Agency Your Digital Marketing Partners Now & Forevermore

We’re bold thinkers
who propel the new and
next in education.

BOLD
& VITAL

Converge is a bold, indispensable partner for colleges and universities. Our thought-provoking digital strategies connect the next generation of learners with right-fit programs.

EXPERT
& ENTERPRISING

We employ sharp perception, data acumen and digital dexterity to carve a clear path to ROI while revolutionizing the marketplace with New & Next ideas.

ENERGIZED
BY DATA

Data is the roaring engine behind all of our efforts. We thrive at the forefront of every MarTech trend to help our clients translate the value from industry to EDU.

Our Team

ANN OLESON CEO & Founder

Ann is the heart and soul of Converge. Ann's true passion is education and helping individuals to realize their true potential. Her 20-plus years in education juxtaposed with her drive and desire for what’s new and next gave her the confidence to start Converge. She led the company in writing the first book on Inbound Marketing for Education and made the Inc. 5000 list the past three years. Ann has worked with more than 200 colleges and universities across North America and is eager to discuss hot topics like Blockchain and reminisce the days of CD-ROM viewbooks. When Ann’s not leading the Converge team in Cedar Rapids and Raleigh-Durham, she’s leading the cheer section of her kids’ softball and baseball games on the weekends.

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ANN OLESON CEO & Founder

JAY KELLY President & Co-Founder

Jay Kelly was a true Madman before co-founding Converge. While working on Madison Avenue, he helped develop world-renowned brands like Ford Motor Company and Nissan Motors (he fondly remembers the cutting-edge technology days of car phones). Now as a partner at Converge, Jay combines his passion for business development and the mission of higher education to help cultivate the best college brands in the world as they seek the right-fit students.

EDU
VISION
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JAY KELLY President & Co-Founder

Jay Morrissey Chief Financial Officer

At Converge, Jay Morrissey is fondly known as Jay$ (Jay-Money). The keeper and balancer of books, he’s far from a Scrooge as his passion for collaborating with teams and shaping the ultimate customer experiences makes him a pivotal player on the Converge team. When he’s not managing budgets, balancing books and crossing t’s and dotting i’s behind the scenes at Converge, Jay$ enjoys volunteering and giving back to Cedar Rapids area, which he has called home for more than 25 years.

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Jay Morrissey Chief Financial Officer

Susan Harris Vice President of Operations

Susan is the chief cat herder responsible for the day-to-day operations of Converge. Part wrangler, part process maven, part numbers geek, part fixer, Susan has been working in the digital agency realm for two fantastic decades. You may never see her, but she'll be there making sure the right team is assembled and ready to meet your business challenges.

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Susan Harris Vice President of Operations

HAYLEY WARACK Digital Marketing Principal

Behind Hayley’s cool demeanor and understanding tone is a wealth of knowledge of all things digital. Whether it’s creating dynamic advertising strategies or integrating engaging storytelling and content in digital strategies, Hayley keeps the pulse on all things new and next. In addition, she serves as the point person for our strategic partnerships with Google, Facebook and LinkedIn to bring the best and innovative solutions to the table for product development, training and workshops.

DIGI
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PERT

HAYLEY WARACK Digital Marketing Principal

Aaron Blau Business Development Director

Aaron has been in your shoes. He's worked as a digital and social media manager in higher education, worked with marketing and enrollment managers across the country as a consultant, and knows the challenges you face on a daily basis. From his work in both athletics and academics communications and marketing at the University of Iowa or his years of consulting experience, Aaron brings a wide variety of solutions to your challenges. If you want to talk BBQ or baseball, he's also your guy.

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Aaron Blau Business Development Director

BRIAN CONNELLY Business Development Director

Brian is the guy you want to talk to at Converge. He’s a true solutions guy, helping hundreds of universities build successful student yield campaigns. When he was 14 years old, Brian learned the value of hard work and the dollar when he was slipped an extra $2 for helping clean the deli room at his first job. This set the foundation for a career in account management and sales at LinkedIn Edu, EducationDynamics and McCann Erickson. Now at Converge, Brian ensures a perfect partnership with our clients by being there every step of the way and still to this day uses that valuable lesson that a little extra hard work will pay off for our clients.

