About Us

Founded in 2015 in Dayton, Ohio, Mile 2 is a trusted partner with experience building custom software for a range of diverse clients, including startups, Fortune 500 companies, and the US government.

Mile 2 has developed a collaborative culture that encourages employees to support one another and collectively explore ideas and generate solutions, which fosters innovation and encourages employees to build relationships and trust across disciplines. Our culture is built on our core values: Supported Autonomy, Success is a Team Effort, Tangible Results, and Humble Expertise.

Mile 2 Crew

Alexis Adams
Alexis Adams UX/UI Designer Union, OH

Hobbies: Working out and hanging out with family and friends.

Pets: Two rottweilers (Waylon & Milli), one pitbull (Bella), and two cats (Oliver & Pumpkin).

Iftekhar Ahmed Senior Quality Assurance Engineer Cincinnati, OH

Top 3 movies of all time: Kung Fu Panda, Perfume Movie, 50 First Dates.

Favorite food/meal: Fish & Chips, Chicken & Shrimp Carbonara, Chicken Wings.

Layla Akilan Cognitive Systems Engineer Manager Dayton, OH

Something interesting about yourself: I organize fundraiser annually that benefit children with autism and other disabilities in the community.

Hobbies: Olympic weightlifting.

Dustin Bacher
Dustin Bacher Systems Administrator New Lebanon, OH

Pets: I have one dog named Phoebe who is a German Shepard, Husky mix and I have 2 Tabby cats named Cleo and Merlin. Cleo is an orange Tabby and Merlin is a Grey Tabby.

Hobbies: Building computers, home improvement, and annoying my wife.

Name Pronunciation: (Bah-Ck-Er)

Aaron Begy Associate Software Engineer
Aaron Begy Associate Software Engineer Centerville, OH

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Top 3 movies of all time: Interstellar, Avengers(Endgame), and Avatar.

Favorite sports teams: Cleveland Browns, Cavaliers, and Guardians.

Dave Best VP of Engineering Miamisburg, OH

Favorite food/meal: Pancake House with the family, Mango Curry from Thai 9.

Best restaurant: Thai 9 or El Meson.

Marisa Bigelow Cognitive Systems Engineering Manager Raleigh, NC

Top 3 movies of all time: Clue, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Jurassic Park.

Best restaurant: Blue Danube (great pies).

Thomas Blackburn Senior DevSecOps Engineer Fairborn, OH

Top 3 movies of all time: The Three Musketeers (1973), Gojira (1954), Lord of the Rings Trilogy (have to watch it in one sitting)

Hobbies: Reading, Board Games (games like Everdell, Terraforming Mars, Scythe, A Feast for Odin, etc…), Movies

Jake Borkosky Senior Quality Assurance Engineer Cincinnati, OH

Someone who has had a positive impact on your life: My group of friends from college.

Best restaurant: Frickers.

Contracts/Subcontracts Administrator - Teresa Brown
Teresa Brown Contracts/Subcontracts Administrator Jacksonville, FL

Something interesting about yourself: I love traveling to visit sports arenas, stadiums, and coliseums.

Hobbies: Relaxing. I enjoy painting, puzzles, listening to music, and traveling.

Andrea Brunner Systems Engineer Dayton, OH

Pronouns: They, Them, Theirs, She, Her, Hers

Something interesting about yourself: I love the Renaissance fair, I got married there and I sew most of my costumes.

Hobbies: reading, sewing, gaming (I’m obsessed with Borderlands), making stickers, riding my Harley

Jonny Butler
Jonny Butler Design Manager South Lebanon, OH

Favorite food/meal: Anything Italian, Greek, Indian and Thai.

Hobbies: Family hikes, family games, primitive survival skills, songwriting/guitar/music production, woodworking/custom fabrication.

Chris Caldwell
Chris Caldwell Senior Software Engineering Manager Springboro, OH

Something interesting about yourself: I enjoy taking vacations to Thailand with my wife and daughter and going for long bike rides.

Hobbies: Road biking, hockey, and video games.

Brandin Canfield Senior Software Engineer Dayton, OH

Favorite food/meal: Lobster, Pizza, Steak.

Hobbies: Weightlifting, playing sports, gaming.

Raphael Carranza Portfolio Director Dayton, OH

Favorite sports teams: Cleveland Indians, Cavs, Browns, Ohio State Buckeyes.

Hobbies: Sportcial, Golf, Travel.

Zack Chadwick
Zack Chadwick Systems Administrator Dayton, OH

Something interesting about yourself: I accidentally detached my thumb from my hand while riding a bike, it was mother’s day in third grade. They reattached it but it has been a little bit shorter than the other ever since.

