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About Us

Embrace the Big Kid & Daredevil inside.

Release your curiosity. Take the leap.

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The Story

In 2005, A Big Kid with big dreams founded the company he wanted to work for. He built Slingshot on the idea that creating impact software comes from being intensely inquisitive while remaining adventurous. Today, his dream thrives in Slingshot's culture of embracing creativity, fun and exploration. With age (and a couple of gray hairs) comes wisdom, but it’s clear the spirit of adventure is still alive. Most importantly, Slingshot still defines success as building software that has a profound impact for their clients.

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Ingenuity

The ability to be clever, original, and inventive. Creative, innovative, and imaginative.

Integrity

Free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy. Honest and having strong moral principles.

Adventure

Having the courage to take risks. Be bold, daring, enterprising, and gutsy.

Childlike Spirit

Having the spirit of a child: curious, spontaneous, fun-loving, inquisitive, and full of energy.

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Meeting on couch

Say hello to the Slingshot team

David Cartoon Headshot
CEO & President

David Galownia

David excels at propelling Slingshot towards their goals and oversees the strategic direction of the company. He’s been described as ‘intense, driven, caring, and passionate’ both at work and play. At work, he enjoys watching his team explore, imagine, and reinvent to do the best by their clients. At play, he drives Karts at insanely high speeds and scares his wife half to death. It’s all or nothing. Which means he gives it all.

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National Champion Kart Racer
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Official USA Team Driver in Le Mans, France
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Gets pedicures with his daughters
Chris Howard Cartoon Headshot
CIO & Chief Product Lead

Chris Howard

Chris has spent the past 20 years creating innovative technology solutions. He’s built products that generate an average of $25 million annually without breaking a sweat. Chris believes that technology can help drive business, not inhibit it. He views his role as simply making technology work for Slingshot’s customers.

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Restoring an Old Jaguar
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Loves long walks and bikes rides with family
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Has loyal but crazy Standard Schnauzer named Molly
Rachel Foster Cartoon Headshot
Principal UX/UI Designer

Rachel Foster

As UX Lead, Rachel helps guide the design team through strategy, interviews, creation, and testing. Designing software and apps to be both intuitive & beautifully impactful plays into Rachel’s strong desire to connect others. Relying on her Fine Arts background & honed intuition, she gets sudden flashes of ideas and follows them wherever they lead.

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Backpacked 14 countries
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Reiki Certified
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Has a mini dachshund
Slingy Cartoon Headshot
Senior Mascot

Slingy

Slingy is a Lemur from Madagascar who embodies the Big Kid and Daredevil spirit. He’s creative, adventurous, and caring. When Slingy’s not flying through flaming hoops or hosting office dance party’s, he’s coloring, designing, or hanging out at Cheyenne’s desk. When asked if he’s a Big Kid or Daredevil, Slingy will always reply “Both!“

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The only thing he’s afraid of is airplanes.
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Has a crazy-long bucket list, including cliff diving, swimming with sharks, and running with the bulls in Spain.
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His role model is Evil Knievel
Mike Hurd Cartoon Headshot
Principal Developer

Mike Hurd

Mike was our first ever employee, and we’re happy to say he’s still with us 13 years later. He’s one of the best at understanding our client’s perspective, being able to translate ideas into what needs to be built. As someone who enjoys simplicity, he’s incredibly organized. After hours, you can find him playing basketball or working on his video game website completionator.com

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Extensive video game collection: Over 3,000
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Out of control at Happy Hour (Kidding! He orders water.)
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Can probably beat you at basketball
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Principal Developer & Team Lead

Doug Compton

Born and raised in Louisville, Doug’s interest in technology started at 11 when he began writing computer games. What began as a hobby turned into his career. With broad interests that range anywhere from snorkeling, science, WWII history and real estate, Doug uses his “down time“ to create new technologies for mobile and web applications.

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First job was a paperboy
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Favorite cookie is all of them
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Allergic to laundry
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Principal Developer & AWS Architect

Steve Anderson

Steve is one of our AWS certified solutions architects. Whether it’s coding, testing, deployment, support, infrastructure, or server set-up, he’s always thinking about the cloud as he builds. Steve is extremely adaptable, and can pick up the project and run with it. He’s flexible and able to fill in where needed. In his spare time, he enjoys family time, the outdoors and reading.

