Team
Our 40+ employees form an interdisciplinary team that includes designers, software developers, hardware engineers, A/V media specialists, educators, and scientists.
Jim Spadaccini
Founder, Creative Director
In 1999, Jim Spadaccini founded Ideum, where he is the Creative Director and Founder. He helps direct Ideum’s commercial hardware and software initiatives and provides creative direction for custom software and installation projects.
Jim was the Principal Investigator for the National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored Open Exhibits software and community initiative and a co-PI for the Creating Museum Media for Everyone (CMME) project. In addition, he was co-Chair of the NSF-funded Human Computer Interaction in Informal Science Education (HCI+ISE) conference. Additionally, Jim was a Principal Investigator on the NASA funded Space Weather Mobile project and co-PI on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sponsored project, Hurricanes and Climate Change.
In addition to his responsibilities at Ideum, Jim is active in the community and volunteers as a board member for the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. Before founding Ideum, Jim was the Director of Interactive Media at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. While at the Exploratorium, his department was responsible for developing educational Web resources and media exhibits for the museum floor. For his work at the Exploratorium, Jim received a Smithsonian Computerworld Award, an Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) Award for Innovation, and three consecutive Webby Awards for “Best Science Site.”
Jim taught courses on design and technology at San Francisco State University’s (SFSU) Multimedia Studies Program for seven years starting in the mid-90s, and more recently taught Technology-Enhanced Communication for the Cultural Heritage (TEC-CH) program at the University of Lugano, Switzerland. For more than a decade, he has taught courses on digital media and museums for the Cultural Resource Management Program at University of Victoria, British Columbia. Along with his work in informal education, Jim has consulted with Apple and Adobe and has developed promotional and instructional materials for a number of professional software authoring tools.
Rebecca Shreckengast
CXO / Partner
Becca is Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at Ideum, specializing in exhibition planning and design for museums and corporate clients. She has 20 years of experience directing projects ranging from nature centers and natural history museums, to art, cultural, and historical museums. She received her BA in Industrial Design from Carnegie Mellon and MLA in Museum Studies from Harvard. Becca promotes innovation in areas such as issues-based content, accessible design, and inclusive interpretation.
Becca has implemented story-driven projects with over thirty clients including New York Historical Society, North Carolina Museum of Nature and Science, National Constitution Center, and Museum of International Folk Art. Her team process ensures institutional goals are identified, educational objectives are met, and that clients see themselves in the products of their work.
While Director of Exhibition Experience at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Rebecca gained insight into design that reduces maintenance needs. Her experience value-engineering object displays that meet museum standards, planning relevant experiences that delight visitors, and producing world-class tech and aesthetics, ensures measurable impacts whether the budget is $5,000 or $15 million.
Darold Ross
Senior Producer of Project Management
Darold is a Senior Producer of Project Management at Ideum dedicated to empowering creative teams to create interactive digital experiences for public spaces. Informed by his half-decade of experience as a user experience designer, he now directs projects with a holistic approach to building experiences that create shared moments and foster community. He has managed a wide range of projects from guiding museums bringing technology into their spaces for the first time to managing the evolution of established products over the years.
In his spare time, Darold is a dedicated volunteer. From 2015–2017 he served as president of AIGA New Mexico, the state chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design. During his tenure, he worked to cultivate and enrich a culture of design knowledge and excellence in the New Mexico area through educational outreach and professional events. Since then, he has served as the board advisor for AIGA New Mexico and continues to actively organize in the New Mexico creative community. He received his BFA with an emphasis in graphic design at New Mexico State University.
Jenny Kvapil
Senior Producer of Contracts and Administration
Jenny is a Senior Producer of Contracts and Administration for Ideum. She has a background in Environmental Education, working for over a decade as an instructor, program manager, and zookeeper. She has led outdoor, hands-on, science classes with children, introduced zoo visitors to a wide variety of animals, and coordinated many special events educating thousands of people about wildlife. Working with children, animals, and special events has cultivated a focus on flexibility, and she is happy to lean on this quality as a project coordinator. Jenny recently completed a master’s degree in Public Administration, concentrating in Nonprofit Management. She is a Certified Associate in Project Management through the Project Management Institute, as well as a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional through the National Recreation and Parks Association. In her free time she enjoys outdoor explorations, candlemaking, picnics, and scouring thrift stores for treasures.
George Hardebeck
Senior Producer of Engineering
George is a Senior Producer of Engineering at Ideum specializing in projection mapping experiences and creative technologies. He received his BFA and MFA of Creative Technologies from Virginia Tech, where he learned to love the challenges in making advanced scientific research accessible through interactive media. George has worked on large and small format interactive projection projects with the Smithsonian Museum of American History, Natural History Museum of Utah, the Moss Arts Center, and was a featured artist at Moogfest in 2018.
