Let Me Explain…

I believe that small towns, small cities and rust belt communities have the power to re-write their story and transform themselves at the intersection of entrepreneurship and community… I’m seeing that happen in my hometown of Utica, NY where I am the Director of the thINCubator – a local incubator and co-working facility where I’ve worked with over 200 entrepreneurs and want-repreneurs (folks who WANT to start a venture but don’t know how to get started).

I build websites, videos and marketing strategies for rust belt businesses. I work with towns and communities who want to empower creatives, artists and entrepreneurs to build a better future. I can teach to you ‘enough to be dangerous’ when it comes to digital strategy, customer experience design, and content strategy. I work with entrepreneurs who need to build a plan for launch, growth and hold you the accountable so you can make big things happen.

Fire Cousin Timmy

When most businesses start up they’re faced with a problem. How do I build my brand, tell my story and attract customers? Too many times, they think their choice is between hiring a full-service marketing agency which does awesome work but is out of budget….and cousin Timmy. Timmy has no real marketing experience, but he loves facebook, owns a fancy laptop and works for free.

Too many people hire cousin Timmy and they end up with a crappy website, no meaningful strategy and a terrible brand image.

Services - Web Dev

Looking for someone who can deliver you a sleek, no-nonsense website for your company or personal brand? Need responsive design? Check. Need commerce integration? Check. Need a design you can be proud of? Check. Need to do it all on a super-reasonable budget? Check. 

I’m a WordPress nerd.

WordPress is a platform that’s easy to learn, robust, and is constantly being updated to integrate the latest web standards. I utilize multiple frameworks and plugins that allow for easy and flexible updating of the site. Utilizing WordPress also does not bind the client to any one host or service such as SquareSpace or any proprietary CMS system, therefore the site can be moved between servers or hosts, and updated without difficulty. Don’t trust your brand to one of those free site builders and you don’t need to pay huge development fees. Ready to get started? Good. Projects start at only $1,500. 

Recent Projects

Let's talk about your project
Enough To Be Dangerous Video

Spielberg I am NOT. But you probably don’t need him anyway. If you need to show the world what you’re all about, showcase work that matters, or tell a story that connects emotionally with your audience, I can help. 

Your video strategy should NOT just be about a single long-form video. I can shoot, edit and re-package your finished video to look great as a Facebook video, Instagram Stories, and beyond. 

Let's talk about your project
Endorsements
Encore Media Agency
Victoria Bracco
Founder, Encore Media Agency

Your insights and suggestions have shed light on areas that needed attention, and your thoughtful feedback has been a catalyst for positive change. I truly appreciate the time and effort you invested in providing me with such valuable guidance.

Your expertise and critical eye will undoubtedly help me ensure that the website achieves its full potential.

Once again, thank you for your support and guidance throughout this process. Your contributions have been indispensable, and I look forward to continuing our collaboration.

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Rust Belt Startup Gear
Kathy Donovan

What can I say? I suppose I will start with the traditional thank you for doing what you do – begin such an inspiration for so many. You have an immense amount of compassion, grace and assertiveness that I so appreciate! I never feel “man-sprained” and I thank you for that! We were so fortunate to have you in the Utica area.

Dawn Pace Artist
Dawn Pace

“You rock Ryan!! If anybody gets the chance to work with Ryan he is amazing and is full of great experiences and stories.”

Wendy Barrett

I just wanted to say I appreciated your insights, your enthusiasm, your humor, and your comfort with being “real.”  It can’t be that easy to talk so comfortably to a blank screen for three-quarters of an hour while you’re counseling an obvious non-techie.  But you did so with panache.  (Do people even use that word anymore?)

Tony Lomazzo | Marathon Staffing
VP, Marathon Deployment

We at Marathon Deployment want to thank the gifted people at Rust Belt Startup for simplifying the web page creation process, making the voyage bearable and the end result impressive and spot-on.

Your sensible “easy does it” and logical approach helped our company succeed and transform the Marathon Deployment vision into a well-defined website. Your team listened to our vision, extracted our core ideas and business knowledge and molded it into an incredible story board with content and illustrations.

Quick responses and your eagerness to jump on a call and work through changes on the spot was yet another big difference to our being extremely satisfied with the end result. Ultimately, you and your talented team brought our vision together with a cutting edge website.

It was a pleasure working with you and your team of professionals.

Angela Militello | Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce

I love the new site, and I love how I understand it and have control – so much better than what we had before.  We have lacked this tool for too long, and I know I speak on all of our behalves when I say a huge THANK YOU for the speed and attention you’ve given to the project!!