We Don’t Do Boring We Don’t Do Boring

Tony Krzysko is the President and Owner of Exclaim. Since 1989, he’s done it all, starting as controller, moving through operations, and ultimately leading the agency with heart, humor, and an eye for fearless creativity. For Tony, the best moments come from seeing people take pride in their work and witnessing the genuine reactions of clients and audiences alike.

Off the clock, Tony’s a maestro of improv cooking (recipes are for cheaters), a weekend craftsman, and a connoisseur of good meals, better company, and the occasional inventive cocktail. He’s happiest at the Hayward cabin with Marie, family, friends, and grandson Will, or dancing to Dean and Frankie while a pot of sugo simmers and the Cubs, Hawks, or Bears play in the background.

John makes stories move… literally. As Executive Producer of Video at Exclaim, he blends creative vision with hands-on production know-how to bring ideas to life. With a background spanning both video and live event production, he’s powered by strong coffee, good movies, and a lifelong obsession with storytelling in all its forms. Please friend him on Goodreads.

Outside of work John has 4 children, which he maintains is entirely too many.

Mariah is the Executive Producer of Digital at Exclaim, where she helps turn ambitious digital ideas into successful reality by bringing together strategy, creative thinking, and seamless execution. With years of experience leading digital projects across websites, marketing, and technology, she thrives on turning complex challenges into seamless user experiences.

When she’s not steering digital strategy, Mariah loves spending time with her family, coaching her daughter’s soccer team, and planning their next camping adventure (usually the kind that calls for more marshmallows than actual wilderness survival skills). She believes a good balance of work, play, and a little fresh air is what keeps life fun and meaningful.

With over 20 years of experience in live events, video production and virtual experiences, Stephanie brings a deep understanding of clients and a love for building relationships. She excels in quickly understanding a client’s challenges and creating strategic solutions that can achieve their desired results. As a senior event producer, Stephanie manages all technical aspects of show production, while offering organization, creative services and helping clients develop an impactful architecture for their meetings. She enjoys the great balance of creativity, attention to detail and client service.

Stephanie loves to take long walks to think, clear her head or relax depending on the moment. She counts her steps every day. Stephanie also has three teenage kids that keep her running to school, theater, choir, baseball and football. Her SUV is basically equipped to be a second home on the go with water, snacks, and blankets.

Nick is the Executive Creative Director at Exclaim, a relative one-stop shop for all things live and exciting. Need a halftime show? Got it. Corporate meeting that makes attendees stand up on their feet? Got that too. If it’s an in-person affair, where you want to leave a lasting impression with your attendees, Nick’s your guy.

Despite how he might appear, Nick is actually a rather nice and approachable person. Well-read too! (I know he doesn’t look like he CAN read much less reads a few books a month and in his free time no less… no one’s even making him do it!) While that doesn’t fit his aesthetic, what does is the custom motorcycles he builds himself, as well as being a fairly accomplished designer and fabricator. Nick embodies the meaning of being a true Renaissance man.

Eric Lindberg is the Creative Director at Exclaim, leading bold storytelling across video, digital, and live events. With a background in comedy and over two decades of creative leadership, he shapes experiences that fuse strategy, emotion, and fearless originality, turning ideas into moments people remember.

Tim Pritts is the Associate Creative Director and Animator at Exclaim. With more than 35 years in video and animation, he still gets a spark from watching ideas take shape and come to life. Tim’s always drawn to projects that challenge him and push creative boundaries, with the goal of delivering work that truly connects and exceeds expectations. Over the years, Tim has added photography, videography, and drone piloting to his creative toolkit. Outside of work, he loves to spend time with his grandchildren, building and flying FPV drones, and finding new ways to get creative in the kitchen.

Drew produces photo and video projects at Exclaim, making sure creative chaos becomes something worth watching. Off the clock, he’s deep into music and endless playlist tweaks, a daily NYT game ritual, and comedy that actually makes him laugh. Drew’s a lifelong victim of Chicago sports, tends to a stubborn collection of plants, and recharges with time by Lake Michigan.

