John McCartney

Founder

John McCartney, founder of Blast Marketing, is an award-winning marketing professional with more than 25 years of experience in marketing, sales and promotion on both local and national levels and has extensive industry contacts befitting his long career. John continues to innovate and develop Blast’s range of services and strategies to stay abreast of the lightning-quick changes to the field of marketing and public relations.

In 1976, John began his career with the Chicago Bulls and moved to the Chicago White Sox in 1978, working for twelve years under sports legends Bill Veeck and Jerry Reinsdorf, holding many positions including Director of Sales. He created numerous unique promotional events for the White Sox, some of which are still calendared to this day.

In 1990, John left Comiskey Park, but not the world of sports, to start Coast to Coast productions (CTC). At CTC, John implemented national High School Marching and Concert Band competitions with Major League Baseball and the NBA. John also served as Executive Producer of On the Bench, a live radio and television sports talk show, which was nominated for a local Emmy and carried nationwide on SportsChannel, as was CTC’s hunting and fishing show Outdoors with Jim Covert. During this time John also produced Michael Jordan’s Come Fly with Me video for his foundation.

John left the world of sports to for a career in the restaurant and hospitality industry. He served as Director of Marketing and Sales for Medieval Times, Carlucci Hospitality Group and Ala Carte Entertainement, owner and operator of more than 30 Chicagoland restaurants, bars and nightclubs. From Ala Carte Entertainment, John went on to join friends Jerry Kleiner and Howard Davis as Marketing Director for their esteemed group KDK Management.

In 2004, John created Blast Marketing, a labor of love that has now become a full service agency serving an extensive roster of hospitality and retail clientele and is dedicated to client services. As this industry continues to change and grow, so does John’s dedication to his clients, staff and Blast Marketing. As Jerry Reinsdorf, John’s boss at the White Sox and Bulls, always preached, “Surround yourself with great people and they will make you look very good!”

John resides in Glenview with his dog, Peanut, and spends his free time in Lake Geneva or on the tennis court.

Abby Baine Dunn

Vice President

Abby Dunn brings more than ten years of communications experience to her position as Vice President for Blast Marketing, handling media for such notable restaurants as Chicago Cut Steakhouse, Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, LUXBAR, Quartino, Tavern on Rush, Chicago q, Entertainment Cruises, Chicago Mart Plaza and more. She also continues to work with luxury fashion brands including Chanel and Bonpoint for store openings and retail events.

She was most recently Fashion Director for online retailer Active Endeavors. She brought the company into the retail limelight with features in Us Weekly, Lucky, InTouch, and more and secured such coveted designers as Helmut Lang, Tory Burch, Loeffler Randall and others to the collection of women’s ready-to-wear.

Her career began in New York City at Condé Nast Publications where she did publicity for Allure magazine. Abby produced notable segments with Editor in Chief Linda Wells for The Today Show, Good Morning America, the E! Entertainment Network and more for the magazine. She then moved to PR Consulting Firm where she represented high fashion clients, Balenciaga and Narciso Rodriguez, just as they were breaking ground and appearing on the cover of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and more.

After moving to Chicago, Abby managed the PR and marketing for 38 US retail stores for the Dutch women’s and children’s clothing company, Oilily. Most recently, she managed accounts including Equinox Fitness, W Hotels of Chicago, Anne Fontaine and Gen Art at Lannon Communications public relations firm.

Abby, a graduate of Boston College, lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters, Piper and Scout. She loves the drama of media deadlines, big stories and coveted store openings – PR is in her blood!

Sara Schiffer

Vice President

Sara Schiffer calls on more than eight years of experience in her position as Vice President for Blast Marketing, where she manages clients including all three Gibsons Bar & Steakhouses, Lakeview Baseball Club, TABLE fifty-two and the multi-store concepts Texas de Brazil, and Go Roma. Sara brings a diverse range of skills to her position with experience representing clients in a variety of markets including restaurant/hospitality, performing arts, literary and sports.