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Started programming in 3rd grade
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Spelling Bee Champion
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Flexible, but not in the splits kind of way
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Executive Director of Slingshot Ventures

Dan Murphy

Dan has spent his entire career working around and with creators of software. He has a proven track record in helping businesses grow. As a part of the leadership team he is a supportive partner who is also willing to challenge other’s when necessary. He is a innovative thinker with a knack for connecting ideas and topics that aren’t easily noticed. He brings a positive disposition to all his projects and enjoys connecting and helping others. He is an introspective person who enjoys helping others explore their inner worlds. He loves his job, but feels his greatest role is guiding and supporting his daughters.

Twin
Has a twin sister.
Tongue
Used to have his tongue pierced.
Meditate Microdose
Meditates & Micro-doses.
Maria Cartoon Headshot
Director of Operations

Maria Watkins

Currently serving as the Director of Operations for Slingshot, Maria’s focus is to develop policies and procedures to help with the company’s growth and employee development. Her passion for running a business is rooted in her desire to help companies be successful. When she’s not in the office, she’s spending quality time with her family and friends.

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Volunteers at homeless shelters
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Enjoys Kickboxing
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Loves to travel the world and try new foods
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Senior Developer

Nathan Thomas

Understanding what people are trying to say, versus what they are actually saying is one of Nathan’s great strengths and he uses this superpower coupled with technology to create solutions to problems. An early bird, he is usually the first to arrive and works in the dark until Chris arrives and turns on the lights. When the day is over, he goes home to enjoy a few of his favorite things; tv, bourbon, and petting dogs. Preferably all at the same time.

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Bourbon Aficionado
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Eats food other people bring to the office
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Bluntly honest
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Senior Developer

Michael Thornberry

When he first applied, Michael completed our initial programming test faster than anyone else. He has over 15 years of experience, and enjoys using test-driven development to ensure his clients get the best product. Michael is the office jockster, having an amazing sense of humor. We call him a builder of all things: not just software, but decks, bookcases, and more!

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Maker of wonders, both digital and physical.
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Comfortably situated within two-standard deviations of greatness.
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Studied Kung Fu
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Director of Marketing and New Business

Savannah Cherry

Savannah is our one-woman marketing department. She posts, writes, and creates all things Slingshot. While she may not be making software for you, she does have a minor in Computer Information Systems. We’d call her the opposite of a procrastinator: she can’t rest until all her work is done. She loves playing her switch and meal-prepping.

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Dog Mom to a Schnoodle named Otis
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National Champion University of Louisville Cheerleader
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Excessive collector of mugs: 152 total
Tim Cartoon Headshot
Senior UX/UI Designer

Tim Samasiuk

Tim is a UX/UI Designer with more than 7 years of experience. For him, design is also an emotional release. Tim is happiest when every pixel is in its perfect place. He describes himself as a curious daredevil, because he loves to experiment and find new challenges in order to learn something new. In his spare time, Tim enjoys traveling with his family and tuning-up cars.

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Loves to collect Lego.
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Dreams of living in a house in the forest.
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Fond of tuning-up cars.
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Principal Developer

Dan Harrigan

Dan has had a diverse career path, all the while using his programming skills along the way. Ultimately, it was Dan’s passion for problem solving that led him to becoming a full-time software engineer. Dan is a big kid who loves to laugh and learn new things. When he’s not hard at work, Dan enjoys traveling (he once flew on 16 different airplanes in 45 days) and spending time with his family and friends.

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Cannot resist a bad pun.
Hawaiian Shirt
Collects Hawaiian shirts.
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Loves fixing and building stuff.
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Principal Product Lead

Sarah Bhatia

Sarah Bhatia brings people together. In her decade plus of product and product-adjacent experience, her focus has been on cross-functional collaboration, asking lots of questions, and getting big results. She excels at strategy development, and getting the right brains in the room to solve big problems. Sarah would describe herself as a daredevil, because she’s not afraid to ask “dumb“ questions, get smart answers, and take (calculated) risks.

