Press Room: News, Awards and Recognition

Sandstorm in the Headlines

2024

Sandstorm Webinar
From Data to Insights: GA4 Visualizations in Looker Studio
Cameron Panice, Digital Strategist, and Nick Meshes, VP of Technology present advanced tips on how to leverage Looker Studio visualizations

Association Forum - Holiday Showcase
"Real World Accessibility and UX Website Improvements You Can Make Today"
Janna Fiester, VP of UX & Creative, and Alma Meshes, Senior UX Architect, lead this interactive session where they provided a live accessibility review of several sites and provided 6 best practices for associations to bring back immediate ROI

Sandstorm Webinar
Looker Studio For Beginners
Cameron Panice, Digital Strategist, and Nick Meshes, VP of Technology present how to create customer GA4 reports in Looker Studio

Communication Arts Awards
"Deloitte Insights ConsumerSignals Dashboards Recognized by Interactive Media"
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Shortlist mention for Interactive Media  (international competition for creative professionals) for the UI and UX work completed for the Deloitte Insights ConsumerSignals Dashboards

Marcom Awards
"Deloitte Insights ConsumerSignals Dashboards wins Marcom Gold Award"
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Gold Marcom Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the UI and UX work completed for the Deloitte Insights ConsumerSignals Dashboards

ASAE
2024 ASAE Annual Meeting: In Unity, We Thrive
Sandstorm exhibited in the Expo Hall and met with lots of great associations on the show floor

SHSMD Member Meet-Up  
"Web Accessibility Solutions: Key Takeaways from SHSMD's Member Meet-up"    
Janna Fiester, VP of UX & Creative, and Amanda Heberg, VP of Business Development joined Mark Moen, CIO of the American Society of Clinical Pathology to explore user experience (UX), website accessibility (WCAG), and considerations for websites

MJHS Foundation
The MJHS Golf Classic
Sandstormers Nathan Haas and Neil Pichan participated in this year's MJHS Golf Classic fundraiser to help raise funds for the underfunded programs and services of MJHS Health System

Nielson Norman Group (NN/g)  
"The Best Things About Working In UX"    
Alma Meshes, Senior UX Architect is quoted in the Ethics and Accessibility section saying the best part of working in UX is, "Helping to make the online resources more usable, ethical, inclusive, and accessible"

Happiness at Work Podcast  
"Designing Joy: Shaping Culture and Creativity"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO is the featured guest on the Happiness at Work podcast where she chats about creating an intentional and strong company culture

Sandstorm Webinar  
"Good Accessibility Is Good SEO: Big Wins for Both"    
Syd Hunsinger, Product Owner, and Janna Fiester, VP of UX and Creative present practical steps to help make your website more accessible

DrupalCon
2024 DrupalCon
Sandstorm exhibited in the Expo Hall and sponsored the Non-Profit summit allowing us to connect with the Drupal community 

Hermes Awards  
"Crown Holdings, Inc. wins Hermes Platinum for B2B Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Platinum Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the design & redevelopment of the Crown Holdings, Inc. Website

Hermes Awards  
"The CCIM Institute wins Hermes Gold for Association Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Gold Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the design & redevelopment of the CCIM Institute Website

Hermes Awards  
"Milken Institute wins Hermes Gold for Strategic Integrated Marketing Campaign"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Gold Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the design of the Milken Institute Digital Brand Storytelling Campaign 

Hermes Awards  
"MEMA - The Vehicle Suppliers Association wins Hermes Gold for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Gold Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the design & redevelopment of the MEMA Website

Hermes Awards  
"The University of Chicago Crown Family School receives Hermes Honorable Mention for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Honorable Mention (international competition for creative professionals) for the design & redevelopment of the University of Chicago Crown Family School Website 

ASAE MMC + Tech Conference 2024   
"Good Accessibility Is Good SEO: Big Wins for Both"   
Syd Hunsinger, Product Owner, and Janna Fiester, VP of UX and Creative spoke at ASAE's MMC + Tech Conference

Women's Executive Forum™   
"Join us at Association Forum 2024 Women's Executive Forum"   
Join Janna Fiester at the Women’s Executive Forum™ Empowered by Proximity on March 15, 2024

NTEN    
"Come to 24NTC!"    
Visit our booth #731 at the Nonprofit Technology Conference March 13-15, 2024

.orgCommunity    
"Join us at .orgCommunity 2024 Leadership ColLAB"    
Join Sandy Marsico at Leadership ColLAB on March 13, 2024