Hobbies: Video games (Not a ton of time anymore), spinning things up on my homelab, incomplete home improvement projects.

Associate Machine Learning Engineer - Aaron Cherry
Aaron Cherry Associate Machine Learning Engineer Dayton, OH

Pronouns: He, him, his

Favorite video games: Arcanum – Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.

Favorite meal: Mom’s home made biscuits and gravy.

Dakota Clawson
Dakota Clawson Software Engineer Centerville, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Best restaurant: Pine Club

Pets: I have a chocolate Labrador retriever named “Freya”. She is my world!

Anthony Cobranchi Senior Software Engineer Lander, WY

Pets: I have 3 dogs, 3 cats, and 2 birds. The dogs’ names are Ice, Ember, and Luna. The cats’ names are Lily, Zane, and Gandalf. The birds’ names are Mercury and Saturn.

Top 3 movies of all time: My top three favorite movies are: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, 300, and Gladiator.

Nick Dittoe
Nick Dittoe UX/UI Designer Kettering, OH

Hobbies: Playing piano/drums, listening to audio books, and traveling the world to try new things.

Someone who has had a positive impact on your life: My Grandma is 94, and has so much positive energy and youth pouring out of her, it’s hard not to get inspired. Attitude can trump aging, and I believe that because of her.

Ryan Donahue Software Engineering Manager Springboro, OH

Someone who has had a positive impact on your life: My high school computer teacher who inspired me to pursue a technical degree and career.

Top 3 movies of all time: Big Fish, Fight Club, Good Will Hunting.

Harry Dunham - AI/ML Engineer
Harry Dunham AI/ML Engineer Lakewood, OH

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Top 3 movies of all time: Edge of Tomorrow, Bladerunner 2049, and Frantz.

Pets: Siberian Husky and Cat, Arlo, and Winks.

Kaleb Embaugh Program Manager Orange Village, OH

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Hobbies: Anything from DnD to videogames, to learning about the latest in I/O Psychology. I also compete in Rally (obedience), Dock Diving, and Agility with our dogs.

Someone who has had a positive impact on your life: My parents are my biggest role models and I feel incredibly lucky to have had them in my life. They taught me intellectual curiosity, hard work, self-confidence, and integrity and I’m thankful for it every day.

Ren Estep
Ren Estep Senior Software Engineer Washington Township, OH

Top 3 movies of all time: Jurassic Park, Aliens, and Fifth Element.

Hobbies: Running, drawing, learning.

John Fay Engineering Manager Kettering, OH

Hobbies: Lately I am interested in anything that gets me closer to nature and doesn’t break the bank. So that can be a lot from backpacking, fishing, disc golf, walking the dogs etc.

Pets: Two dogs – Dexter and Willow (German Shepherd’s).

AJ Ferguson
AJ Ferguson Project Manager Dayton, OH

What do you like about Dayton: I love Dayton because of all the people passionate about making it even better – business owners, artists, community leaders, volunteers, etc.

Hobbies: Yard games, sand volleyball, tennis, carpentry.

Mark Fogel
Mark Fogel Learning & Development Manager Centerville, OH

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Something interesting about yourself: I’m really good at Tetris on the original 8-bit Game Boy, which, incredibly, is something I’ve leveraged into neither fame nor fortune.

Hobbies: Writing; wistfully imagining what it must be like to paint in oils as a hobby.

Milu Franz - software engineering manager
Milu Franz Software Engineering Manager Bellbrook, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Something interesting about yourself: I’ve participated in a couple of Bodybuilding competitions. There was a lot of preparation making physical, nutritional, and lifestyle changes for both events. Going through that process twice, has giving me a lot of discipline and appreciation for a healthy body.

I enjoy drawing, writing/documenting what I learn (personally and professionally), and lifting heavy weights.

Scott Galster, PhD Vice President of Applied Sciences Mansfield, OH

Something interesting about yourself: I NEVER follow a recipe.

Top 3 movies of all time: My Cousin Vinny and the one I haven’t seen yet…

Andy Garrett Engineering Manager Xenia, OH

Favorite food/meal: Sushi, Mexican, or a nice slab of Brisket.

Hobbies: Currently lead Trail Life, an outdoor leadership program for boys. We serve 80+ boys in the Miami Valley, and help organize 30+ dads who volunteer with the troop.

