Piscitelli, Graphic and Marketing Specialist

MEET JENNIFER GDULA

A self-proclaimed organizational guru (slightly OCD, if you will), Jennifer thrives on keeping both personal and professional life in tip-top shape. With a background in retail management and education, Jennifer brings a unique blend of customer service skills and creativity to the role of Client Support Specialist. An East coast transplant, she’s perpetually in search of authentic NY-style pizza (seriously, can't find it anywhere!). An avid Anglophile, she loves binge-watching British crime dramas and dreaming of the rolling hills of Great Britain. Outside of work, you'll find Jennifer hitting the trails for a brisk walk, indulging in some quality Netflix and chill time, or annoying her daughter with questionable singing skills.  And if she had it her way, Jennifer's ultimate dream would be to own a sprawling farm to rescue animals.

MEET JOHN SOPCHYK

With a future so bright he’s gotta wear shades, John comes to Stellar with a background in social media marketing having worked in broadcasting and product promotions. This and a historical blog that he started in college gave John the opportunity to exercise his creative juices and explore different methods of content creation. A self proclaimed movie buff, John religiously watches Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese movies. When he’s not out hustling or watching flicks, you’ll find John on the links, building model planes or boating Lake Geneva.

MEET JULIANNA KLECKA

“They say the neon lights are bright…” at Stellar! Julianna’s current leading lady role is as a Marketing Assistant, and she is ready to put our Stellar clients center-stage, under the spotlight! With a Bachelor’s degree in Musical Theatre and a license in Esthetics, Julianna is filled with creativity and a passion for helping others. Working in the entertainment and beauty industries has made Julianna a very determined gal, and now that dedication is ready to translate to all of our clients’ dreams, too. In her spare time, Julianna is most likely quoting Gilmore Girls (“Life’s short, talk fast!”), snuggling her Mini Aussie, or traveling to a Disney park.

MEET RICK GIBSON

Doing his part to help balance the male to female ratio, Rick is the new guy in the office. A graduate of Oregon State University, Rick has a passion for entrepreneurship and marketing. As Marketing Assistant, Rick is looking forward to leveraging his creativity and work ethic to help drive client success at Stellar. When he’s not working or pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors, Rick enjoys playing guitar, volleyball, and spending time with friends.

MEET JULIE HRDLICKA

Whether it was playing softball in college, sweating it out at the gym with friends or fishing with her family, Julie knows what it takes to bring everyone together and work hard towards the end goal. Having spent the majority of her career in healthcare working with large physical therapy companies and every pro sports team in Chicago, Julie's experience with brand positioning and project management comes in clutch when collaborating with Stellar clients. As a busy mom of 4, Julie knows how to handle chaos and maximize time. When she's not challenging the Stellar team to step it up a notch, you can find Julie coaching baseball, teaching religious education, working out, playing uber driver, or being slightly bullied by her "friends" into participating in fitness races.


MEET MARGARET SCHLEEHAUF

Starbucks in hand, Margaret joined the Stellar team in the fall of 2023. Margaret uses her previous experience as a freelance social media manager to be sure Stellar clients are looking, well, stellar across all platforms! Fueled by constant caffeine, her quick wit and creative ideas are an asset to the entire office. Margaret graduated from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 2022 and continues to cheer on the Tigers with a big M-I-Z every Saturday in the fall. Feel free to stop by the office and say hi… but don’t come empty handed. She’ll take a venti vanilla sweet cream cold brew with an extra shot and with vanilla cold foam topped with caramel drizzle. 🙂


MEET CAT MAHNKE

Can you dig it? Cat may be the picture of youth, but she is definitely an old soul. Dressed in bell bottoms with her dad rock playlist on a constant loop in her headphones, Cat conjures up the grooviest designs for our team as a Graphic & Marketing Specialist. Cat graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design. In her spare time you can find Cat chillin’ at her pad, cooking up a pasta dish of some sort, watching Harry Potter, or listening to oldies music (her favorites are Led Zeppelin, ABBA, Jim Croce, ELO, Black Sabbath, and the Grateful Dead!). ~The Night is Young and the Music’s High~


MEET LEXINGTON GRACIA

Lexington is a fresh-faced dynamo who brings a background of retail management, hospitality, and customer service to the Stellar Edge team! Lexi’s personality is as bold as her name, and she loves coming up with creative ideas to help Stellar clients put their best foot forward through social media management and email campaigns. Lexi loves all things beauty and before graduating from college with a Bachelor's in PR & Marketing, she worked as a makeup artist for events and shows. A lifelong Fox Valley resident, Lexi joins fellow DC Charger alumni Clare and Lindsay in the Stellar office. You can’t miss her smile and energy as soon as you walk in the door – stop by and say hi!


