Tightrope Media Systems
Digital signage and broadcast from your web browser | About Us
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About Us
The human race is obsessed with communication. Perhaps no other human activity demands as much of our resources, concern, attention, research, or time. No other human activity creates as much love, war, hope and empowerment. Dictatorships depend on its limits and democracies survive only with its free exchange. We chat with instant messaging, we text and talk on cell phones, we send email on just about anything with a power plug or a battery. Information always existed, but now it flies around the world at light speed. Time and space have become malleable. Communication technology has changed our reality.
Tightrope Media Systems is part of this movement. We are passionate about the creation of tools that eliminate the barriers to communication. We make it simple for anyone to communicate on digital displays at any time in any space to any audience. We give voice to communities by making it simple to create and operate local television channels. Our mission is to democratize communication.
We exist to make communication tools that are obvious. Tools you never think about until you need them. Tools that do most of the work for you. Tools that get out of the way. Tools you will take for granted. Tools that make you look like a hero.
Tightrope Team
Aaron Parker - Production
I am the head of Production and Tradeshows for Tightrope. I coordinate the building and shipping of all the products. I make sure that every screw is turned and every cable managed. I also design, stage and ship the tradeshow booths. I strive for excellence in all that I do.
Joe Thompson - Jack of All Trades
Hello everyone. My job at Tightrope can't be given a real title. I have been part office builder, part production, part support, and part time delivery boy. I came to the Tightrope family during the building of the new office space and just kept coming back after it was complete. Unlike most everyone at Tightrope I do not come from the cable access world, so I apologize in advance for my lack of knowledge on everything broadcast. I am part way through a computer science degree and have always been big into sports. My latest adventure being ultimate fighting, but enough about me and on to what I do here. I am primarily tech support now, but am brand new to learning our software, so if you need help first learning our software or need to speak with someone who can only speak in layman's terms I am the man for the job. I hope to get a chance to talk with everyone and learn along side you.
Andrew Starks - Co-Founder / Sales & Marketing
I'm Andrew Starks, Co-Founder of Tightrope Media Systems. My role is to make sure that people know about our products and services. As you can see, I shamelessly use my cute children to advance those goals. You'd think that, being my kids, this would be an easy task. It is not. Educating a two and a half year old on the differences between zones and channels in Carousel is tough. Explaining rep territories and sales quotas to Thomas is even worse: "Daddy, I know you're saying a lot of words to me right now, but can I go in to Pete's office and get another piece of candy?"
No focus at all...
Rolene Owens - Sales
Hi, my name is Rolene Owens and I am the friendly voice on the other end of the phone that helps you determine which Carousel package best suits your client's needs. An enterprise software solution for a university, got it; a Carousel Solo for your lobby, got it; a Carousel Pro server with Carousel Solos in 47 different locations, well, we've got that too. I also spend a lot of time in online demos with prospective customers, as well as on-site presentations and trade shows. When I'm not helping communications professionals reach their constituencies effectively with digital signage, I like to hunt and fish. (and cook too!)
Amber Ward - Marketing & Graphic Design
My name is Amber Ward and I am Tightrope's Graphic Artist. I'm in charge of
the overall "look" of the company including digital signage for tradeshows, web design,
printed material and just about anything else that needs to look good.
(View Amber's Blog)
Pete Tufigno - Support
Growing up in cable access, I’ve learned a thing or two about what things are like in headends. I've spent over half my life learning the ins and outs of the cable industry or working here at Tightrope. As a member of the support team, I spend the majority of my time on the phone (all of them), but occasionally get to head around the country to train clients on our products.
Grayson Vangen - Customer Service/Support
I have been working at Tightrope for just over a year. I have always enjoyed working with computers but I had little experience with the Cable Access world before joining Tightrope. Most of day is spent talking with our customers and dealers answering questions and troubleshooting problems. I will also provide Carousel and Cablecast training along with on-site repairs and installation assistance. I look forward to working with each and every one of you.
Jeremy Cleek - Video Production / Support
I've been a working professional on the technical side of the audio / visual world for over four years, slowly working my way back to the creative side. I am currently working on video-based training and promotional material for Tightrope's existing lineup of products.
John Reilly - Development
I'm the resident software engineering geek at Tightrope. On any given day, you'll find me arguing with someone (usually Andy) about CVS vs. SVN, statically vs. dynamically typed languages, or why I think WS-* breaks the web.
Buzzwords are fun, but it all comes down to creating great software. I believe very strongly that even brilliantly designed software is useless if it doesn't help you get your job done. That's why you can always find me on the Tightrope forums and chatroom, both asking and answering questions. If you have something to say about our products, good or bad, I want to hear it!
Scott Jann - Development
This really isn't like me, this is my first time doing something like this, but... I like long walks on the server farm, watching the flicker of the drive LEDs at night, curling up next to the power supply with a good user manual. Turn-ons: nice breakpoints, multi-core CPUs and redundant servers. Turn-offs: server crashes, undefined symbols and core dumps. These days, I spend a lot of my time as a software developer making the magic behind the products at Tightrope. Are you ready for the magic?
Brandon McKenzie - Development
I have been working in PEG access for over 10 years. I got my start back in 1997 when I started volunteering for BEC-TV in Bloomington, MN. It was at BEC that I learned the basics of television production, and where I met the people that would go on to start Tightrope Media Systems. Tightrope hired me in 2004 as part-time tech support, while I was going to college full time, and working part-time at BEC-TV. My role at Tightrope is complicated, but overall, I design the hardware that runs our systems. I still work at BEC-TV, currently as their chief engineer. I am the only person on staff at Tightrope who leaves work every day to go use our products, and this gives me great insight on where the product is, and where it is going.
Steve Israelsky - Marketing / Sales
My name is Steve Israelsky and I make people happy. I am the one that gets to explain how Tightrope's Cablecast video server, station automation and digital signage software and hardware can completely transform a station's workflow and on-air look. "You mean I don't have to enter the same information six times", they ask? "That's right", I say. "You mean mean Cablecast SX VOD will automatically transcode my video files for VOD and podcasting", they wonder? "In your sleep", I say. "And is it true that Cablecast SX will play out DV and AVI files right from my non-linear editor", they pray? Ahh, life is good.
800 Transfer Road, Suite 1B Saint Paul MN . 55114 . USA . (866) 866-4118 . sales@trms.com