Nielson Norman Group (NN/g)  
"Homepage Design: 5 Fundamental Principles"    
Sandstorm's work on Crown Holdings, Inc.'s homepage is recognized as honoring user's preferences for interaction and content consumption making it accessible for all audiences

CEO Stars      
Sandy Marsico presented the "10 Human Truths" to a group of agency owners/CEOs

Patrick Williams Foundation    
"Sandy Marsico joins the Patrick Williams Foundation Board"    
Sandy is excited to serve as an advisory board member for the Patrick Williams Foundation. The Chicago Bulls Power Forward started his foundation to provide support, assistance and resources to socioeconomically challenged and minority entrepreneurs and their small businesses in Chicago.

WPO    
"Member of the Moment: Sandy Marsico"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO was featured by WPO as the member of the moment. Sandy is a member and board member of WPO. 

2023

MarCom Awards    
"Direct ChassisLink Inc. (DCLI) wins MarCom Gold Award"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a MarCom Gold Award for the design of the DCLI product launch campaign

MarCom Awards    
"Direct ChassisLink Inc. (DCLI) wins MarCom Gold Award"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a MarCom Gold Award for the design of the DCLI product launch campaign

Deloitte Fireside Chat 
Denise Weiss, a UX Strategy and Digital Operations Leader, led a fireside chat with our CEO, Sandy Marsico. During the discussion, Sandy shared insights with hundreds of Deloitte executive leaders on the importance of UX strategy, its business impact, and how Sandstorm’s work with Deloitte Insights—developing personas and user journeys—can be applied to their business units.

My Future Purpose - Webinar    
"Navigating the AI Landscape"    
John Brooks, Vice President of Engineering discussed AI and its impact on healthcare, to concerns of national security and job stability

DrupalCon 2023    
"10 Design Principles for Better UX and Accessibility"    
Alma Meshes, Senior UX Architect and Janna Fiester, Vice President of UX and Creative presented this session which pulled insights from over 4,200 hours of UX research and accessibility training and walked through real-world scenarios that can improve or hinder the user experience

Zengines: AI Data Migration Technology Start-Up    
"UX in a Start-Up World"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, was a guest speaker and shared UX tips and easy-to-win opportunities for tech start-ups in this interactive company event. 

AMA Chicago    
"10 Quick Wins to Make your Website More Accessible"    
Janna Fiester, Vice President of UX and Creative, shared accessibility and usability considerations every organization can learn from and apply to their digital experiences

2022

Tech Training For Women  
"10 Design Principles You Should Know"  
Sandie Starr, UX Researcher & Designer and Janna Fiester, Vice President of UX and Creative shared 10 design insights with a tangible list of quick wins to make websites more usable and accessible

American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): MM&C Conference - 2022  
"Warp Speed: How CASL Launched a Transformative Data Product During a Pandemic"  
Laura Chaparro, Sr. Account Director, and Brandi Adams, Director of Development & Communications with Chinese American Service League presented a review of how Sandstorm helped with naming, branding, and launch of their transformational data platform rapidly during the pandemic

Vega Award  
"National Association of REALTORS® wins Centauri Vega Award for Website"  
abr.realtor was awarded a Centauri award by the Vega Digital Awards

APEX Award  
"National Association of REALTORS® wins APEX Award for Website"  
abr.realtor was awarded an APEX award by the Awards for Publication Excellence

EXCEL awards  
"American Planning Association (APA) wins EXCEL Silver Award for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with an EXCEL Silver Award from the AM&P Network for the design of the APA Magazine Website

Hermes Awards  
"NOW Foods wins Hermes Platinum for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Platinum Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the design & redevelopment of the NOW Foods Website

Hermes Awards    
"SVS wins Hermes Gold for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Gold Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the redesign & upgrade of the SVS Website

Hermes Awards    
"Change Insight (CASL) wins Hermes Gold for B2B Product Branding"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Gold Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the rebranding of the Chinese American Services League (CASL) - Change InSight

Hermes Awards    
"Marine Biological Laboratory receives Honorable Mention for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Honorable Mention (international competition for creative professionals) for the redesign of the Marine Biological Laboratory Website

Association Forum's SmartTech Conference 2022    
"How Agile UX Research Empowered a Training & Certification Provider to Improve Accessibility"    
Rachel Penfil, UX Manager presented strategies, methods for inclusivity, and key insights from the client’s experience that can be applied to your association

