James D. Fisher, President

In 1995, Jim Fisher saw an extraordinary opportunity in the world of the Internet. With decades of experience in the fields of corporate communications, interactive media and executive presentations, Jim and his team were positioned to become one of the first to build corporate Web sites in Northeastern Ohio.  Jim launched IdeaStar in November 1999 and it quickly became a leader in the world of online application development, Web design, and online marketing. He has twice been honored as a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition.  Other honors include a local "TechKnow" Award and the "Innovation in Business" Award. Jim has been included in Crain’s Cleveland Business "Who’s Who in Technology" since 2002.

Jim is an accomplished photo-geek whose work lines the hallways of IdeaStar. Visit Wazopia, Jim's personal blog, to learn more about him. Or, network with Jim on LinkedIn.

Wayne Largent, Chief Technology Officer

With 20+ years in computer programming and technical support, we have yet to find a cyber obstacle that Wayne can’t get over, around, or through. He is dedicated to providing practical, manageable solutions to customer requests. His technical expertise includes Lotus Notes, C/C++, TCP/IP, Visual Basic, RDBMS and UNIX systems administration.

Wayne holds both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Information Sciences from Cleveland State University. In addition, he earned a Sun Enterprise Computing Certification, the highest level in Sun’s Competency 2000 program with course work in networking and Solaris system administration. He also holds IBM BasTeam Certification for installing and implementing IBM Net.Commerce e-business systems.

Wayne’s remarkable versatility includes excellent organizational skills and the gift of being able to successfully articulate very technical material to the non-technical executive, which makes him particularly suited as the leader of IdeaStar’s techie types.

Mike Wise, Vice President of Insurance Technology

Mike, also known as Mr. Insurance, is the driving force behind IdeaStar's insurance growth. He is constantly working to bring insurance clients into the IdeaStar Web technology fold. A strong advocate of  Web-based insurance applications, Mike is active in the Professional Insurance Marketing Association (PIMA) and the Inter-Company Marketing Group (ICMG).  An avid photographer, Mike can often be seen snapping pictures at insurance industry meetings. Learn more about Mike and the use of technology in the insurance industry at Mike's blog, InsuraTech. Network with him on LinkedIn.

Maung Htun, Director of Development

Maung Htun (pronounced Mao Toon) is a nuclear physicist turned computer programmer.

He earned his Master's Degree in physics from Western Illinois University, and his PH. D. in Nuclear Physics from Kent State University, then took a job in nuclear medical imaging. When the company downsized a few years later, he switched to programming. Nuclear physic's loss. IdeaStar’s gain!

Since joining the company in 2000, Maung has been instrumental in the development of IdeaStar insurance technology programs and e-business applications. His technical expertise ranges from Perl/CGI to .NET, while his personal preference of development environment is LAMP (Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP) specializing in online insurance applications.

In order to keep up with Web 2.0 trends, his R & D projects include improving usability by utilizing Content Management Systems (Joomla in particular), AJAX, and JQuery.  . Maung also is a Principal Certified Lotus Professional and Microsoft Certified Professional. We’ve yet to find a programming challenge Maung can’t resolve.

Jeff Dolsen, Creative Director

We are always amazed by the stunning, functional designs Creative Director Jeff Dolsen provides for our clients.  From simple tweaks to major brand and Web site revision, he always impresses with something fresh and inspiring.

Jeff is a creative, skilled interactive designer/developer with over 10 years experience in online marketing.  His capabilities include e-marketing strategy & brand promotion, Web site design and development,  flash design and development, online marketing campaigns, online viral marketing, brand and identity development, banner advertising,  audio and video for broadcast, 3D design and animation, and much more.  He is responsible for creative strategies, art direction and visual design for a variety of national clients. Jeff is also an accomplished musician, who enjoys composing in his digital studio at home.

Greg Kopp, Development Manager

Since joining IdeaStar ten years ago (before it was even IdeaStar), Greg Kopp has been a leader and innovator. He started as our Network Administrator, honed his skills as a PHP programmer on insurance technology programs and e-business applications, and has been leading our team of .Net developers for several years.

As Web 2.0 trends continue to grow, Greg's investigative approach and embrace of new technology keep IdeaStar ahead of the curve. He is constantly looking for new solutions and improvements for our clients. His main responsibilities include managing new versions of the Creatasphere content management system and oversight of insurance and e-commerce applications.

In his spare time, Greg enjoys building and collecting model trains, photography, and spending time with his wife and son.