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Was once trapped in a room with the Stanley Cup.
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Has a 100-pound Bernedoodle named Dover.
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Loves renovating old, ugly houses.
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Associate Product Lead

Jem Holbrook

Jem graduated with a Journalism degree, but switched to Technical Support roles as BPOs bloomed in the Philippines. She moved to the US in 2010, started at the bottom, became a QA, and worked her way up to Project Management and Product Ownership. She’s a Certified Scrum Master, but her long-term goal is to learn everything about Agile and Scrum. She’s a big kid because she still loves Disney movies. She very passionate about baking, and enjoys reading and meditation.

Chiuauia
Loves to hike with her chihuahua.
Beach
Obsessed with the beach.
Meat
Recently switched to a carnivore diet.
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Principal Developer

Joe Calvert

Joe is a software engineer whose childhood fascination with video games triggered his interest in software development. Her has over a decade of .NET development experience and has worked across multiple tiers of development. Joe is a big kid because writing code still seems like “magic“ to him. Building software scratches that childhood itch for creativity that only Legos or Lincoln Logs could satisfy.

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Glues guitar riffs together to create “music“.
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Runs, hikes, and bikes.
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College sports fan.
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Senior Developer

John Tito

John’s passion for development is driven by a desire to break things and ask the question “why?”. He believes in the need for client interaction and pushing the boundaries of software development (which is what led John to Slingshot). He describes himself as a daredevil; he’s constantly forcing himself out of his comfort zone and always questioning the way things are and whether they could be improved.

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Spent many years as a lifeguard, and got to guard many of the Disney World resorts.
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An avid bass fisherman.
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Has never had a cup of coffee.
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Product Lead

Michael Upton

Michael has vast experience in Customer Service and Product Management. As Michael has progressed through his career, his roots in Customer Service have served him well in being a highly customer-focused Product Manager. Michael is passionate about taking on new problems to solve and working with people from all backgrounds to find, build and deliver creative solutions while learning from each person along the way. Michael would describe himself as a big kid because he takes on every new adventure with childlike wonderment and optimism; he’s infinitely curious and asks a TON of questions.

eye
Has heterochromia (one blue eye, one green eye).
run
Loves running long distances.
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Acquires WAY TOO MUCH music, instruments and audio equipment.
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Principal Senior Developer

Andrew Meyer

Andrew is a developer who started out coding as a young kid: he’d bring home thick programming books from the library and teach himself. That passion for learning and programming would later turn into a career. From game development to SaaS applications, Andrew has worked the gamut of tech, spanning the game, healthcare, marketing, and applicant-tracking industries. Andrew would describe himself as a Big Kid because he is curious about new technologies and loves to explore new ideas.

Snowboard
Enjoys snowboarding.
board game
Tabletop gaming aficionado.
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Connoisseur of stereoscopic films.
Iryna Cartoon Headshot
Senior Xamarin Developer

Iryna Doroshenko

Since childhood, Iryna has loved Math and Physics; she would relax after class in college by solving math problems (Yes, such people exist). She graduated with a degree in Cybernetics, and later went back for Mobile software development. The magic world of phones is her passion. Iryna would describe herself as a daredevil: “I like to try new activities all the time. It’s never too late to start something new!“

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Is a mother of two children.
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Always listening to audiobooks on 2x speed.
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Practicing Tarot cards.
Whitney Powell
Sales and Marketing Coordinator

Whitney Powell

Whitney earned her degree in Marketing and Management from the University of Kentucky and discovered her passion for marketing and events. Her go-getter attitude, willingness to learn, and problem-solving abilities elevate the Slingshot team. Known as a daredevil, Whitney loves trying new things and embracing challenges, whether traveling to new places or taking on new projects at work.

