Randy Ellis

Founder/CEO

Randy is passionate about change and inspiring others to build products that enhance our everyday lives. He is a 13-year technology/design veteran who enjoys simplifying the complex in product design. An early adopter of the lean startup principles. In 2011, Randy made a prediction that our society's dependency on big retail will soon decline and we will return to supporting domestically produced goods and services. A public speaker and advocate for in-depth problem solving, he enjoys finding the recipes to a company's success. Randy was born and raised in Chicago and enjoys perfecting his gourment top ramen recipes and discovering new local shops/restaurants. On occasion you can catch Randy enjoying a nice cigar chased with a great whiskey.

Karleton Thomas

Co-Founder/COO

Karleton's a lifelong learner of everything, scotch drinker, and avid fan of bacon being added to numerous dishes. His first foray into business was an apparel company targeted towards big and tall men. He was able to capitalize on several gaps within this niche market to build a solid brand. The research to direct product positioning within such a market, especially one that is underserved, sharpened his strategic planning skills. As COO of LocalLux, Karleton's economics background has been pivotal in developing a two-sided platform, which is chalked with trade-offs and externalities, two dogmas of economic theory.

Enrique Quiroga

Lead Front-End Developer

Enrique is a design and UX freak. He realized his love for design when he was introduced to Photoshop in college. A few years later, he was designing websites and magazines for local businesses in Chicago. His passion for molding great user experiences with color, type and design is matched only by his love for Chicago style stuffed pizza and popular music. With a background in graphic and print design, Enrique has developed a deep appreciation for all things visual. He approaches each assignment the same; design with passion. Outside of work, Enrique loves to explore new technologies and jam out on his guitar at 3 o’clock in the morning.

Amelia Tulua

Community Manager

Armed with weaponry in marketing/advertising/ promotions, project research and development, social media management, multimedia consultation, radio/television/film production, event planning, freelance writing and sports and fitness, there's very little Lia can not handle. Her resourcefulness in a wide array of fields of business are attributed to her experience as an athlete and coach.

Elan Zamri

Business Development

Elan is a startup enthusiast who enjoys exploring consumer psychology. He also knows the locations of all the best hummus stores in Chicago. Originally from Israel, Elan has been following the local tech scene since he came here as a freshman to study engineering. After working as an industrial engineer for GE, he decided to change careers and focus on customer acquisition and operations strategies at Nova POS, a leading retailer SaaS startup based in Florida. He enjoys coming up with acquisition hypotheses and testing them in the field with the 'super-fan' consumers. As part of his work Elan lived in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Tampa, Boston, New York and Miami Beach. When not working he plays volleyball, follows the Knicks and finds new local hummus joints.