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BRIAN CONNELLY Business Development Director

Jesse Homan Business Development Director

Jesse has over 10 years of experience in Higher Education, working in both the public and private sectors. He has extensive knowledge of the challenges facing the modern university, and enjoys finding unique solutions that foster successful strategies married to our tried and true processes.

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Jesse Homan Business Development Director

Connor Kelly Business Development Associate

Connor, the young gun with cool hair, spends most of his time building and fostering important relationships throughout the higher education community. Oftentimes playing the Zen master, he’s able to understand and strategize with higher ed marketers and help them reach goals and KPIs. Don’t be fooled, Connor is not new to the game as he certified in Hubspot Inbound Marketing, Inbound Sales and Google Analytics.

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Connor Kelly Business Development Associate

MEGAN BYS Marketing Director

The biggest question for Megan is which she likes more: crafting killer content experiences or curating the perfect Spotify playlist? She loves the challenge of finding the next big idea for our blog just as much as searching for the perfect song to energize the team during the work week. Overall, Megan champions Converge’s B2B marketing initiatives and cultivates long-lasting partnerships with some of the best brands in education. Although she lives and breathes all things Converge, she still enjoys the hunt of the perfect microbrew (coffee in the a.m. or beer in the p.m.) and riding the euphoria of attending music festivals. Yes, 2018’s Beychella was that life changing.

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MEGAN BYS Marketing Director

Blaine Phillips Marketing Associate

The most important thing to know about Blaine is that he can make anything and everything look pretty. As a marketing associate, he works to create the most revolutionary designs for higher ed leaders. With a BA in Graphic Tech, Blaine has a great eye for detail in what's New & Next in marketing. When he's not out in nature or traveling for design inspiration, Tarzan or New Girl with sushi and a marina mule are his go to entertainment. He knows data is important, but if you give him the chance, he will prove that design is no joke.

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Blaine Phillips Marketing Associate

GiaPhu Dao Data Analytics Director

GiaPhu reads data like a book, with an eye for detail and an understanding of what it really means. As the Data Analytics Director, he helps clients optimize yield on their marketing spend and harness data to create solutions. A New York native with a decorated history in consulting, technology, data analytics and more, GiaPhu combines his expertise with his confident, can-do attitude to lead the analytics charge alongside new and next innovation at Converge.

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GiaPhu Dao Data Analytics Director

Daniel Gardner Client Services Director

Daniel understands the importance of on-task project management and brings 10+ years of digital experience to Converge. With a creative mindset grounded in technical expertise, your website is in good hands with Daniel behind the wheel. His past endeavors include project management for custom web design firms all the way to project management for one of the largest companies in the world. Daniel approaches each project as an opportunity to push the boundaries of success.

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Daniel Gardner Client Services Director

Lisa Loftus Client Services Director

Lisa has both the creativity to push big ideas forward and the tactical focus to bring them to life. She brings 12+ years of marketing, communication and project management experience to her role as Client Services Director, and she's not afraid to use them. With a passion for building strong relationships, she is energized by collaborating with clients and to find the best New & Next ways of making their dreams come true.

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Lisa Loftus Client Services Director

Scott Sorensen Client Services Director

As the point person for numerous projects and client relationships, Scott has officially traded in his college water polo gear for a Converge quarterback jersey. He loves listening, collaborating and solving difficult problems both internally and externally. He ensures the whole team maximizes their output and acts as a chief point of contact for clients, skills he honed while working for one of the largest propriety data companies in the country.

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Scott Sorensen Client Services Director

STACEY MCGURK Client Services Director

With great social media comes great responsibility. Stacey's love of staying connected and unwavering pull toward lifelong learning help her bring the best ideas to her role as Client Services Director. Her uncanny ability to understand people and build relationships is clutch in her day-to-day job. Stacey is relentless in her pursuit of client success, and she has her 9+ years of experience to prove it.

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STACEY MCGURK Client Services Director

Jennifer Slaymaker Operations Manager

Over the course of her career, Jen has run the gamut of traditional and digital marketing techniques. Her philosophy as a Senior Digital Strategist is to be equal parts advisor and collaborator with her clients. Outside of client relationships, Jen tackles thoughtful process improvement and knowledge transfer to empower her colleagues and build a better/faster/stronger marketing organization.