MEET JASON PAWLAK

Do you need a solution to your web marketing needs? Fly the Stellar Edge logo in the sky and Jason will answer. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a degree in marketing, Jason set out to become a full fledged hero in the digital marketing world. He put in the work to learn behind the scenes through additional course work and entrepreneurship ventures in music. You may have even seen him performing with some of your favorite live musical acts. When not saving the world's marketing needs, Jason enjoys his time working out, playing video games or making music out of old vinyl records. With great power comes great responsibility and Jason is geared up to help Stellar web clients maximize their online potential.


MEET CARLY LEGNER

Carly brings marketing magic to the Stellar team! Transforming from Marketing Assistant by day to Cinderella serving tables at local hot spot Rosie O'Hares by night, Carly channels her inner Tiana as a hardworking, talented, self-starting princess! You definitely won't catch her sleeping on the job like Aurora, but rather focused on getting her clients more visibility via social media. Her unique jewelry and eclectic hairstyles put Jasmine and Rapunzel to shame! Carly discovered her special powers through her experience at University of Wisconsin-Parkside while earning a Bachelors in Marketing and Business Management and a Project Management Certificate. When she's not fighting the Huns or rescuing sailors, Carly likes to hang out with friends and family, travel {mainly going to Disney - duh!}, and do arts and crafts.


MEET EMMA OLSBERG

MEOW! This industrious cat mom come to Stellar with a fresh marketing & videography degree and the willingness to put in the work! Emma is a jack of all trades mastering social media for multiple clients, assisting with video editing, and tackling any task thrown her way. Her chill vibe fits into the Stellar office perfectly - contrary to her love of drama filled TV shows. Outside of work, you can find her getting down to oldies music or watching movies. Emma is a proud member of the LGBTQ community who loves walks by the ocean, good food and naps.


MEET CLARE SRAJER

Clare is no stranger to small business having grown up with a mom-preneur who opened Around the Corner Candy in 1998. She grew from employee to manager to co-owner before deciding that she was destined for more than just the sweet life. Clare came to Stellar with a desire to learn new things and put her customer service skills to great use! As Marketing Assistant, she dabbles in a bit of everything from social media to email to web. Hardworking Clare fits right in with her love of animals, music, crystals and plants. Best known for her obsession with vintage horror, Clare’s house is decked out in paintings and prints from old movies & shows like Dracula, The Munsters, and The Twilight Zone.


MEET DEVIN WRIGHT

Devin grew up in a family business quickly learning that marketing is essential. Having graduated from Judson University with a Bachelor’s in Communications and a Minor in Marketing, Devin is infatuated with the art of storytelling. He can spin a client’s vision into a fantastic tale to create value and attract customers with flair. Devin is always one to dress for success… even if the situation doesn’t call for it. A ballroom dance instructor, Devin is an old soul who enjoys classic cars, old movies and collecting vinyl records.


MEET BRIA LANGWORTHY

Bria joined the Stellar team just 2 days after her college graduation… talk about a go-getter! She is driven to help businesses shine combining both creativity and analytics. With a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Bria is ready to take on the world… or at least our amazing Stellar clients. Bria spends her time outside the office thrifting for clothing and collecting antique tea cups. Her unique style is present in her desk décor and the handmade earrings she wears each day! She is a mother… to over 20 house plants.


MEET HARRY SEMERJIAN

If you need something cleaned, call Harry. Seriously! Even if it’s not his mess, he’ll offer to fix it for you. As Stellar’s SEO expert, Harry's insight into a client's business is a valuable tool reaching more than just online audiences, but customers in the real world too! Harry has owned a handful of businesses since the ripe old age of 13 ranging from manufacturing to real estate to business services. A true Renaissance man, Harry can speak with someone for less than 30 minutes and have a complete business strategy worked out in his head leading them to definite success. A father of two teenage boys, Harry knows a thing or two about dealing with people on the brink of insanity. He fits in well at Stellar.