Tim is the Video Editor at Exclaim, calling upon his 30-plus years in the industry to work closely with camera crews, producers and clients to transform raw footage into a polished final product that aligns with a project’s vision.

He likes to be outdoors, fall being his favorite time of year to be walking in the forest preserve with his wife. His Spotify playlist is full of hard rock and heavy metal. No country! He takes terrible selfies, just does not have the knack for it… Bacon, bourbon and barbecue are Tim’s essential food groups. He loves to cook and try new recipes. Tim makes amazing chili as well as Greek chicken (with homemade garlic naan). Horror movies are great, Hallmark movies are trash. A bit of a sci-fi fan, he prefers Star Trek to Star Wars and sometimes he has the nerdy habit of analyzing the technology behind television shows and movies rather than just watching.

Kurt is the Lead for Digital Design and Development at Exclaim, where he bridges the gap between creativity and code. Equal parts designer, developer, and problem-solver, he’s Exclaim’s digital Swiss Army knife for everything web, from creative layouts and custom code to hosting and performance.

When he’s not knee-deep in pixels and code, Kurt’s probably geeking out on a new web trend, diving into a podcast, or laughing through a stand-up show. He’s also an avid reader, concertgoer, hiker, church elder, and Scouting volunteer. He and his wife enjoy cruising with the top down in search of the perfect custard. Always curious, always creating, Kurt’s never far from his next great discovery.

Jenn is the Digital Marketing Coordinator at Exclaim, where she keeps content calendars full, campaigns running, and the behind-the-scenes marketing engine moving.

Outside of work, Jenn spends time with her family and enjoys everything Chicago has to offer. She’s always up for a walk, spending time in nature, or being by the water, and in summer, that usually means a swim in the lake. She brings hands-on experience with brands at every stage. Her background includes a history of building e-commerce websites and digital presence from the ground up, along with ongoing content creation, SEO, and digital strategy.

LeeAnn Sherman, MBA is a strategic growth leader who helps organizations scale and prepare for transformative outcomes. She builds teams for critical transitions and organizational insight to deliver results that matter. Known for building trust-based relationships and aligning leadership teams during times of change, LeeAnn is dedicated to creating environments where strategy is clear, communication is strong, teams are empowered, and growth is sustainable. Outside of work, she finds inspiration in interior design, gardening, and Gilson Beach.

Each project we work on has its own unique personality, and we’re always learning: new technologies, new techniques, new approaches. But the best part of my job is meeting new people and getting to tell their stories. It’s always amazing.

Reil is Exclaim’s Sales Operations & CRM Strategist, responsible for building and improving the systems, processes, and insights that support the agency’s business development efforts. From managing HubSpot and sales operations to developing reporting, refining workflows, and identifying growth opportunities, he focuses on creating a more connected, efficient, and data-informed sales process that helps the team spend less time guessing and more time building meaningful client relationships.

Outside of work, you’ll probably find Reil chanting in the Wrigley Field bleachers, convincing himself this is finally the Cubs’ year, or glued to the TV during football season watching the Bears (with parts hope and heartbreak, but mostly heartbreak) and just about any college football game he can find. He’s also a huge music fan whose playlists are packed with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day, though he’ll argue that great music never goes out of style.

Jone has seen the industry evolve from slide trays and VHS tapes to AI-assisted showstoppers, and she’s been at the heart of that transformation every step of the way. Over her career, she’s worn many hats: production and animation photographer, client service manager, and graphic services manager. Today, she keeps Exclaim’s projects on track and teams aligned, managing everything from staff time and expenses to client and vendor accounts.

Whether she’s coordinating timelines or jumping on-site to support live shows and client reviews, Jone brings a steady hand and a love for the high-energy pulse of production. Outside the office, she finds her balance in gardening, biking, and spending time with her family.

Benjamin is the IT support at Exclaim, where he and his team Manage, Guard and Accelerate streamline IT out of sight, out of mind and out of Exclaim way keeping Simple IT and Cybersecurity stuff.

When he’s not working, he will spend time with family and his grandson Silas, watching TV, walking around with the family dogs Luca and Molly or doing activities at Church. He’s also a musician and loves to play acoustic guitar, drums and bass.