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Jennifer Slaymaker Operations Manager

Ben Ross Digital Manager, Strategy

Given the chance, what would you @AskBenRoss? He's a Digital Strategist who's known for finding hidden value in the market. He's mastered the art of display, SEO, email marketing and sometimes even [redacted] to help companies like Microsoft and AOL see uncharted success. For him, New & Next is just the beginning. Follow Ben and see just how far he'll go.

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Ben Ross Digital Manager, Strategy

Cassie Hansen Digital Manager, Analytics

Technology and higher education are the two sides of the coin that represent Cassie's extensive marketing experience. She is a magician in the way she translates complex sets of data, target audience information and user behavior into data stories with meaningful insights designed to optimize client campaigns that exceed their goals.

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Cassie Hansen Digital Manager, Analytics

DANIELLE KIRKPATRICK Digital Manager, Strategy

Danielle's background in account management, project management, digital strategy and marketing make her a Swiss Army Knife of talent. She holds a strong belief that data is the foundation of every strategy. Her mantra: "The story is always in the numbers no matter what you want to learn!" Discovering the surprises and details data reveals, and breaking them down into manageable, actionable insights helps Danielle initiate dynamic and meaningful collaborations.

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DANIELLE KIRKPATRICK Digital Manager, Strategy

Laura Paulsen Digital Manager, Analytics

Laura is a thrill-seeker that finds adventure in exploring mountains of data to discover valuable stories and strategic recommendations. Since writing her first webpage in HTML in the public library when she was 12, she has worked with everything from < a href > to APIs. She is driven by efficiency, analysis and finding optimal solutions for new challenges. Laura applies her love of data to generate optimal results for her clients. < /p >

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Laura Paulsen Digital Manager, Analytics

Aaron Schrock Senior Digital Strategist

Aaron is the synapse that connects best-fit students to their dream schools. (The nerve!) As a Digital Strategist, he has already launched hundreds of superstar campaigns for organizations and higher ed institutions. His certifications as a Google Specialist and a Bing Ads Accredited Professional are only the tip of the iceberg. Trust Aaron to take your campaigns to the next level, then sit back and watch him work his magic.

DIGI
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Aaron Schrock Senior Digital Strategist

Chike Lawrence-Mitchell Senior Digital Strategist

Chike is more than just three first names. He's a problem solver, fixer and strategist that goes well beyond marketing. With experience in digital, lead generation and content development for leading brands, he uses communication tools to make waves in mission-driven environments. Digital advertising is more than just his speciality, it's what Converge considers his gift to mankind.

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Chike Lawrence-Mitchell Senior Digital Strategist

Maddie Shepard Omnichannel Manager

Maddie's a true Renaissance woman. She sees data and analytics like no other, putting them to work in not-so-mysterious ways. Her specialities include data visualizations for campaign performance, including user-friendly dashboards that help clients' campaigns run smoothly. Maddie is Google AdWords and Analytics certified, and she's guaranteed to knock your socks off.

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Maddie Shepard Omnichannel Manager

Mel Doudna Senior Digital Strategist

Mel's number two goal in life: to connect students with their dream schools. She uses the perfect messaging and laser-focused strategy to elevate the marketing landscape. Her decade of experience in digital marketing and communications is evident through the blood, sweat and tears that go into her work. Her number one goal in life? You'll have to ask her yourself.

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Mel Doudna Senior Digital Strategist

Kory Boebel Digital Strategist

Kory is more than just a soccer fanatic, outdoor enthusiast and owner of the cutest puppy in the office. He is those things, but he also optimizes, builds and manages digital campaigns for some of the best colleges and universities in the country. Kory brings energy and passion into every account and he is driven by seeing how minor campaign adjustments can make major impacts for his clients.

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Kory Boebel Digital Strategist

Maddie Cantrell Data Analyst

Maddie Cantrell is a self-described data nerd with a knack for making people laugh. When she is not analyzing campaign performance, you can find her performing comedy at ComedyWorx in Raleigh. She knows your data is no joke, and seriously takes everything into consideration when crafting the best data analytics and SEO strategies. Before Converge, she worked in various digital analytics and SEO roles for companies large and small.

