Lorem Impact, a Social Design Apprenticeship at idfive

Matt applies educational principles to advertising strategy, creating teachable moments and exploring ways to make information relevant to audiences. Much of his work over the last decade has focused on disciplines that thrive on engagement, conversation and good old-fashioned storytelling. Over the course of his 20-plus year career, Matt has created integrated marketing campaigns (with a heavy digital slant) for brands, including Comcast, Black & Decker, Motorola, National Geographic, the National Security Agency, the University of Maryland and the U.S. Navy.

Matt holds undergraduate degrees in English and Mass Communications from Towson University and a Master’s in Teaching from the Johns Hopkins University. He’s an adjunct professor in the joint M.B.A./M.A. in Design Leadership program offered through the Maryland Institute College of Art and the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Matt is affiliated with a number of nonprofits, including Community Law in Action, BARCS Animal Shelter, American Advertising Federation, and Show Your Soft Side and has contributed to a number of publications, including The Baltimore Sun and Advertising Age.

Caitlin is passionate about results. Her well-rounded career working both as the client and for the client has provided her with the perspective to navigate the challenges of budgets and timelines with a high level of detail and commitment to measurable success. She started her career at the Boys & Girls Club of Savannah as Resource Development Director. While there she helped double the patron list and the number of children the organization served. She later took a position as senior communications manager at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), developing and executing integrated print, web and social campaigns that propelled SCAD’s brand both nationally and internationally. Caitlin also oversaw the communications functions for the university’s highest profile conferences and events, including the Savannah Film Festival, a seven-day event with more than 40,000 attendees annually. It is at SCAD where Caitlin demonstrated her strategic mettle in higher education marketing, helping to successfully launch SCAD's Hong Kong campus.

Before coming to idfive, Caitlin's worked as an account executive at a large communications firm in the DC-area, managing the strategic direction, timeline and budget for government agencies and private clients.

A strategist, cultural anthropologist, ethnographer and innovation catalyst, Dr. Robbie Blinkoff is idfive’s Chief Anthropologist. Robbie works on and oversees all projects from beginning to end. Robbie’s awards include Fast Company’s Fast 50, Baltimore’s 40 under 40, and Washington’s Association for Practicing Anthropology’s Praxis Award. Robbie’s appeared on CBS News and the CBS Early Show and in Inc., Wired, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Newsday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and many other publications. Robbie is a sought after speaker as well, and has spoken at conferences for Sun Microsystems, Adobe, Universal Pictures, Yahoo!, and the National Restaurant Association. He has a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology on ideas of ownership among a group living in Papua New Guinea. He also worked as an Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Director of The Pocket Anthropologist at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD.

As an Interactive Developer, Steve combines his skills in graphic design and web development to create visually stunning and clean-coded websites. He has a strong passion for technology and design, which is translated through his dedicated beliefs in web standards and best practices, as well as implementing graphic design principles for the web.

Prior to idfive, Steve worked with non-profits, institutions and businesses as a freelance designer and developer. Some of his notable clients are Bowie State University, Astute Magazine, Inman Council of Brown University and The Intersection. Aside from being a designer and developer, Steve also has won awards as a mixed media artist combining traditional and digital art to create a unique style. Steve has a B.A. in Visual Communications and Digital Media Arts from Bowie State University and a Master’s in Web Applications Development from Towson University.

Andrew combines his passion for UX with a diverse background in software delivery to build cohesive, engaging experiences. Iteration is the name of the game as he uses any means necessary to solicit feedback from end-users and improve upon the overall design. Always learning, Andrew is continually looking for new techniques and approaches to exceed client expectations.

Throughout the past nine years, Andrew has designed and delivered complex web applications for the Social Security Administration and the United States Postal Service. Andrew has an M.S. in Interaction Design and Information Architecture from the University of Baltimore.

Ben brings a problem-solving approach to copywriting, entering into Terminator-vision mode to find and motivate audiences with stories that resonate. Prior to idfive, his work appeared in Tribune Company newspapers, Vice.com and Gawker media—and he is a founding editor of Total Bozo Magazine. With a passion for writing and a knack for marketing, Ben’s the perfect copywriter for any voice, channel or day of the week.

From Gothic cathedrals in Spain to the Pantone Hotel in Brussels, Courtney finds creative inspiration wherever she travels. As a both a print and digital designer, she has infused these ideas into brands including McCormick, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Hartford. A decade-plus veteran of the industry, Courtney has also led the development of various integrated design and branding campaigns, along with serving three years as Programming Director for AIGA Baltimore.

With just the right mix of high-energy, focus and attention to detail, Robbie is an extraordinary web developer. He enjoys the daily challenge of programming, and as a self-admitted tech addict is motivated by the constantly shifting digital world.