Focus Magazine of SWFL Cheers To Your Style | Page 100

Teaming with Talent
Beyond designing and refining REfindly’s technology, Trembly says
his focus has been finding the right team of people to help drive the
business. REfindly staff includes Data Scientist Matthew Crowson, a
Northwest University graduates who formerly served as a programmer analyst at America’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and as a
Business Process Analyst at Infinity Software. At REfindly, Crowson
parses code and analyzes customer and agent interactions with
REfindly’s platform as part of a plan to develop more products and
services. “Data is REfindly’s secret sauce,” says Crowson. Then
again, staff suggest “sauce” isn’t just a technical proclivity in Crowson’s ponderings; he’s been rumored to be rather quick-handed in
pinching the last slice of pizza. Designer Ed Siebert is a native of
Naples and web designer who has produced literally hundreds of
websites for discriminating clients throughout the region. Siebert
is also very adept in explaining what makes Batman superior to
Superman, or the virtues of one gaming system over another. During breaks from duties at REfindly duties, one may find Siebert
engaged in a kind of computer game known as Goat Simulator.
When asked what is the objective of the game, Sibert nonchalantly
replies, “To be a goat.”

While more formal announcements involving the formation of the
Sunset Coast Technology Consortium are forthcoming, for now,
the principals of Agent Shileld, Testimony Tree and REfindly are
sufficiently busy growing their businesses. For Agent Shield, that
includes extending into international markets. The team from REfindly is currently preparing to step into a national spotlight during this month’s National Association of Realtors Conference that
will be held in New Orleans. “We’ve been very encouraged to see
the way real estate professionals have reacted to our products, in
many ways, our customers have become our best marketing tool,”
says Tremblay. “We are growing nationally, but we’re going to stay
mindful that none of this would have got off the ground were it
not for the help and support we’ve received here at home,” adds
Tremblay. “We’re compelled to return the favor by doing what we
can to help other firms here in Southwest Florida.”

The office is described as “very different” from that which Human
Resources Director Doris Lemcke has been accustomed throughout
her career. Lemcke has formerly fulfilled human resources roles for
major manufacturers and companies which include Source InterLink, the former heavy weight in the world of media distribution.
“The office dynamics at REfindly are nothing like what I’m used to,”
says Lemcke. When asked to explain what it like to work among
a music-loving, pizza-munching team of techies, Lemcke almost
seems to wink when she says, “It’s refreshing.”
While the team from REfindly occupies almost half of the office
space, Testimonial Tree and Agent Shield claim the rest. Dolle,
Doan and Tremblay each affirm that by sharing the office, each
company has benefitted from the mutual support, encouragement
and insight each respectively offer. Though each company is autonomous, they each respond to different needs within the real estate
industry, but in so doing, they’ve been able to share something else
with one another - referrals.
Tek Industry Advocacy & Awareness
While Southwest Florida’s economy has been fundamentally driven
by tourism and the building industry, Jason Dolle says that there
are small technology firms which make-up the market too, but
these aren’t always at the forefront of people’s awareness. “We
do have several large companies, but there’s a number of smaller
enterprises which are not so recognized,” says Dolle.
The team is now in the process of establishing a new organization,
or alliance, designed to bring greater recognition and greater business opportunities to such firms throughout the region. Branded
as the Sunset Coast Technology Consortium (SCTC), Tremblay
says the group will provide a means for technology firms to network together, engage in specialized programs and forums, and
ultimately become better acquainted with the services and products each company respectively offers. Tremblay sees this as helping firms secure more referrals and generate more business. As
such has been the case with a couple of technology firms sharing
one office, the group feels something even more positive could
result from uniting professionals throughout the region. There is,
at present, another technology-focused organization in the region,
but Dolle says the SCTC’s programs and focus will be different.
“This will be a more grassroots driven group comprised of actual
technology companies, not the companies who use technology, but
genuine technology companies,” says Dolle. “Our focus won’t delve
into government lobbying initiatives or regional economic strategies, rather what we can do to help refer business to one another,
provide ideas, solutions or feedback to one another and increase
exposure of the excellent technology firms that do business \