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Maddie Cantrell Data Analyst

Samtha Reddy Data Wrangler

Samtha is passionate and self-motivated to use data analytics and machine learning models to build high-quality products/process/solutions that are useful for people. Before Converge, she worked in the IT sector designing and building CRM (Customer Relationship Management) applications. She is a keen advocate for more women in tech and worked as outreach ambassador encouraging female students to take up careers in computing.

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Samtha Reddy Data Wrangler

Sarah Stanis Digital Design Strategist

Sarah journeyed to Iowa from Michigan after graduating in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising Management + Media. She loves designing her house, designing her closet with the latest trends, but most importantly loves designing the best strategy for our digital campaigns. As a digital strategist, Sarah works to create a great relationship between clients and prospective students. If in need of great recipes or design advice, Sarah is the first person you should call.

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Sarah Stanis Digital Design Strategist

Taylor Gehrls Digital Analyst

Taylor has a passion for all things digital. At Converge she is able to drive innovative strategy by leveraging her love for analytics and reporting into effective campaigns with tangible results. Taylor is an artist that paints beautiful masterpieces of data for her clients to visualize, but when she takes the time to put down the paint brush you might find her at one of the local farmer's markets, fairs or outdoor concerts.

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Taylor Gehrls Digital Analyst

Brad Benson Digital Strategist

Brad joined Converge with past digital marketing experience working in all platforms. His background includes sales, and strategy of digital campaigns for larger media companies including newspaper and TV. He likes to explore every digital path to make sure clients are being found by their potential customers, and try and incorporate new technology as it comes available.

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Brad Benson Digital Strategist

Matthew Blasa Digital Strategist

Matt is a Digital Strategist at Converge. He comes to us with experence in digital marketing directed to East Asian markets, specializing in Japan and China. Prior to joining Converge, Matt worked for Carrefour China and Lawson's Inc in Japan, where worked on marketing campaigns directed at foreign expatriates and local audiences. During this time, he gained insight and experience in the unique tools and marketing strategies to appeal to Chinese, Japanese, and Asian audiences He is passionate about helping colleges and universities uniquely reach and appeal to the growing market of foreign students from Asia.

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Matthew Blasa Digital Strategist

BECKY VARDAMAN Data Analyst

Becky is naturally curious about all things MarTech and incorporates the latest trends into her recommendations for Converge clients. She supports our agency analytics projects and helps some of the best institutions in the country expand their knowledge of Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager implementation and Google Data Studio reports.

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BECKY VARDAMAN Data Analyst

Karin Frantz Accounts Payable Manager

If anyone at Converge is confused by the finances, we can always turn to Karin. She is an experienced accountant that assists the team with contracts, pricing and collections. Her passion for numbers and organizational skills are unmatched and set her apart. Karin's motto: Integrity, compassion, kindness, a smile and a positive attitude will always lead to success!

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Karin Frantz Accounts Payable Manager

Meri Pusteoska Contracts/Invoicing Manager

Meri's considerable experience makes her a connoisseur of project management and client relationship building. She can be seen the genesis of every new partnership we form at contract signage and she remains present throughout implementation. Meri has a not-so-hidden talent for keeping us all in line and making sure projects launch on time, within scope and on budget.

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Meri Pusteoska Contracts/Invoicing Manager

Morgan Diestler Account Associate

Morgan is a junior at the University of Iowa studying Business Analytics and Marketing. In her role as an account associate, she helps with implementing and optimizing digital advertising campaigns across search and social media. Morgan is passionate about taking data and turning it into useful information that connects right-fit students with our client partners.

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Morgan Diestler Account Associate

Dane Cronbaugh Account Associate

Dane is a senior at the University of Iowa studying Marketing. As a bold thinker, he is constantly looking for new and next ideas. His love for staying on the cutting edge allows him to take our client's digital strategy to next level. He thinks optimizing campaigns is the best thing since sliced bread and has a passion for generating meaningful leads to help you reach your enrollment goals. In his free time, you can find him on the basketball court, watching re-runs of The Office or working through a large pepperoni and sausage pizza.

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Dane Cronbaugh Account Associate

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