a fresh way forward

Accelerate Media687 Lee Road, Suite 208 | Rochester, NY 14606

Are we what you’re looking for in a firm?

If you’re looking for an agency to throw up a quick website and walk away, you’re looking in the wrong place. Similarly, if you’re expecting to spend endless hours discussing your brand temperature, you might be disappointed. We do our best to balance strategic goals with practical needs and we judge our success on results. That means a solid process, on a faster timeline, with less pain and more gain.

You betcha.

Meet the a(m)team

Jason Foley

Founder

“I love my job, I really do.”

I love my job. I really do. Every day brings new ideas, new challenges, and new relationships. A varied background in entertainment, marketing, and management gives me a strong foundation for providing effective solutions. I enjoy taking the time to understand my clients, their businesses, and their goals.

The best part about what I do every day is piecing together the puzzle of each project. I have an incredible team that can do just about anything. And thanks to them we translate our clients’ visions into reality. A job well done, a happy client, and a product everyone is proud of. What could be better?

In my spare time, I do volunteer work and am a familiar face at the local volleyball court—at the beach when possible, but given our weather, inside is okay too.

Melissa Lord

Managing Director

“I love nothing more than finding out something I didn’t know before about my client.”

A lot of people play the violin. But many make it sound like a screaming cat. The same is true of branding: A lot of people say they do it, but sometimes it’s a painful process with results that are less than you hoped for.

I came to branding and marketing strategy from The New York Times and Random House and years in advertising. Maybe it’s the inquisitive, literary side of me, but I love nothing more than diving in and finding out something I didn’t know before about my client, and then using it to carve out a unique brand position.

When I’m not at work, I’m a mom to two beautiful children and one crazy dog. I take kickboxing classes to maintain my sanity, and I escape into a good book whenever I can.

Oh, and I play the violin.

Sara Troiano

Digital Marketing Director

“I’m a marketing unicorn.”

Or at least that’s what I strive to be: the rare marketing professional who can bring together a wide variety of different skills and attributes. Because a great marketer also has to be a great communicator, strategic planner, analyst, brand ambassador, budgeter, copywriter, and researcher. I think that’s why I love marketing so much – it’s not just one thing. There’s always something you can be improving, especially in the age of technology when the way that people consume information changes almost daily.

I come from the media world that tracked this consumption very closely – first Penguin Group USA, then New York Public Radio, and finally on to lead online sales and marketing efforts for USA TODAY. I love bringing the knowledge I’ve acquired from these institutions to our clients and using it to make their marketing efforts better and more effective.

When I’m not figuring out the newest marketing trends, you can find me at home playing with my best friend and cuddle buddy – my dog, Roger.

Brian Van Buren

Lead Developer

“Intergalactic planetary, planetary intergalactic.”

I am sometimes teased about being the “Doogie Howser” of website development. Not to brag, but I earned a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Buffalo with a 3.94 GPA at the age of 22. As an undergrad, I was a Philosophy minor. So with all my real world work experience, I’ll someday write The Zen and Art of Database Maintenance.

The secret to my success at developing websites? Pizza. There is a direct correlation between how much pizza I eat during every project, and my ability to conquer even the most challenging projects. So far, a(m) has had a sizable pizza expense. And lots of happy clients. Works for me.

Mike DeJesus

Front End Developer

“The internet is like music, with infinite possibilities.”

I love music. Ever since I was a kid I would jam out with my dad to Earth Wind & Fire and Michael Jackson. I realized that with the right tools, you can do anything you put your mind to. I rely on this insight in creating both websites and music.

I believe that the internet is like music, with infinite possibilities, and that there is definitely a good and a bad—but everyone has their own preferences. I’m an alchemist of web design, and my philosopher’s stone is making sure the client is just as happy with the end result as I am.

Joel Glovacki

Full Stack Developer

“I like a pretty typeface and a good debugging session.”

I build things for web, iOS, and macOS. I enjoy the variety and challenge that comes with working across multiple platforms and architectures. The things that make me most excited at work: a pretty typeface, a good debugging session, and getting started on a fresh project.

When I’m not writing code I’m most likely listening to sad songs and musicals, off in my own world learning something new (and probably completely useless?) – or living my best life with my adorable girlfriend and our color-coordinated pets.

Christalyn Duff

Lead UX Designer

“It’s an incredible feeling to be a part of building a client's success.”

I love making beautiful, functional things. Layout, color, interactivity – all of these things dance around in my brain. However, meeting with clients is usually the main highlight of a project for me; I enjoy seeing their passion for what they do and working my “computer magic” to help them digitally present themselves for the awesome people they are. It’s an incredible feeling to be a part of building a client’s success pixel by pixel.

When I’m not designing something on a computer (which is a lot of the time), you’ll usually find me outside with my dogs, tinkering in my studio, or concocting something that “should be delicious” in my kitchen.

A man’s life is dyed the color of his imagination
-Marcus Aurelius

Rebecca Snyder

Digital Marketing Director

“You don’t take a photograph; you make it.” - Ansel Adams”

Much like the craft of capturing a photograph, getting the desired results from a campaign is not a passive process. Digital marketing requires intentional planning, creative input, strategic execution, and the desire to make a memorable and lasting experience. With a background in photography and design, and more than 15 years in various marketing roles, I bring a unique approach to my work, with a heavy focus on the user experience and crafting a unified journey across platforms.

When I’m not researching UX best practices or emerging digital trends (scrolling TikTok), you can find me painting in my dining room-turned-art studio, hanging out with my 2 kids and husband, or at the barn riding horses and getting impossibly muddy. I’m not saying I’ve executed digital marketing campaigns from the saddle…but I’m not saying I haven’t, either.

Erick Florez

WordPress Developer

“Transforming visual media into interactive code”

With a keen eye for design and the ability to interpret aesthetically pleasing visual media through code, you could call me a freak in cascading style sheets. As a developer with extensive design experience, I feel that it lends itself perfectly to developing beautiful things for the web. And I’ve done just that in various roles I’ve had in all aspects of web development.

In my free time, you can catch me lending a hand in other creative endeavors, enjoying the outdoors by fishing, biking, and photographing the world around me with friends, dabbling in new web technologies, or chilling at home with my son and our dog.

Rachel Kuhn

SEO Specialist

“Great content deserves great ranking.”

I grew up in the Rochester area, and always had the urge to travel as much as I was physically and financially able. My undergraduate degree led me to travel abroad to Ireland for a semester, where I specialized in Digital Media and SEO content. This led me to my graduate degree in Scotland where I took part in a Marketing and Brand Management program for a year. These experiences were so valuable to me, and greatly assisted me in my journey to figure out what specific area of marketing I wanted to hone my skills in even further. My past Marketing and IT positions ended up pointing me in the direction of SEO!

When I’m not optimizing your brand, I can be found in planes, trains, and automobiles, advancing in my quest of exploring every state in the United States. You may also find me outdoors, exploring forests or enjoying a nice beach.

Meghan Reitz

Digital Marketing Specialist

“I fell in love with marketing in college and the creative freedom that it gives me as a career. ”

Throughout college I was always busy. I juggled classes, clubs, athletics, and even a few internships. I taught myself to be on top of my work and have transitioned this midset and ethic into my professional career. 

Coming from a customer service background, I am not happy until the client is. I love connecting with people and bringing their visions to life or even just doing things to make their lives easier. 

When I am not at work, I am spending time at home reading a good book or bingeing a TV series. You can also find me out buying plants for my fish tank or buying more toys for my dog. 

But enough about us. Let's talk about you.

Let's Talk

We are actively seeking clients in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, and New York City.