Ngage Live Chat was founded in 2008. We initially launched Ngage on a single client website, knowing
very little at the time about how live chat might work. Our goal was simply to help increase conversion rates and
generate more leads … and, of course, to refine our product.
Since those early days, we have handled more than 6 million chats and have learned what works and what
doesn’t. As a result of continuous improvements, our clients have received more leads from their websites and Ngage
has experienced tremendous growth. The feedback we receive from clients confirms that Ngage Live Chat delivers
results.
If you are looking for an edge in your digital marketing, and a way to increase conversion rates on
your website, test out Ngage Live Chat today.
Our Management Team
Mark Shepherd
President
Mark Shepherd is the President of Ngage and is responsible for the growth of new
business, as well as making sure all of our clients get the most out of their live chat service. Mark has helped thousands of law firms and businesses convert more of their web visitors into potential clients. Mark received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University, where he majored in business management. Immediately after, he received an MBA with an emphasis in marketing. While in school, Mark competed on the men’s basketball team. He walked on as a freshman, earned a scholarship as a sophomore, and was team captain as a senior. Mark led the Bears from one of the worst scandals in NCAA history to Baylor’s first NCAA tournament appearance in 20 years.
“I encourage everyone around me, coworkers and business partners, to compete every single day.”
When not at work, Mark spends his free time enjoying the city of Austin. He likes spending time on the lake, seeing live music, and eating Tex-Mex. He also loves fishing and playing sports.
Alex Hambrick
Vice President
As Vice President of Ngage Legal, Alex trains, manages and oversees the team of Account Managers for our numerous law firm clients. One of his main goals is to ensure that the account managers uphold key values of our company: respect, honesty and transparency. He firmly believes in the value of setting proper expectations and never promising more than what can be delivered. Additionally, he is responsible for developing and managing mutually beneficial strategic partnerships with other companies whose clients might find Ngage to be a welcome addition. “I think that the simple act of being honest and realistic with our clients can work wonders to set us apart from the pack. Being upfront about the risks and limitations creates an environment of trust and respect, which is much more effective and rewarding than simply saying whatever it takes to get the next client in the door.”
Previously, Alex has a diverse background that has covered many industries. At various points in his career, Alex has been a pharmacy technician, a carpenter, and even an assistant at a professional time management and organization company.
Outside of the office, Alex is an avid barbecuer and will generally tell anyone who listens that his brisket is now officially “award winning” (at least according to the International Barbecue Cookers Association.) Additionally, he has an unnatural fondness for baseball statistics (and baseball in general). When he is not watching the Red Sox spend millions of dollars on underperforming pitchers, he can usually be found arms deep in Excel spreadsheets filled with funny-sounding numbers such as wOBA and BABIP.
Aaron Dillon
Vice President of Operations
As the Vice President of Operations for Ngage Live Chat, Aaron oversees a team in charge of the technical back-end setup and maintenance of Ngage functionality on our clients’ sites. Aaron personally handles split testing and product development and acts as interdivisional liaison between operations, accounting, and sales. He holds a B.S. in Aviation Sciences with a minor in Business Administration and is a commercially licensed helicopter pilot. When not at work, Aaron spends the majority of his time with his wonderful wife, Joni, and their two young sons. He enjoys cooking and jazz music, is obsessed with University of Texas football, and has competed in national pool tournaments.
Erik Pyykonen
Director of Ngage
As Director of Ngage Medical, Erik oversees the Ngage Medical team and is responsible for developing and managing strategic partnerships with businesses in the medical industry that benefit from the Ngage system. Erik joined Ngage Medical in its infancy and has played an essential role growing the division to over 300 installations on medical websites. Prior to working at Ngage, Erik had a diverse career. He has worked as a grocery store clerk in Wisconsin, as a bartender in Japan, and most recently as a web manager for the Chicago Bears.
In his free time, Erik enjoys exploring the nightlife of Austin, TX. He is a lover of the arts and great food. When not attending a concert or film retrospective, Erik likes watching football, always rooting for his favorite team – The Green Bay Packers.
Tom Paci
Director of Ngage
Tom Paci moved to Austin, Texas after studying Advertising and Public Relations at Michigan State University. In 2012, Tom joined Ngage Live Chat, and many of his original clients are still with him today. Tom helps hundreds of law firms, doctors, and other businesses convert their website traffic into new clients.
“Honesty and building lasting client relationships has always been my primary focus. Long-time clients have told me, ‘I’ve never felt burned by Ngage. You’ve always been straight with me, easy to get a hold of, and fair.'”
He is passionate about food and live music, so the move to Austin was a natural fit. In his free time, Tom loves to cook, especially homemade pasta dishes, and discover up-and-coming music acts with his wife, Amy. On Sundays, Tom can be found barbecuing ribs and cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers with family.
Kendra Downing
Operations Manager
As Operations Manager for Ngage Live Chat, Kendra oversees the team in charge of technical support and order fulfillment for our thousands of clients and their websites. Kendra communicates product updates to stakeholders and manages split testing. She has been essential to many technology projects and process improvements since joining in 2019. She attended Troy University and received a B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Cyber Security.
Outside of work, Kendra enjoys spoiling her two dogs, tending to her greenhouse full of veggies and herbs, and trying out new recipes for baked goods. Much of her free time is also spent playing video games, and she has been a leader of a gaming community for over 5 years.
Allison “Lou” Brawley
Product Manager
After joining Ngage in 2019, A. Lou Brawley quickly moved through the ranks from Operations Support to Senior Product Manager by her avid use of Google sheets and an abundance of customer service experience. She currently supervises the development and management of products across the Medical, Dental, Recovery, and Legal verticals, with an emphasis on client and website visitor satisfaction.
Born and raised just outside Austin, Texas, Lou attended Southwestern University for Biochemistry and Accounting. After 20+ years in the Texas heat, she moved to the Blue Ridge mountains with her partner where she spends her free time volunteering as a newsletter designer for the Asheville Mushroom Club, building castles for her 3 cats, scheming new side business ventures, playing RPGs, and expanding her vegan repertoire.
Jared North
Director of Chat Operations
As Director of Chat Operations, Jared North helps plan and strategize across teams to ensure that we are meeting or exceeding operational goals and to help ensure that each of our clients gets the most out of their live chat service. He assists in analyzing key metrics, process training and documentation, technology integration, and backend support. Jared holds a degree in Graphic Design and Multimedia and is always on the lookout for creative solutions, collaboration, and feedback which ultimately lead to a well-defined process.
Jared is an avid artist and when not at work he spends most of his time painting, working on illustrations, and continuing education. He has shown at various galleries in the Austin area and given lectures on technology and art. He is thankful to have lived in the central Texas area for over 20 years where he can pursue his love for getting outdoors and eating amazing barbeque.
Robert Pearson
Sales Retention Manager
As one of the original members of the Ngage team, Robert has been with the company for over a decade and has held several roles. Currently, he oversees our day-to-day interactions with our customer base and coaches our reps in providing responsive and quality support, emphasizing the goal of building long-term relationships with our clients. Additionally, he produces audio and video content to help communicate the ease of use within the vast features offered by Ngage Live Chat.
Robert holds a BA in Communication and Theatre from Western Colorado University where he learned to bandwagon the Denver Broncos when they’re doing well. On weekends, he enjoys spinning records while spending countless hours maintaining the BBQ smoker in search of the ultimate cut of brisket. He is also an avid reader and a pretty okay musician.
