“This is sensational!” – Jack Viner, JVDimensions
The people
Gary Levitt
Born on a remote farm in Southern Africa, went to school with Nelson Mandela's grandchildren, was a skateboard pro and champion and is a killer bass player, Gary Levitt functions as Mad Mimi's CEO in New York. He's responsible for the site's interaction design and tactical product management and the overall direction of the company. He holds a degree in music from Berklee College of Music and lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn with his wife and kids.
Dave Hoover
Dave Hoover began building Mad Mimi in April of 2007. He is a principal at Obtiva and leads their Software Studio in Chicago, Illinois. He is currently writing Apprenticeship Patterns: Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman for O'Reilly with Adewale Oshineye, exploring the patterns of successful apprenticeships in the field of software development. Dave holds degrees in psychology and family therapy from Wheaton College and Seattle Pacific University and lives with his wife and three children in Wheaton, Illinois.
Dean Levitt
Dean Levitt heads up customer relations and the overall product positioning at Mad Mimi, where he directs Mad Mimi's viral marketing initiatives and public relations strategies. Dean joined Mad Mimi in early 2008. Before joining Mad Mimi, Dean worked in advertising, music supervision, copy writing, editing, sound engineering and bar-tending - where he gained valuable insight into human nature. When not traveling extensively through small towns in the Midwest with his punk band, he relaxes in Minneapolis with his neurotic cat Smokey Bones.
Jeff Patton
Jeff Patton has been instrumental in Mad Mimi's design and architecture right from the company's inception. He joined Mimi during a sabbatical from Thoughtworks, a leading global IT consultancy. Jeff is currently working on his forthcoming book to be released in Addison-Wesley's Agile Development Series. In 2007 Jeff was the recipient of the Gordon Plask Award recognizing him as a thought-leader in agile and user centered design.