Has a recent obsession with reality TV competition shows.
Is a dog mom to a crazy Aussie Doodle named Nash.
Loves all things UK Football and Basketball (Go CATS!)
Artem Shynkarenko Cartoon Network
Ukraine Delivery Manager

Artem Shynkarenko

Artem is a department delivery manager in our Ukraine division with a .net development background. He has a deep interest in new technologies and board games. Growing up, he wanted to become an archaeologist. Instead of digging up fossils, he realized he likes thorough code assessments.

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Attempted to publish his own board game to android platform.
Dixit
Always loses to his wife in Dixit.
Bohdan Skyba Cartoon Headshot
Principal QA Analyst

Bohdan Skyba

Bohdan is a Ukraine QA Engineer. At Slingshot, he’s a team member specializing on the PetFirst project. Bogdan graduated from the Veterinary University and loves working with pet insurance.

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Graduated from the Veterinary University
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Fan of Chelsea football club for more than 15 years
Yulia Shchyhel Cartoon Headshot
Principal QA Analyst

Yulia Shchyhel

Yulia is Ukraine QA Engineer with a background in project management. At Slingshot, she’s a development team lead and QA engineer. She would describe herself as a wife, mother of two beautiful daughters, and an optimist. After work, she likes to ride her bike with her family.

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Love to travel around Europe by car
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Never says no to deliciously cooked meat
Igor_Gavrylov
QA Engineer

Ihor Havrylov

Ihor graduated from Lviv Politechnic University with a master’s degree in software engineering with honors. His hobbies are composing electronic music on his laptop and Sports activities In his free time.

Music
Sold 2 music tracks to music shops.
Sleep
Love to sleep.
O.Kalitovska
QA Engineer

Oksana Kalitovska

Oksana graduated from Lviv Polytechnic University. She loves the outdoors; she enjoys watching the sunrise in the mountains, sleeping in tents, sitting by the fire singing songs with friends, and cooking borscht over a campfire.

Bike
Learned to ride a bicycle at the age of 23.
Sweets
Sweet tooth person.
Petro Chemerys Cartoon Headshot
QA Engineer

Petro Chemerys

Petro Chemerys is a QA Engineer. He graduated from the Ukrainian Academy of Printing in 2014 with a Master’s Degree in Computer Systems engineering. He is in love with cars and the automotive industry, especially in car’s tuning. He spends most of his free time in the garage, repairing his own car, making it faster and better.

Identical twin
Has an identical twin – people can’t tell them apart.
powerlifting
Candidate for Master of Sports in Powerlifting.
Andrii Hlova Cartoon Headshot
Principal Full Stack Developer

Andrii Hlova

Andrii Hlova is a full stack developer. He has a master’s degree in computer science and is now on his way to receiving a PhD at the Lviv National University. He enjoys playing football, watching sports competitions, and learning new technologies.

I prefer backend rather than frontend because my eyes don’t see what I have done.
Author of the phrase “I prefer backend rather than frontend because my eyes don’t see what I have done.”
Adventure movie buff.
Adventure movie buff.
A.Smetyuh
Principal Full Stack Developer

Andriy Smetyukh

Andriy is a Ukraine .NET developer with experience in Android development. At Slingshot, Andriy loves working on our pet insurance client, so he can help take stress away from pet owners. Andriy became a father just a few months ago. He also enjoys playing chess and is interested in learning facts about other cultures.

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Translated “Murder on the Orient Express“ into Ukrainian.
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Has not drank alcohol for the last 10 years.
Oleksandr Lovas Cartoon Headshot
Principal Full Stack Developer

Oleksandr Lovas

Alex is a Ukraine .NET developer with a background in project management. At Slingshot, he’s a team lead specializing on our PetFirst project. At home, he considers himself “the boss,“ but his wife and 2 rebellious children don’t think so.

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Knows over 6 languages
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Dreams of shaking hands with the Terminator
Andriy about us
Principal Mobile Developer

Andriy Maherovskyi

Andrii Maherovskyi is a Xamarin Mobile Developer from the Ukraine. He has a master’s degree in computer science (CAD systems). He enjoys playing soccer and bungee jumping. He also likes to travel and learn new cultures (especially through food).

drunk sing
Amazing singer (when drunk enough).
cake
Bakes wonderful cakes.
Lyubomyr Krupey Cartoon Headshot
Senior Xamarin Developer

Lyubomyr Krupey

Lyubomyr is a Ukraine Xamarin/.NET developer. At Slingshot, he works on the New Roots project, helping to develop the mobile application for iOS and Android, as well as supplemental APIs for mobile platforms. He enjoys playing snooker (similar to billiards), tennis, basketball, board games, and computer games.