Sandstorm Webinar    
10 Ways to Make Your Website Content Accessible    
Rachel Penfil, UX Manager, and Devin Owlsey-Aquilia, Scrum Master, share best practices to ensure your website content is accessible to everyone

Deque: axe-con 2022    
"How Short-term Gains Helped a Leading Cloud Provider to Prioritize Accessibility"    
Rachel Penfil, UX Manager, and Devin Owlsey-Aquilia, Scrum Master, presented a case study for how Sandstorm helped a leading provider of cloud infrastructure technology and cloud education establishing its accessibility baseline and standards

2021

APEX Award  
"National Association of REALTORS® wins APEX Award for Newsletter"  
July 2020 TBR – Annual Trends Issue was awarded an APEX award by the Awards for Publication Excellence

Clutch    
"Top Women-Owned Web Development Companies"    
Sandstorm is proud to be recognized by @clutch.com as the leading Women-Owned Web Development Company

Hermes Awards    
"Elsevier wins Hermes Platinum for Elsevier Gender Report 2.0"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Platinum Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the redesign of the Gender Report

Hermes Awards   
"Food Export wins Hermes Gold for Food Export Brand Refresh & Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Gold Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the brand refresh & redesign of the Food Export Website

My Association Journey to Association 4.0   
"Guarantee Your Success—Network Like Your Career Depends on It"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, discusses how peer groups are vital for success

2020

Associations Adviser    
"10 Quick Tips for Improving Your Association Website Experience"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, offers 10 tips for associations to make their websites more user-friendly 

Associations Now    
"Smart Thoughts on Innovation From TEC Virtual 2020"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, provided notable insights for attendees of the TEC Virtual conference with 10 Human Truths from 3,400+ UX Research Studies 

Digital Megaphone    
"Digital Innovator Summit"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, and James Wynne, UX Director, shared 10 changes you can make to your brand's website to improve visitors' digital experience that Sandstorm discovered from over 3,400 in-depth user interviews and usability studies 

dotCOMM Awards    
"Signode Industrial Group wins dotCOMM Gold Award for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm recognized with a Gold dotCOMM Award for its work in the redesign of the Signode Industrial Group website

Women Presidents' Organization - Chicago    
"17th Annual WPO Chicago Summit 9/10/20 a HUGE Success!"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, presented with other women CEOs in the first virtual summit sharing tips on how to create a powerful advisory board 

Center For Creative Entrepreneurship    
"#BETAIN Real Talks!"    
Sandstormers Sandy Marsico (CEO), Emily Kodner (Sr. Director of Client Delivery), and Amanda Heberg (VP, Business Development) share the glories and challenges of going from a team of one to building a multi-million dollar business

Drupalcon Global    
"Leading by Example - It's Only Half the Battle"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, shared 5 takeaways on how you can lead an innovative, motivated team that achieves explosive growth

Healthcare Marketing Summit    
"10 Human Truths from 3,400 hours of UX Research"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, met with healthcare marketers to share the 10 human truths distilled from thousands of hours of in-depth user research and usability testing

Hermes Awards    
"OI wins Hermes Gold for OI Centennial Website"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with a Hermes Gold Award (international competition for creative professionals) for the design of the interactive OI Centennial Website

Hermes Awards    
"Crown wins Hermes Honorable Mention for Website Refresh"    
Sandstorm's work is recognized with an honorable mention from Hermes (international competition for creative professionals) for the redesign of the Crown website

Kentico    
"Sandstorm Certified as a Kentico Certified Gold Partner"    
Kentico, a leading web content management system, recognizes Sandstorm’s enterprise website expertise with its highest classification of Gold Partner for the second year in a row

Medill Women Entrepreneurs Panel    
"BOSS UP Panel Discussion"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, lead this alumni women’s panel featuring top female entrepreneurs who shared the secrets and personal stories of success and life

Association Forum - My Forum    
"Usability Studies Are The First Step In Understanding How Users Navigate Your Website"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, shares how usability studies help uncover insights quickly

2019

Association Forum's Holiday Showcase  
"The 10 Human Truths We've Learned from 3,400+ User Experience & Research Studies"    
Sandy Marsico, CEO, shares 10 Human Truths from which every organization can learn and apply to their member and customer digital experiences

APEX Award  
"National Association of REALTORS® wins APEX Award for Newsletter"  
July 2020 TBR – Annual Trends Issue was awarded an APEX award by the Awards for Publication Excellence

