Stephen Iskrant (Harriton 1997, Yale 2001) founded MetaTechnical while working as a full-time teacher in Bryn Mawr, PA. He then worked as a substitute teacher and tutor all around the Main Line, until computer repair/consulting became a full-time occupation.

As a kid, he loved to take things apart and put them back together. By middle-school he was installing floppy drives, configuring modems, and replacing hard-drives for friends & family. He remembers being shocked by his first $10 tip, because fixing and installing things did not seem like work to him.

In the years between the advent of the Personal Computer (PC) and the internet, he ran a Bulletin Board System (BBS) from his parents’ basement using a single phone line and dial-up modem. In short order, he began to receive hundreds of dollars in un-solicited donations, which he invested in his passion for Information Technology (IT).

In high school he became enamored of the Science Olympiad, winning medals in regional, state, and national competitions. There he recognized the potential greatness of a strong team, and forged life-long friendships while learning more advanced technical skills. At Yale, he earned money on the side by fixing computers and setting up networks. And now he has found a truly elite group of technicians and designers to form the best IT Management Services firm on the Main Line, with whom to serve a positive and supportive role in the community. MetaTechnical is a company where he, and others, combine their love of gadgetry with helping people better understand their environments; and the team now services hundreds of clients, from individuals to billion-dollar corporations, more than a dozen political entities, and over twenty-five non-profits in the Philadelphia area alone.

Lei (pronounced “lay”) Chen is the top tech at MetaTechnical. His skill-set, ingenuity, work ethic, and technical prowess are unequaled in the community – to say nothing of his extraordinary personality. He has the mind of a genius, and the disposition of a saint.

An accomplished programmer, Lei’s skills include C, C++, Java, Java Swing, Python, JSP, Javascript, MySQL, MS SQL, PHP and many others. He is proficient with Adobe Dreamweaver, Microsoft FrontPage, Adobe GoLive (HTML tools); Adobe Photoshop, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Illustrator, GIMP (graphic-editing tools); and is familiar with all industry-wide operating systems. In addition, Lei is an outstanding troubleshooter, a master of advanced networking, and has become one of the Philadelphia area’s most capable data recovery experts. He now heads the department of forensic data recovery—serving as both technician, and trial witness—and has collaborated with the FBI on several investigations.

A tech’s tech, Lei can do it all. With his finger constantly on the pulse of the industry, he has become a person whose time and advice are highly sought after, and highly acclaimed – even within the company. With exceptional diligence and intelligence, Lei Chen has brought MetaTechnical power and prestige.

Daniel Thimot is a superb technician, and a wonderful human being. A consummate IT professional, he combines a high level of intelligence, education, and enthusiasm, with a wide variety of experience in the field. He is not only keenly insightful, but wise beyond his years, and extraordinarily patient – a rare virtue in IT. All of these qualities are brought to bear in his many roles within the company: senior consultant, operations manager, and lead database designer.

Daniel holds a BS in Information Management & Technology from Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies. A Dean’s List student, Daniel concentrated on Systems Administration, Network Administration, and Information Security. His skills and accomplishments read like a phone book. He taught himself HTML, consulted regarding deployment and hosting of web services & coding at the Penn Lock Corporation, designed & coded a donation portal for the AMSA Regional Wellness Conference (amsawellnessconf.org)…. He has worked as a User Interface Designer, consulted on Database/Web Applications, helped begin a company at Syracuse (receiving their classic Orange Tree Grant), served on the IT staff of a web retail firm, helped design an inventory management system in the manufacturing industry, and achieved the highest technical rank at a large BPO company.

Previous to joining MetaTechnical, Daniel traveled around the country on trade shows, where he worked with cutting-edge networking hardware, the original Microsoft Surface technology, touch screen media displays, and the next generation of ID scanners. In our interviews, he blew away his competition by a comically wide margin. Daniel Thimot is a jack of all trades, a master of a few, and galvanized MetaTechnical from a small local company (with spreadsheet-based data organization) into a full-service IT Managed Services Provider (with a customized database worth six figures).

By the time he was a teenager, Geoffrey Naylor was building his own computers and providing technical support to friends and family. Eager to combine his passions for information technology and engaging with others, he became employed as a PC technician for a big-box retailer in his hometown in Chester county. However, after spending 6 years becoming increasingly disgruntled by his employer’s prioritization of profit over quality service, he took up other part-time jobs as he worked towards his degree.

Geoff is a proud, lifetime member of Phi Sigma Tau, the international honor society for Philosophers, and is a class of 2011 graduate from West Chester University. His educational background helped him to hone his natural gift for critical thinking and communication, which have proven to be immensely valuable in his professional development. For a few years before and after earning his BA, Geoff spent many long days and late nights in various restaurant kitchens – with the goal of a return to the world of information technology.

Clearly a man of exceptional intelligence, integrity, and work ethic, Geoff was offered immediate employment after his first interview. He began as a technician, and after a trial by fire during a period of unprecedented company growth, he was quickly promoted to a management role. He is now MetaTechnical’s official early bird, and ensures the company’s smooth operations. He oversees the purchasing department, billing department, manages logistics, performs quality control, and continues to pitch in with technical support. And his technical specialty is Content Marketing Consulting / Search Engine Optimization (SEO), one of MetaTechnical’s many niche small business services.

Abraham (Abe) Lyle is the newest addition to the MetaTechnical team, and has already established himself as a rising star in the company. He is a recent graduate of Temple University with a major in Mathematics and a Minor in Computer Science, and in 2015 he was awarded the Sholomskas Scholarship at Temple’s College of Science and Technology.