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Collects wines from different countries
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Almost always washes his car before heavy rain
Yurii Marshal Cartoon Headshot
Senior Frontend Developer

Yurii Marshal

Yurii Marshal is a 27 y.o. frontend developer with 5+ years of experience (mostly using Angular). He plans to reach a position of Fullstack EcmaScript Dev (Angular + NodeJS). He has a master’s degree in Computer Science and is interested in AI evolution. He tries to research and compose new systematic information in stable hypotheses and theories. He likes to travel around the world singly and go on nature outings with friends.

Used to parachute from planes and helicopters.
Used to parachute from planes and helicopters.
Goes on annual ‘Bridgemas’ trips: visit a new country between Christmas and New Years.
Goes on annual ‘Bridgemas’ trips: visit a new country between Christmas and New Years.
V.Buryi
Senior Software Engineer

Volodymyr Buryi

Volodymyr is a full stack developer who has a master’s degree in computer science. He likes to stay at home, solve puzzles, and read books (mostly science fiction).

open source
Active member of the open-source community.
No Sports
Doesn’t like sports.
Oleh Kachmar Cartoon Headshot
Full Stack Developer

Oleh Kachmar

Oleh Kachmar is a Full Stack Developer. He graduated from the Lviv National University in 2014 with a Master’s Degree in Software Development. Recently, he’s become Microsoft Certified as an Azure Developer Associate. He enjoys learning something new every day. He takes an avid interest in football and biathlon.

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Spent all wedding day and honeymoon with a damaged leg (had a plaster on the leg).
Indulges in binge-watching.
Indulges in binge-watching.
Orest_Pashkevych
Senior Software Engineer

Orest Pashkevych

Orest is a full-stack developer who has a master’s degree in Radio Electronic devices. He’s responsible, stress-resistant, and always pays attention to details. He enjoys watching movies, reading books, and playing video games.

Soccer
Likes to play soccer.
Muay Thai
Interested in Muay Thai.
A.Vakhula
Software Engineer

Andrii Vakhula

Andrii is a Full Stack Developer with a bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering. He is always ready to face challenging tasks, learn something new, and improve his skills. Andrii loves to read articles about space and play board games in his free time.

Coffee
Obsessed with making coffee.
Plane
Dreams of getting a pilot’s license.
Taras_Yarchak
Frontend Developer

Taras Yarchak

Taras graduated from the Lviv Polytechnic National University with a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering. He loves listening to vinyl records, playing video games, and cooking. In his free time, he loves to learn something new and upgrade his work skills.

Sleep
Loves to sleep.
Pizza
Don’t understand people who haven’t eaten pizza with pineapples.
Ivan_Shelemba
Full Stack Developer

Ivan Shelemba

Ivan is a dedicated and efficient full-stack developer. He enjoys solving complex and multi-faceted tasks and is always ready to face any challenging projects. He loves to develop software architecture and find the most effective solutions to problems.

Motorcycle
Obsessed with motorcycles.
Mt Fuji
Dreams of visiting Mount Fuji.

Our Clients,
Everyday Heroes

Our clients undertake bold initiatives and make daredevil decisions. We love being a part of our client’s success and helping them solve their problems through software.

Do you have a bold new idea? Do you have an internal problem you need to solve? We’d love to help!

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About Mary Clyde testimonial

"Slingshot understood our unique vision; it was clear they had a high level of expertise. They came up with a solution that fit our needs, and we felt involved during the entire process. We plan on working with Slingshot again, and see them as partners rather than another software vendor."

Mary Clyde Pierce, MD | Professor of Pediatrics | Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

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Daredevil Diaries

Slingshot news, company information, and resources.

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Slingshot news, company information, and resources.

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