Tony Gilkerson Senior Solutions Architect Fairborn, OH

Something interesting about yourself: I placed third in the WV state wrestling tournament back in my high school days.
More recently I own a wedding venue in Fairborn which is just an excuse for me to own a John Deere tractor and play around in the yard. I have a small observatory for my astronomy stuff.

Hobbies: Astro Photography and all the tech that surrounds it, just ask me; Outdoor stuff like backpacking; Cycling.

Sarah Gorman
Sarah Gorman Software Engineer Greater Cincinnati, OH

Favorite sports teams: OSU for college football, Nationals for MLB.

Top 3 movies of all time: The Princess Bride, Return to Me, and Remember the Titans.

Lyla Graley
Lyla Graley Learning & Development Assistant Beavercreek, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Favorite sports teams: West Virginia Mountaineers.

Pets: Vedder (Golden Retriever), Zoey (Great Pyrenees).

Jeff Graley President Beavercreek, OH

Favorite sports teams: San Antonio Spurs and West Virginia University

Someone who has had a positive impact on your life: My Dad (both parents really). He always sacrificed his goals to do what he felt was right by other people.

Stephen Gray Senior Software Engineer Centerville, OH

Top 3 movies of all time: Inception, The Dark Knight and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Best restaurant: J Alexander’s / Redlands Grill.

Benjamin Hager
Ben Hager VP Business Development Salt Lake City, UT

Pronouns: His, Him, He

Something interesting about yourself: Love to travel with my wife, Diane and daughters, Sam and Lizzy.

Hobbies: Training, skiing, biking, surfing, motorcycles and traveling.

Jordan Haggit, PhD Cognitive Systems Engineer Cincinnati, OH

Hobbies: Golf, fly fishing, triathlon.

Something interesting about yourself: As an undergrad I played soccer at Wright State before continuing on to grad school there.

True Hall
True Hall Software Engineer Beavercreek, OH

Favorite sports teams: Nebraska Cornhusker football, baseball and basketball. I really am not that invested in professional sports but tend to root for teams with Husker alumni.

Something interesting about yourself: I lived in Alaska for close to seven years, grades 7-12.

Jed Helmers Senior Software Engineer Oakwood, OH

Favorite sports teams: Bad News Bears.

Top 3 movies of all time: Grosse Pointe Blank, Dark City, Waking Ned Devin.

Natalie Henningsen Human Resources Coordinator Dayton, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Hobbies: Travel, backpacking, camping, hiking, kayaking, rollerblading, laser tag, wedding coordination (side hustle).

What I like about Dayton: The metroparks, the ice rink at Riverscape, Celtic festival, Greek festival, Neon movie theater, Woodland Cemetery, Sinclair College, The Fraze Pavilion.

Patrick Hester - Principal Machine Learning Engineer
Patrick Hester, PhD Principal Machine Learning Engineer St. Augustine, FL

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Hobbies: Traveling, cooking (especially experimenting with vegetarian recipes), and anything water-related (swimming, kayaking, or just lounging at the beach).

Favorite Sports Teams: Green Bay Packers.

Jay Heyne
Jay Heyne Associate UX/UI Designer Indianapolis, IN

Pronouns: He, Him, His

What do you like about your current city: I love picking a destination to bike to in Indianapolis on the Monon Trail. I also enjoy how the White River cuts through the city into downtown. In Dayton, I enjoy Dayton Porchfest, the Fairborn Halloween Festival, and local street fairs.

Pets: I do not have any pets, but I hope to own a large breed dog – possibly a Bernese mountain dog.

Sarah Hill Design Manager Cincinnati, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, They

Favorite sports teams: Cincinnati Bearcats (Football & Basketball), Cincinnati Reds.

Something interesting about yourself: I was in marching band for a collective 9 years (+3 years in middle school) as a Flute Player. I worked at the Cincinnati Zoo during the Harambe incident.

Jessie Hilliard Chief Financial Officer Fairfax Station, VA

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Favorite Meals: Sushi, Hogmaw, Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa.

Hobbies: Biking, skiing, exploring local wineries & breweries, spending time with my sons.

Randy Hinders Director of IT Dayton, OH

Something interesting about yourself: The first five times that I took off in an airplane. I did not land inside an airplane.

Hobbies: Traveling and eating. My wife and I have been known to drive 4 hours one way for a great meal.

Tarryn Ilina Senior FP&A Analyst Jacksonville, FL

Favorite Meals: Thai food!

Top 3 movies of all time: The Holiday, Just Go With It, and GI Blues.

Jessica Johnson
Jessica Johnson Program Manager Kettering, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Pets: Two cats – Maple & Millie, and one dog – Lexi

Hobbies: I knit and crochet and do some embroidery – basically any fiber arts.