MEET BODHI

Named after Patrick Swayze’s character in Point Break, Bodhi joined the Stellar team in May 2017 and we don’t know how we got through the prior 6 years without an office dog! Adopted from Animal House Shelter, Bodhi is a Pitbull/American Bulldog mix that his human Lindsay cannot believe someone gave up. Bully breeds definitely get a bad rap because there is nothing sweeter than this 65-pound “lap dog” climbing into someone’s chair as we gather around the conference table. With as much charisma as his namesake, Bodhi greets visitors to the office with a toy in his mouth ready to play. He hasn’t quite developed any marketing skills just yet, but he can spot a duck or another dog out the window like nobody’s business.


MEET KRISTIN KILIAN

Anything that gets thrown Kristin’s way is handled with ease… at least as far as we know. Coming from the retail industry, Kristin is no stranger to a fast paced, ever-changing environment and has no problem adapting to the chaos that comes with managing Stellar’s high profile clients. With years of experience managing all aspects of communications for Fortune 500 companies, Kristin is able to schmooze clients, conquer any task, and ensure everything is running smoothly… even when it’s not! A Hallmark movie fan, Kristin loves spending time with her firefighter husband and rambunctious toddler.


MEET STACY KRUPA

As an expert on all things entertainment, Stacy really knows how to roll out the red carpet for Stellar clients! Her background with Fortune 500 companies makes her well equipped to deal with the ups and downs of any industry. Stacy lives for creative marketing – finding award-winning ways to entice audiences to click, download, buy, or visit through branding, social media, web design, and merchandising. When she’s not dazzling customers, she’s hitting the gym or spending time with her family. A mom of two, she’s used to working well under pressure and taking the lead to make sure sh*t gets done – traits we welcome in the Stellar office!


MEET LYNNE HARKIN

Using a space heater at her desk year-round, Lynne is no stranger to turning it up. With a background in retail and corporate sales, Lynne brings practical knowledge to help Stellar clients determine their path to success. As our content writer extraordinaire, Lynne helps brands find their voice and reaches a whole new world of customers. You may hear her getting flustered from time to time, but it’s always short-lived. Her get ‘er done, take charge attitude works in her capacity at Stellar and as the busy mom of 3 busy boys.


MEET CHRISTINA WOJTOWICZ

As a lover of spicy treats, Christina is a no-nonsense, get the job done kind of a girl. Any task thrown her way is done quicker than you can say Siracha! As our resident Web Developer, troubleshooting issues is her specialty… just like at home as the mother of two young sons! Christina’s ad agency background and experience developing websites adds another layer of insight to our client’s marketing efforts. You’ll often see her hiking and biking with her family (with a stop off at their favorite Dairy Queen for a treat!).


MEET MOLLY FIVELSON

Known around the office as Molly Pee Pee Pants, our resident Graphic Designer has more than just a small bladder. Her experience designing logos, developing brands, and creating amazing materials for Stellar clients brings a fresh perspective and artistic flair.  Molly’s easy-going attitude makes her the perfect candidate to work with constant changes and multiple ongoing projects. When she’s not out saving lives along the side of the road, she lives as a baseball widow and chauffeurs her kids to all their activities.


MEET SIN VAN V

Known for her rainbow hair, Sin is never one to settle for just one style. She pushes the Stellar team to think outside the box and consider things they would have never done before. Her Bachelor’s in Graphic Arts & Illustration from the American Academy of Art is just the tip of what she’s learned. With real-world experience in business management, marketing and promotions, event planning, and vendor coordination, Sin’s experience gives Stellar an Edge over the competition (see what we did there?). Despite her edgy moniker, Sin is a kid at heart riding her scooter, dragging the Stellar team on crazy outings, and smothering her adult son and daughter with embarrassing hugs and kisses.


MEET LINDSAY COATS

Known as the Dream Crusher, Lindsay’s level head keeps the office running like a well-oiled machine. When everyone else is trying to get in human-sized balloons and doing mid-day yoga, Lindsay is crunching numbers in a spreadsheet – literally one of her favorite things to do. With a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Lindsay has the know-how to help Stellar clients make the right decisions to reach their goals. She loves problem-solving and making things work. She has a soft spot for kids and animals… she’s been known to grab babies from strangers and roll on the ground with any dog that will snuggle her.