Jesse Rutschman is an educator, advisor, higher education program administrator, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of StrengthsBase. He brings 20 years of experience across K–12 and higher education in instructional design and program development, including his role as Assistant Director of TRIO Student Support Services at Northeastern Illinois University. His passion centers on personal growth and purpose-driven career development, which led him to develop StrengthsBase in 2023.

Full-stack developer passionate about creating interactive, community driven platforms that bring people together through engaging and thoughtful design. Translates complex processes into scalable, user-centered solutions. Leads integrations with external partners, improve onboarding and engagement through data-driven design, and build reliable systems. Focused on delivering practical, high-impact solutions that improve performance, reliability, and user outcomes.

MBA (Finance) candidate at Northeastern Illinois University with over five years of experience in financial analysis, budgeting, compliance, and cross-functional project coordination. Contributes to project management, stakeholder coordination, compliance tracking, documentation, and operational support to ensure smooth execution of development initiatives.

Translate user behavior into actionable insights through analytics and SEO. Her work includes GA4 and GTM setup and tracking, user engagement measurement, keyword research, and dashboarding to ensure the platform evolves based on real user data.

An award-winning designer with deep expertise in concept-driven, high-impact graphic design. He has provided the visuals, graphic elements, and navigation pathways to make the experience seamless and pleasant for the user.

Senior software engineer with 20 years experience at startups, working on everything from API architecture to mobile apps. They have helped bootstrap the StrengthsBase codebase, and offer technical guidance as needed.

Serves as the Executive Director of Adult Education, Advancement, and Business Innovation at the AACSB-accredited College of Business and Technology at Northeastern Illinois University. Welcomed Strengthsbase to the Business Innovation & Growth Center, as part of her first cohort, and has worked with the company on research and development through the Illinois Innovation Voucher grant program as well as with the Class Labs projects at NEIU. 

Testing development specialist who has more than thirty years of experience as a testing consultant, ranging from employment/workplace analysis-based testing to applied individual difference assessments. Helped develop testing content and scoring plans for the StrengthsBase project and testing-related research guidance as needed.

Marketing professor at NEIU’s College of Business and Technology. Teaching Social Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing, and Marketing Management. Helped with the StrengthsBase brand, and offers branding guidance as needed.

Management and strategy professor at Northeastern Illinois University's College of Business & Technology. Along with 28 years of academic experience, Dr. Funk’s background also includes 22 years of Chicago-area business experience in both financial and operating positions in the energy, telecommunications and food industries. Dr. Funk has assisted in developing Strengthsbase's business and operational plans.

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Product Designer based in the vibrant city of NYC, armed with four years of research experience gained in diverse neuroscience labs. While her roots are in science, her true passion lies in understanding and connecting with people. Whether it's forging new connections, assisting in challenging situations, or collaborating on projects, she thrives on the human element.