Mana Ionescu, President

The Problem Solver

Believes in clear and simple solutions. Best marketing is an evolution. Start simple, test and learn.

Her friends say she is loyal and passionate. “I believe in helping. New entrepreneurs get cautioned about working for free. When I think of my business I focus on revenue, when I think of others I focus on helping. With good time-management helping won’t be an “expense.” Same applies to marketing. Some of our best campaigns brought together different businesses and non-profits. When businesses, non-profits and consumers gain, that triple win is the best kind of win. ”

Mana is a passionate SCUBA diver and opera lover. She was born and raised in Communist Romania by her grandparents and lived in Bulgaria before moving to the United  States. She is slowly forgetting four of the five languages she once spoke.

Tweet her @manamica or email mana at lightspandigital.com.

Tamara Mendoza, Social Marketing Analyst

The Social Media Detective

There are three reasons why Tamara loves social media – Fun, Fulfillment, Friendship – “a friendly and fun social media personality often fulfills most expectations.” Tamara runs the social media statistics column #smstats on the Lightspan blog.

Tamara lives in beautiful Philippines with her lovely family. An upbeat and spunky personality she loves colorful objects, events, solving problems and puzzles, design and adventure. She’s a big fan of comedies and always finds a reason to smile ( :) ).

Tweet her @lollytammy or email her – tamara at lightspandigital.com

Megan Jasin, Social Media Community Manager

The Natural-Born Communicator

“I hail from a loud family with strong Irish and Italian roots.” Her father works in marketing, and she credits him for educating her about networking, strong first impressions and superior customer service.

As a self-described “Twitter-holic,” Megan has built a strong personal brand and loves to test new social media tools and marketing strategies for clients. She follows a variety of news sources and is looking forward to expanding upon the skills she learned as an intern with the American Diabetes Association, Henry Russell Bruce and SS|PR.

Megan believes in asking for guidance, resources, and insider-tips – “it makes me a more humble and creative team member.”

Tweet her @IowaHawkeyeMeg or email megan at lightspandigital.com

Michelle Laing, Social Media Community Manager

The Networker

After moving from Connecticut to Chicago on a whim without knowing a soul in the Midwest, Michelle quickly found her niche in windy city. An eternal optimist and avid believer in follow up and follow-through, Michelle has a passion for communication on all levels.

“Watching communication patterns evolve and change on social media has been fascinating to me,” says Michelle.

Constantly trying new things and taking on new projects, Michelle’s personal motto is “never slow down—simply adjust the direction accordingly.” Michelle loves hiking, running, tennis, her vegetarian diet, and spontaneous Sunday morning adventures.

Tweet Michelle @m_laing email  michelle at lightspandigital.com.

Jessica Funcannon, Social Media Community Manager

The Future Celebrity

Jessica grew up in a small town near Peoria, Illinois in a close community surrounded by cornfields. She discovered in college that everything she loved fit into the neat little package of PR. She’s been a believer since.

She loves photography, writing in her new blog and doing a little motorcycle riding! “I love anything creative! I am a huge social media nerd so I can always be found on my personal Twitter account: @jfuncannon. I love working with such unique and interesting clients and it’s been a pleasure to work with such a great team!”

Claim to fame: Business Wire’s top ten for, “What is the future of public relations and communications,” contests; Board member @MidWest;  best Lady Gaga impersonator in the state if not in the entire US.

Tweet Jessica @jfuncannon or email jessica at lightspandigital.com

Natalie Zehak, Social Media Community Manager

The Social Wellness Coordinator

Natalie lives and breaths social media. She is the resident wellness and fitness community manager. Her Google Reader is filled to the brim with blogs that deal with everything from healthy living, food, fitness and fashion.

“I love that Lightspan Digital gives me the opportunity to work in a field that directly correlates with my interests.  Every client I have ever worked with, I have had something in common with him or her and it just makes my job so much more enjoyable!”

Outside work Natalie loves running and fitness, cooking , collecting recipes and… shopping! “I’m a huge shopaholic and love to be up-to-date on all things fashion! A new shirt is always a confidence boost!”

Tweet Natalie @natalie_zehak or email natalie at lightspandigital.com