Originally from Maryland, Sara moved to Chicago after graduating cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. While in St. Louis, Sara served as Managing Editor of River Styx Art & Literary Magazine, one of St. Louis’s oldest literary journals.

Before joining Blast Marketing, Sara served as Marketing Associate with Carol Fox & Associates, Chicago’s premier marketing and public relations firm dedicated solely to arts and entertainment clientele. During her tenure at Carol Fox & Associates, Sara executed advertising, promotions and marketing campaigns for a diverse group of clients. Her projects included Silk Road Chicago, a yearlong cultural initiative between Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Dance Chicago; Center East at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts; Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago; and many other theatrical and dance productions, both commercial and non-profit.

Attracted by Blast Marketing’s stellar reputation and outstanding client roster, Sara joined the Blast Marketing team in 2007. As Vice President, Sara is proud to oversee Blast’s exceptional Marketing Department and looks forward to helping the company continue to grow in the coming years.

Sara lives in Wicker Park with her husband Elliot and their super dog, Murphy. She loves to cook, eat and hates doing the dishes.

Megan Geosano

Director of Marketing

A Cleveland native, Megan attended the University of South Florida in Tampa where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication with a focus on Public Relations. With over 7 years in the hospitality industry as well as 8 years of combined marketing, communications and advertising agency experience, she has a portfolio of knowledge that ranges from special event execution to brand building and business-to-business marketing.

Megan’s professional experience has entailed setting the strategic and conceptual direction and managing design production for the hospitality, finance, legal, building, health and beauty, professional service and entertainment sectors. She also brings an abundance of knowledge in sponsor and partnership marketing having negotiated and managed programs on behalf of her clients with organizations like JDRF, Yelp, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Execulife, The Shedd Aquarium, Bacardi, Caesars Entertainment Corporation, the Chicago Blackhawks, Gilda’s Club of Chicago and more. Having years of both client and agency experience combined with a passion for the hospitality and entertainment industries, Megan brings a well-rounded perspective to client service.

Megan plays an active role in many Chicago organizations including PAWS Chicago, Chicago Canine Rescue, Chicago Area Runners Association and the Chicago Advertising Federation. A self -admitted music fanatic and avid show-goer, Megan is in love with all things music and enjoys frequenting all of Chicago’s fantastic music venues, never passing up a concert. When she’s not working (or working out), she spends her time learning to cook, volunteering, shopping for antiques, walking her dog Luca around her West Town neighborhood and wining, dining and brunching around town.

Megan C. Osterhout

Director of Public Relations

A suburban-Chicago native, Megan Osterhout is thrilled to be a part of the Blast Marketing team in her position as Director of Public Relations. With a focus on suburban restaurants and city bars, Megan works directly with the media to gain exposure for such clients as Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse, Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House, Jerry Kleiner’s Il Poggiolo, Grotto Italian Steakhouse and Cityscape Bar, in addition to Brazilian restaurant chain Texas de Brazil, currently operating in Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Miami among other U.S. cities.

Previously, Megan held the position of Public Relations Director at Ala Carte Entertainment, owner and operator of over thirty Chicagoland bars, restaurants and nightclubs. She continues to work with several of Ala Carte Entertainment’s locations at Blast Marketing.

Megan graduated from Michigan State University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Communication, a specialization in Public Relations and a Business Cognate. While attending MSU, in addition to working as an AV Aide on campus, Megan completed several internships including a study abroad stint in Dublin, Ireland where she acted as Public Relations Intern for non-profit organization Concern Worldwide. Her main project was to assist in the event planning of a large-scale outdoor photography exhibition. Megan also completed a public relations internship assisting a Michigan record store with promotions, concert execution and social media efforts.

Megan lives in Wicker Park with her brother and her teacup yorkie, Winnie. When she is not watching documentaries, particularly those about space exploration, or playing the drums in her friend’s basement, she can be found at a Sunday brunch sipping mimosas, cycling in the Chicagoland suburbs, or pampering little Winnie.