Logan Jones Software Engineer - GO Developer Kyle, TX

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Top 3 movies of all time: 2001 A Space Odyssey, Ratatouille, and Akira.

Pets: I have 2 grey tabby cats (brothers) named Stirling and Warwick.

Rob Klees Director of Contracts Springboro, OH

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Favorite sports teams: Buffalo Bills, Boston Red Sox, Syracuse Orange.

Hobbies: Golf, walking/hiking, enjoying live music.

Mia Kollia Cognitive Systems Engineer Fredericksburg, VA

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Pets: I have two fluffy kitties. They are part Maine Coons. Their names are Moose and Squirrel.

Top 3 movies of all time: I’m biased towards more recent movies, but Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars Rogue One, and Dune.

Stacey Lawson Software Engineer Franklin, OH

Something interesting about yourself: I grew up as a military brat and lived in Germany 3 times in my life, while never learning much of the language!

Hobbies: Traveling to Disney World, collecting video games and vinyl records.

Amy Linkous Chief Human Resources Officer Columbus, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Favorite sports teams: The Buckeyes & any pro-team with Buckeye connections – currently a Titans fan because their coach Mike Vrabel is a Buckeye.

Hobbies: Cooking, reading, watching college football.

Dan Ly Facility Security Officer Englewood, OH

Favorite sports teams: Cleveland Browns.

Hobbies: Cooking and outdoor activities as long as my allergy allows me.

Leia Moore - Associate Cognitive Systems Engineer
Leia Lyden Associate Cognitive Systems Engineer Sandusky, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Pets: 1 dog (Mojo) Black lab/Pitbull mix

Something interesting about me: I love the game of basketball, from playing in college to coaching the next generation of ballers

Name Pronunciation: (Lee-uh) (Lie-din)

Joseph Lyon Senior Software Engineer Dayton, OH

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Top 3 movies of all time: Vertigo, The Godfather, and Finding Nemo.

Pets: I have an axolotl named Buddy.

Jennifer Maher Software Engineer Lebanon, ME

Pronouns: She, They

Favorite food/meal: Beef Pho, Mac and Cheese, and Burgers.

Something interesting about yourself: In my free time I help run a local dance company and love to choreograph pieces and direct shows.

Rob Mahrt Program Controller Erie, PA

Current city: I live in Erie, PA with my wife, Rebecca, and our 3 pets.

Something interesting about yourself: I have over 1,000 old and rare books.

Greg Miller Accountant Sidney, OH

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Best restaurant: Half Shell Raw Bar (Key West, FL)

Something interesting about yourself: I run several marathons every year.

Kayla Sturgeon
Kayla Milligan Software Engineer Centerville, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Hobbies: I play Magic the Gathering and paint the cards in my spare time. I also enjoy a wide variety of video games, reading on my porch, and buying more board games than I will ever have time to play.

Pets: One dog – Mando (Chihuahua Corgi Boston Terrier mix) and one cat – Reginald (Turkish Angora).

Jennifer Milligan - Software Engineer
Jennifer Milligan Software Engineer Canastota, NY

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Pets: Black Pug – Hugo, Boxer/Hound Mix – Molly Anne.

Something interesting about yourself: I have been a public library director for the past 11 years.

Ashley Mills Senior Program Management Analyst Englewood, OH

What I like about Dayton: I love that most of my family is here or close by, allowing us to spend quality time with them. We also LOVE Dragons baseball games. Also, Dayton is central to most things so it is easy to get to anything you want or need. This is home.

Top 3 Movies of All Time: The Notebook, Love and Basketball, and Toy Story.

Nino Mirtskhulava Software Engineer Dayton, OH

Something interesting about yourself: I am from Republic of Georgia. I speak four languages and I like to play chess.

Someone who has had a positive impact on your life: My family for teaching me deep valuable messages and the investments they made on me. My parents for love, integrity, and guidance. My grandparents for imparting wisdom, work ethic, and family values. My brother for being my best friend, motivator, mentor and role model.

Tom Mitchell
Tom Mitchell Director of Product Development

Something interesting about yourself: I was once an apprentice for the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of
America.

Hobbies: Backpacking, Ultra Marathons, Amateur Mechanic

Alex Morison, PhD Chief Science Officer Dayton, OH

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Favorite sports teams: I’ve played volleyball and golf pretty consistently until recently; time is in short supply. So I enjoy watching the Pittsburgh Penguins (while washing dishes or folding clothes).

Top 3 movies of all time: Easy, Spaceballs, The Princess Bride.