MARCOM Awards    
"OI wins Marcomm Gold Award for Interactive Web Experience"    
Centennial site for the Oriental Institute at UChicago awarded a Gold MARCOM award by the Assoc of Marketing and Comms Professionals

TEDx Oak Park Women    
"Bold + Brilliant"    
5th annual TEDx Oak Park Women event led by Sandstorm VP of UX and Brand Innovation Janna Fiester

PR Newswire    
"Sandstorm Acquires Jacobs Agency"    
Sandstorm announces the acquisition of Jacobs Agency to create Chicago's leading technology-fueled, creative agency

Patch.com    
"North Central's Women Entrepreneurship Conference set for Oct. 25"    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico delivers a keynote address to inspire women entrepreneurs

Medium    
"UX and AI “Artificial Intelligence” how to use machine learning towards a better product experience"    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico discusses how artificial intelligence will impact UX

Women Presidents' Organization    
"Women Presidents' Organization Announces New Board Of Directors Members"    
WPO Selects Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico for its national board of directors

Chicago Tribune    
"The Oriental Institute has a 100th birthday makeover wish — to no longer be Chicago’s ‘hidden gem’"    
The incredible discoveries of the OI are beautifully showcased on oi100.uchicago.edu created by Sandstorm. 

Staples Worklife Magazine    
"How Data-Driven Design Changes Your Process"    
Sandstorm's VP of UX & Brand Innovation, Janna Fiester discusses how data-driven design can help your business turn process on its head and improve online experiences

dotCOMM Awards    
"American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) wins dotCOMM Gold Award for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm recognized with a Gold dotCOMM Award for its work in the redesign of the ACOEM website

Gravitate & Sandstorm    
Webinar: 3 Digital Trends that Associations Should Start, Stop & Continue    
Webinar featuring Sandstorm's tips on what associations should start, stop & continue doing in digital marketing

Rasmussen College    
"6 Overlooked Qualities of a Standout Graphic Designer"    
Sandstorm's VP of UX & Brand Innovation, Janna Fiester shares her perspective on the right qualities needed for a standout graphic designer

Markets Insider    
"Gravitate Solutions and Sandstorm Design Announce Partnership"    
Sandstorm announces strategic partnership with Gravitate Solutions

A Better Chicago    
"2018 Investor Report"    
A Better Chicago highlights our marketing strategy work for National Louis University

Thrive Global    
“Small Acts, Big Impact”    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico shares how she’s “paying it forward” to help other emerging female entrepreneurs

LinkedIn    
“A GenX View of the Gender Pay Gap” by LinkedIn Contributor Steve Deidrick    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico shares her perspective on attracting and retaining women in STEM-related careers

Wisconsin Society of Association Executives Magazine, VantagePoint    
"Three Digital Trends Associations should Start, Stop and Continue."    
WSAE looks to Sandstorm for top digital trends in association management

Hermes Awards    
"National Business Institute (NBI) wins Hermes Gold Award for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm recognized with a Gold Hermes Award, an international competition for creative professionals, for its work transforming NBI’s website

Hermes Awards    
"American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) wins Hermes Gold Award for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm work recognized with a Gold Award from Hermes (international competition for creative professionals) for the redesign of ACOEM’s new website

Hermes Awards    
"NOW Foods wins Hermes Honorable Mention Award for interactive Smoothie Builder"    
An interactive experience designed and developed by Sandstorm for NOW Foods recognized with by Hermes Awards, an international competition for creative professionals

Kentico    
"Sandstorm becomes a Kentico Certified Gold Partner"    
Kentico, a leading web content management system, recognizes Sandstorm’s enterprise website expertise with its highest classification of Gold Partner

Kentico    
"Kentico Top 10 Websites for April 2019"    
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) website, designed and built by Sandstorm, recognized globally as one of the top 10 Kentico websites

LinkedIn    
"Sandstorm Story, Part 1. Hiring a Renegade"    
"Sandstorm Story, Part 2. Hiring a Renegade"    
"Sandstorm Story, Part 3. Hiring a Renegade"    
"Sandstorm Story, Part 4. They Hired a Renegade"    
Four-part series shares the journey of how an evolving and growing Sandstorm works to identify the need for and adds a COO/CGO to its executive team

2018

Association Forum's Holiday Showcase    
"Innovation as a Learned Behavior"    
Karen Bartuch, Director, Strategy & Research, shares 10 practical tips to unlock your inner innovator