Zach Wright

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Zach graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelors in Strategic Communication Studies and Business. He has over two years in Social Media management within the hospitality and retail fields, and has handled many high level accounts. Zach has his finger on the pulse of the social media world and is constantly researching and learning about the ever changing social media landscape. Social Media has been a huge part of Zach’s life both personally and professionally, as he met his fiancé on Facebook four years ago. Zach is extremely excited to be the first Director of Social Media at Blast Marketing, and to take the Social Media Department to new heights.

When Zach isn’t on his phone or computer, you can find him cheering on his Kansas Jayhawks, or taking in a Bulls or Bears game. Zach is also very active in adult intramural sports, and most evenings you may find him participating in anything from a kickball league to a bags tournament. He also is a bit of a globetrotter as he has visited 16 countries and lived and worked for six months in Italy.

Zach lives in the Gold Coast with his fiancé and their Yorkie Max.

Kristen McCartney

Director of Administration

Kristen graduated from Southern Illinois University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Administration of Justice and a minor in Psychology. During her college career, she interned with the Cook County Social Service Department working with misdemeanor offenders. Post college, Kristen returned to Chicago for a short time and worked at Gioco Restaurant in the South Loop where she gained extensive insight into the hospitality industry. Shortly thereafter, Kristen moved to St. Louis for two years and worked in a workers’ compensation law firm.

Kristen joined the Blast team in 2010 after returning to the Chicagoland area to pursue a career change. During her time with Blast, Kristen has provided expert social media services to clients through a mixture of insights, analysis, and interactive marketing strategies.

Kristen lives in Naperville with her fiance and two shelter dogs, a lab mix, Tucker, and shepherd mix, Lucy. She enjoys watching and cheering on Duke Basketball and the Chicago Bulls, volunteering at animal shelters, watching her all-time favorite TV show-The Golden Girls, eating, and in the summer, spending time outdoors and near any body of water and enjoys relaxing at Lake Geneva on the weekends.

Samantha Rosen

Marketing Manager

Chicago native Samantha Rosen is thrilled to be back working in the city’s vibrant restaurant culture with Blast Marketing. Samantha graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in May 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. During her college career, she held many internships related to marketing, public relations, events and brand management at various organizations in Chicago—including ESPN Radio, Edelman, and Comcast Sportsnet.

After four years spent enjoying student life in the Rocky Mountains, Samantha returned to Chicago permanently and began her professional career at Intersport as an Account Coordinator in the Hospitality and Events division. She also made time to work in the Events department at the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Committee. Sam joined the Blast team in 2009 as an Account Executive managing the marketing operations for various clients. After taking a brief hiatus from Blast and working with Upshot as a Coordinator on the Hilton Worldwide account, Sam is so thrilled to be coming back to the Blast team.

Sam lives in Lincoln Park with her college roommates (Go Buffs!) and is an avid skier, eater, adventurer, animal lover and Chicago sports fan. She is an active member of Metropolitan Family Services, Metro Board and a tutor with Chicago Lights.

Nikki Snodgrass

Public Relations Manager

After graduating from DePaul University with a degree in English Literature, Nikki began her career as a freelance copywriter/editor, working on projects for both print and website content. Soon after, she began working at Financial Relations Board, an investor relations firm in Chicago, as an Account Coordinator and later, Research Specialist, handling analyst and media relations for a number of clients in the biotech and healthcare industry.

Nikki went on to focus the majority of her efforts to MWW Group, the public relations firm and sister company of Financial Relations Board. There, she developed consumer PR experience as an Account Executive for brands such as Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Bryan Foods, ALDI, 1-800 Flowers, and organizations including the Chicago School of Ballet and the Better Government Association. Nikki developed relationships with editors from top-tier trade and consumer publications such as POZ, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Self and Vogue and garnered placements in the Washington Post, USA Today and Atlanta Journal Constitution, among many others. In addition, Nikki has coordinated many on-air segments with major broadcast affiliates nationwide. She also played a key role in executing high-profile campaigns, such as the annual BlogHer event in New York, where Hillshire Farm and Jimmy Dean were featured prominently, and another in Chicago on behalf of Nikon. Other areas of expertise include coordinating radio and satellite media tours and offering client counsel and recommendations on social media and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Incidentally, Nikki worked in the service industry throughout college for a number of bars and restaurants, and so has an inherent understanding and appreciation for the hospitality industry.