Prior to joining the MetaTechnical team, he has experience in providing technical support at a local computer shop, for hundreds of users at Temple’s Tuttleman Learning Center computer lab, and has served as an undergraduate research assistant for Temple’s Department of Mathematics.

Now, in his post-collegiate career, he uses his passion and wisdom to troubleshoot and resolve all sorts of IT related issues for small residences and large businesses. Coupled with his knowledge of various coding languages (Java, C++, C#, BASIC), and ability to create and maintain websites and databases, he offers a remarkably well-rounded skill set and has proven himself capable of solving any problem that’s thrown at him.

Abe also excels at on-site installations of high-speed wired and wireless networks, camera and security systems, and has successfully upgraded the internet speed and security of many homes on the Main Line. In the short while it has been since he joined the MetaTechnical team as an entry-level technician, he has quickly demonstrated his multifaceted skills and abilities, and has proven to be an integral piece to the company’s success.

A native of Lansdale, and former computer technician at Tom’s Help Desk, Davis Le quickly became a fan-favorite of many of our residential clients, who continue to specifically request him by name. He not only possesses the technical knowledge necessary to solve technical issues, but he exhibits the patience and personality to ensure that his clients are comfortable and satisfied.

As a residential support specialist, he excels at in-home setups of computers, printers, and networks. He also headmans our in-shop repair operations, and is exceedingly capable of efficiently handling many different jobs at once. All the while, he maintains good communication with his clients about the status of their computers, and provides a quick turnaround time.

Sean is a superb website designer and photographer, whose creativity, communication, and talent for attractive aesthetics have made him MetaTechnical’s top web designer of all time. His designs are unique, and sophisticated without appearing complex. He excels at keeping the big picture in mind, yet with an exquisite attention to detail. He emphasizes eye-catching themes and modern design standards, ensuring every client receives more than they even imagined on their own. As for his character, Sean (father of one) is exceptionally moral, intelligent, and wise, and we were proud to learn that he is an accomplished community organizer and political activist.

As a child Sean was determined to understand technology. Much to his mother’s horror, he disassembled the family’s computer and put it back together in order to understand the function of each discrete component. A turning point in Sean’s life was when he recognized that he loved computers and tech but he wanted to be a creator rather than just a consumer. He started learning HTML, CSS and JavaScript in order learn how to the web was built, thus beginning his web developer career.

Sean brings years of experience in education making his explanations and tutorials clear and easy to follow. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a degree in Political Science and Economics, and was recruited by Teach For America to teach math in the Philadelphia Public Schools. In his final years of teaching he returned to his roots in IT and started learning how to develop and design web sites.

Sean is also on the cutting edge of Content Marketing & Search Engine Optimization: fields which are constantly evolving, and require a highly intelligent mind to understand and manipulate. A step beyond that is Social Media Marketing: a specialty service that we provide as a team after the web design is complete. This category of service is invaluable to our small business clients who have the ambition not only to succeed, but to grow.

Janusz (pronounced “yahn-oash”) is our top contractor, as well as a cherished friend & neighbor. He is a structural engineer by education, has a genius IQ, and to hear of his skills and experiences, you would think he must be either 1,000 years old or some kind of demi-god. He says he comes from Bulgaria, but we know that he really came from heaven. Despite his accomplishments, he heralds a slower and more joyful pace of life — and one with a greater focus on quality and integrity. He is as capable and trustworthy as he is mighty, and we are honored to work with such an impressive, caring, and trustworthy individual. He can repair or install just about anything, and does not look down upon nor take advantage of ignorance in others. He is a celebrated treasure in our community, making possible for the middle-class what traditionally only the rich could afford. If you can dream it, he can build it.

Chris is a pragmatic, results-oriented professional who has grown his practice by always putting his client’s needs first. He regularly defends two Fortune 500 companies in general liability and employment matters. Chris also regularly represents large and sophisticated non-profit organizations in the education and human services industries in corporate governance and compliance matters, risk management, internal investigations, affiliations, contract matters, funding disputes and collections. Many of his other clients include contractors and subcontractors in connection with payment disputes, mechanics’ liens, construction defect litigation, bond claims, and contract negotiation and review. Chris works with many individuals and corporate clients in a “general counsel” capacity drawing on his unusually broad experience in handling insurance coverage disputes, franchise litigation, landlord-tenant matters, post-judgment enforcement proceedings, fraudulent transfer actions, real estate disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes, family law matters, estate litigation, appellate matters, and all kinds of transactional matters. Whether achieving a defense verdict on a jury trial, mediating a commercial dispute, or delivering a Board presentation, Chris prides himself on efficiency and responsiveness. With very few exceptions, the businesses and non-profit organizations that have worked with Chris have continued to engage him for other matters.

Jiaqian is an enthusiastic, energetic and motivated professional who specializes in business development, budget control, and financial and risk management.

She is a recent graduate from the Executive MBA program of the Wharton Business School with a focus in Finance and Entrepreneurship. She also holds a Master degree in Chemistry from the Cleveland State University with the research work in Bio-analytical Chemistry.

She started her career in the private sector at ChemHost Inc. She worked her way up from Lab Technician to Project Manager, Director of Business Development, and then General Manager. She is a quick learner and a diligent professional with a strong sense of responsibility. With years of experience in the business world, her strategical thinking assists in formulating the company’s future directions and supporting tactical initiatives.