Our Beginnings
To truly understand JumpFly, you need to understand the lifelong friendship at the company’s center
growing up in the same neighborhood, Brad Garlin and Mike Tatge have been inseparable since their suburban Chicago childhoods.
1985 Childhood friends
Recognizing the opportunities of the early Internet, Mike and Brad left their careers to start a new company together, NetVentures. This introduced them to Goto.com, the inventors of the Pay Per Click Advertising model still used today by Google, Facebook, & Amazon.
1998 - Prequel
The boom led to a bust for NetVentures and many others in early 2000. Mike and Brad then decide to pivot and help businesses use Goto.com and PPC ads to find new customers online.
2000 - The "bubble" bursts
Mike & Brad sign an ambassador agreement with Goto.com as the first ad agency strictly focused on providing PPC Advertising Management.
2001 - Take 2
After building to 50 clients, they incorporate as JumpFly. Brad's basement is the first official JumpFly office. Hires employee #1 while still basement bound.
2003 - The basement
The growing company moved to a rented townhouse and kept adding staff. Jack O’Donnell, who still serves as one of the company’s strategy directors, came aboard during this time as the second non-founder hired.
2004 - The townhouse
Now seven strong, JumpFly moves the office to a house that the team dubbed "Lucy's" in honor of the previous owner. After enjoying Lucy's and their continued growth for almost three years, it was finally time to lease a "real" office.
2005 - Lucy's
At the Elgin, IL address it continues to grow JumpFly can look back with pride on keeping its unique culture intact. As an industry pioneer now employing more than 40, it remains privately held, with many early hires still around. That means the company is free to remain non-conformist, focusing on long-term employee and customer relationships that transcend the transactional.
2008 - Real office digs
2010 – 2020
A natural transition beyond PPC to Smart Digital Marketing
2022 – Service Expansion
We added a new Creative Design department, expanded Marketplace offerings, and created an AI Committee to evolve our services through new technology.
2023 – We Turned 20!
JumpFly celebrates its 20th anniversary with a truly EPIC party celebrating our uncommon culture!
2024
All grown up, soul still intact
“Everybody wants to raise each other up.”
Charlotte St. Pierre
“Our most valuable resource is our human resource.”
Cary Goldstein
Kelly Spryszak
“Coming to JumpFly was a cultural change that was incredible.”