Nikki lives in Uptown and enjoys frequenting the unique shops, bars and vegan-friendly restaurants in the neighborhood. An avid music lover, Nikki devotes her free time to catching live shows and visiting with her family and friends.

Carly Holstein

Account Manager

After four wonderful years at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism- Strategic Communications, and Business, Carly was thrilled to relocate to Chicago to join the Blast Marketing team. Carly has long been a self-proclaimed “foodie.” Growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, with a mother who preferred take out and reservations to cooking at home and a professional caterer for a Grandfather, she became well versed in and enamored by the restaurant industry. She found excitement in her work experiences, which often combined her studies with her passion for this industry.

Throughout her career, Carly held various positions in the marketing and public relations field including one in London, England at the Impact Agency, where she help promote various food products throughout United Kingdom. In addition, she worked for Riemer Communications, where she assisted in the public relations for various large trade show events including Restaurant Shows in New York, California and Florida.

When she’s not working out, or in some group fitness class, Carly enjoys competitive ski racing, Badger sports, a really great pair of heels, the British monarchy and, of course, a delicious meal.

Andrew Swanson

Community Coordinator

Andrew graduated from Indiana University-Fort Wayne with a degree in English and Communication Media and a minor in Journalism in the spring of 2010. Shortly after graduating, Andrew married his high school sweetheart and moved with her to Chicago, where they’ve lived for the past two years. While in college, Andrew worked at a small soccer-specific retail store and interned at a local newspaper, as well as playing soccer daily and cheering on the Cubs and Packers.

Andrew’s previous position, working for a nationally touring musician, helped spark his interest in various cuisines and hotels across the country. He made a point to try a locally featured restaurant in every city he visited, sharing his visits with his Twitter followers. Andrew brought his desire to try different restaurants back with him to Chicago and has since been on a quest to discover the various unique cuisines available in Chicago.

Carly Geer

Public Relations Coordinator

Carly, originally a “y’all gal” from Louisville, KY (go Cards!), has landed in Chicago after graduating from Indiana University in 2010. She comes to Blast after working at Chicago Social Magazine as an editorial assistant on the CS Brides team.

Carly has a variety of experience in the communications field, having worked as a Marketing Coordinator for a real estate agency, assisting in PR at The Experiential Agency, freelance blogging and working with the editorial team at CS.

She is thrilled to join Blast assisting the PR team. When she’s not working (or working out at Equniox), Carly can be found running along the lake shore, enjoying the diverse Chicago dining spots, attempting to cook, reading through blogs and watching The Today Show and NBC Nightly News.

Ellie Bartlett

Social Media Coordinator

A foodie in training, Ellie has taken on two new passions in life: the restaurant industry and social media. Growing up with home cooked meals mixed with dining out and frequently visiting the carryout window, Ellie realized that it isn’t just the food, but the entire experience that brings you back to a restaurant. She realized the importance of customer service before, during, and after your visit; and that’s when social media joined the picture.

After graduating from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s in Communications and Culture and Spanish, Ellie immediately was swallowed up in the restaurant industry. Starting out as an intern to becoming a Catering and Marketing Manager with Lettuce Entertain You, that’s when she realized the true value of each guest; but now she was on the other side of the table. After helping develop and manage the social media of both new and old restaurants, she realized the significance of it in this industry; and that’s what brought her to Blast Marketing.

When Ellie is not tweeting (or eating), she can usually be found dancing, out with friends and family, at the gym, or on her couch. A proud Hoosier and Chicago sports fan, (White Sox, not the Cubs) Ellie is now learning to eat and tweet her way through the city.