TEDx Oak Park Women    
"Showing Up"    
4th annual TEDx Oak Park Women event led by Sandstorm VP of UX and Brand Innovation Janna Fiester

Medium    
"How AI Can Drive User Experience"    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico describes how AI will be used to influence UX

Crain's Chicago    
"People on the Move: Andrea Wood"    
Sandstorm COO/Managing Director Andrea Wood featured as she joins the Sandstorm executive team

Marketing Insider Group    
"Should CPG Brands Care About User Experience?"    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico discusses how CPG brands can use research to get results

Hermes Awards    
"CLR Brands® wins Hermes Platinum Award for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm recognized with a Platinum Hermes Award, for its work in the reconstruction of the CLR Brands® website showcasing CLR® and Tarn-X®, two of America’s favorite household cleaning products

Hermes Awards    
"Accuity wins Hermes Gold Award for Print Ad"    
Sandstorm recognized with a Gold Hermes Award, for its impactful print ad for Accuity’s payments data products

Hermes Awards    
"Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) wins Hermes Honorable Mention for Website Redesign"    
Sandstorm recognized with an Honorable Mention Hermes Award, for the redesign of ACOEM’s new website

Forbes    
"When It Comes To UX, You Are Your Own Worst Enemy"    
Forbes looks to Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico for insight on reducing subjectivity and developing strong UX

Kentico    
"Kentico Top 10 Websites for June 2018"    
Sandstorm work creating new Kentico website for CLR Brands® recognized as top 10 global website by Kentico CMS, a leading content management system

Inc.    
"How Thinking Like a User Can Fuel Business Growth"    
Inc. speaks with Sandy Marsico to learn how usability testing can uncover opportunities

ReadWrite    
"How AI Can Shape the Future of UX"    
Sandstormers Sandy Marsico (CEO), Nick Meshes (Director of Technology and Data), and Karen Bartuch (Director, Data Science) offer perspective on emerging technologies impact on UX

Feedster    
"Gamification: It Isn't Just For Customers"    
Sandstorm Executive Creative Director Janna Fiester offers insights on engaging employees through gamification

Type A Communications    
"10 Women in Innovation to Keynote Your Next Event"    
Karen Bartuch, Sandstorm Director, Strategy & Research, featured as top woman in innovation

Forbes    
"3 Ways To Meet The Needs Of Different Audiences Simultaneously"    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico shares her insights on brand strategy and research

Enterprising Women Magazine    
Award: Sandy Marsico, CEO of Sandstorm, Named 2018 Enterprising Women of the Year

Forbes    
Women Weigh In On Challenges They Face As Entrepreneurs And Leaders    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico shares a challenge and opportunity

Adweek    
“5 Ways to Reach Educators on Social Media”    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico shares her insights on user research

Web Courseworks    
Webinar: “Usability tips for a seamless eLearning experience”    
Hosted by Michael Hartman, Executive Experience Director

2017

Fortune    
Awarded Top 100 Fastest-growing Inner City Companies in America    
Sandstorm places 66th on the list

ABC-7 Eyewitness News    
“Importance of Mentoring”    
Interview with Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico

TastyTrade    
“Bootstrapping in America”    
Featured guest: Sandy Marsico, Sandstorm CEO

Tech Beacon    
“How to Build Self-Organizing DevOps Teams”    
Nick Meshes, Sandstorm’s Director of Analytics & Technology, shares his insights

Forbes    
“Three Growth Lessons Large Companies Should Learn from Smaller Organizations”    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico shares observations on culture

.orgCommunity    
Webinar: “What Can You Learn from Gaming that Will Boost Member Engagement?”    
Hosted by Executive Creative Director Janna Fiester

Sandstorm Webinar    
Spectrum of Personalization   
Sandy Marsico, Sandstorm CEO, partners with .orgCommunity in this webinar sharing 5 ways to add personalization to your website

Inc.com    
“18 Executives Are Asked, ‘What Will Company Cultures Look Like in the Future?’ The Answers Are Priceless”    
Sandy Marsico, Sandstorm CEO, joins the discussion

FutureOfEverything    
“What the Future of Company Culture?”    
Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico shares her predictions

Interise    
“The Secret to Building Networks: Giving Selflessly & Soaking Up New Ideas”    
Sandy Marsico, Sandstorm CEO, is profiled

.orgCommunity    
Webinar: “Spectrum of Personalization”    
Hosted by Sandstorm CEO Sandy Marsico

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