Jennifer Mullins
Jennifer Mullins Executive Assistant Dayton, OH

Top 3 movies of all time: The Color Purple, East of Eden, and Bridesmaids.

Someone who has had a positive impact on your life: Pat Garland, a former boss that told me everyday: “thanks for coming back today”.

Rane Nicoletti
Rane (Rain) Nicoletti Technical Program Manager

Pronouns: he/him/his

Something interesting about yourself: I am a professional dance music producer and DJ.

Someone who has had a positive impact on your life: Mr. Johnson, my 7th grade science teacher.

Eve Nyamushonyongora - controller
Eve Nyamushonyongora Controller Reston, VA

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Favorite Sports Teams: Arsenal F.C.

Hobbies: Spending time with my twin daughters and their cats, Birk & Clay. We enjoy watching movies.

Carlos Portis
Carlos Portis Project Manager Dayton, OH

Favorite sports teams: Cleveland Browns & Ohio State.

Hobbies: Playing basketball any chance I get, design, coaching my kids’ team & traveling.

Kelsea Potter Software Engineering Manager Fairborn, OH

Hobbies: Anime, K-Pop, and video games.

Pets: Two Pomeranians, Pixel & Java.

Emily Quinn Design Manager Bay Village, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Favorite Meals: Soondubu jjigae. Korean tofu soup dish.

Someone who has had a positive impact on your life: My kids! They’ve thought me so much about patience, empathy, and unconditional love.

Dawn Roth-Smith Office Coordinator Dayton, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Favorite Sports Teams: Dayton Dragons, Gonzaga Basketball, & Columbus Crew FC

Top 3 movies of all time: The Princess Bride, Desk Set, & Signing in the Rain

Kent Rowand
Kent Rowand Senior Software Engineer Columbus, OH

Hobbies: Water sports.

Something interesting about yourself: Wannabe surfer.

Jackie Scheid Mid Level UX/UI Designer Miamisburg, OH

Something interesting about yourself: If I could have any super power, it would be the ability to speak with animals and shapeshifting.

Hobbies: Art, horse riding, video games, hiking, reading.

Sydney Schoening UX/UI Designer Tipp City, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Favorite Meals: Sushi.

Hobbies: Yoga, reading, and exploring new coffee shops.

Paul Spurlock
Paul Spurlock Senior DevOps Engineer Miamisburg, OH

Favorite sports teams: Green Bay Packers, The Reds and UK Basketball.

Pets: One dog – Tate (retired greyhound racer) and one fat cat – Duke.

Damon Troncone - UX/UI Designer
Damon Troncone UX/UI Designer Clayton, OH

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Hobbies: Playing ukulele, juggling, painting, watching Netflix and obsessing over my cat Kittypurr.

Pets: Two dogs – Banjo (lab mix) and Poe (catahoula) and two black cats (Kittypurr and Kahlo).

Tessa Tupling - Process Improvement Specialist
Tessa Tupling Process Improvement Specialist Beavercreek, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Favorite sports teams: Seattle Sounders, Seahawks, and University of Washington Huskies are the best!

Top 3 movies: Top Gun, Jason Bourne series, and Shooter.

Austin Van Scoik Mid Level UX/UI Designer Dayton, OH

Top 3 movies of all time: Fellowship of the Ring (extended edition), Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Spirited Away.

Something interesting about yourself: I have a modest collection of books/graphic novels and I make a mean pistachio cheesecake.

Ashley Wade Cognitive Systems Engineering Development Manager Centerville, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Pets: Two Tortoiseshell cats (Emma & Evie).

Hobbies: Knitting, reading, hiking, disc golf, roller skating.

Kati Walker
Kati Walker, PhD Cognitive Systems Engineer Dayton, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Pets: I have two black cats named Porter and Hugo.

Hobbies: Sewing, quilting, random other crafts that allow me to add to the craft hoard…

Amanda Walther Portfolio Director Beavercreek, OH

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Something interesting about yourself: I used to design custom wedding invitations and stationery.

Hobbies: Coaching basketball, gardening, cooking, camping.

Kevin Wilburn Associate Software Engineer
Kevin Wilburn Associate Software Engineer Cincinnati, OH

Pets: I have 2 dogs, Ducky and Cimmy.

Hobbies: I like to read, run, and watch movies.

David Will
David Will Senior Quality Assurance Engineer Dayton, OH

Top 3 movies of all time: The Shawshank Redemption, V for Vendetta, & A Few Good Men

Favorite food/meal: Pasta Carbonara and Loaded Potato Soup