George previously worked for the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) at Virginia Tech. He designed immersive media projects from a VR mini-doc on the excavation of a Phytosaur skeleton to building computer vision applications for projection on mobile objects. He also built, maintained, and developed for ICAT's premier research facility, the Cube. With a technology stack including 124 speakers, 24 Qualysis cameras, 4 12k lumen 3D projectors with a 16' tall circular screen, and a full complement of virtual and augmented reality devices, it's as close as you can get to Star Trek's holodeck. George specializes in delivering exceptional AV experience beyond the imagination.
In his freetime George is an avid outdoor explorer and home chef. He looks forward to exploring the culinary traditions of the American Southwest as well as the vastly different landscape from his Appalachian upbringing.
Dennis Bateman
Executive Producer
Dennis is an Executive Producer at Ideum. With over three decades of creating educational program development and leading exhibit development design, planning, and fabrication, Dennis has headed teams that have created dozens of exhibitions both in the United States and New Zealand.
His career at museums and science centers having begun as a gallery attendant, Dennis learned his craft from the ground up and across departments, giving him a keen eye for what works for both the visitor, and the client, with respect to messaging, engagement, appeal, and durability.
His work has been on projects—and budgets—both large and small, and created for durations that were temporary, permanent, and traveling, at science centers, museums, zoos, children’s museums and visitor centers. If you’ve been in museums from Pittsburgh to Orlando to Connecticut, Arkansas or Wellington, New Zealand, you’ve likely seen and engaged with Dennis’ work.
Robert Demsey
Manager of Media Systems
Robert is a Manager of Media Systems for Ideum. He works in Ideum’s Creative Services group helping plan and execute AV and IoT projects. Rob has helped design and deploy projection environments, video and LED tile walls, and integrated custom kiosks and exhibits. Away from Ideum, Robert is a mixed media artist creating blown glass sculpture and drinkware. In his free time, him and his two dogs enjoy the outdoors by going backpacking, fishing, and skating around the city.
Reuben Vinal
Media Systems & Custom Hardware Technician
Reuben is an Exhibit Technician at Ideum. He holds a BS in Physics from the University of Arizona. His background includes IT, software development, and audio engineering. In his spare time, Reuben enjoys all things music-related, whether playing traditional Irish music on the upright bass or jazz standards on the ukulele, researching the history of space disco, or building his own experimental instruments. He also loves to cook and is dedicated to expanding his knowledge of the world’s regional cuisines.
Glass Cartwright
Web Developer
Glass has been a Web Developer with Ideum for over a dozen years. He began programming in Basic and Fortran in the 70s; explored martial arts and physical security in the early 80s; and investigated the copying and printing industry, early typesetting technologies, and rare book / art restoration and conservation in the 90s and early 00s. Since the dawn of the new millenium Glass has been working in web-related technologies.
Glass has studied traditional ontologies and epistemologies as well as world culture for most of his life. He spent time on a marine-biology research vessel based out of Port Aransas, Texas studying the effects of the Ixtoc oil spill on sharks, skates, and rays in the Gulf of Mexico. Glass holds a Doctorate (in what? he’s not saying). He is a third-wave barista, avid reader, off-the-beaten-path film buff, dual-sport motorcyclist, world-traveler, paper-and-pencil RPG game designer, and a musician (mostly bass and trumpet - playing in the Austin All-City Orchestra as a young teen and several Punk/Ska & World Music bands when older).
Glass was born in the Philippines, grew up in Virgina - wandering freely through York Town, James Town, and Colonial Williamsburg; spent his teen years in Austin, Texas; his 20s in Saint Louis, Missouri; his 30s in towns large and small all across North Carolina; and most of his 40s and 50s in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has been a husband and father for over thirty years, and has three interesting adult children.
James Romero
Lead Technical Artist
James is a Lead Technical Artist at Ideum who focuses on 3D modeling, illustration, UX/UI design, and animation. He has worked on numerous projects, including applications for the Albuquerque Biopark, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Outside of work, James enjoys volunteering as a local swing dance instructor and DJ for various studios and community centers. He has a degree in Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media from the University of New Mexico.
José Crespin
Experience Designer I
José is a Experience Designer I for Ideum. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication with an emphasis in Graphic Design, graduating magna cum laude. He has over 6 years experience in graphic design doing freelance work for clients such as the United World College-USA, The Alzheimers Association of New Mexico, New Mexico Association for Museums, small businesses and individuals. In his free time he collects and shoots with vintage and modern day film cameras. He enjoys being in nature and hiking when not behind his computer. Some of his other interests are architecture, cooking, music, cinematography and art.
Ally Goodman-Janow
Managing Senior Developer
Ally is a Managing Senior Developer at Ideum. Ally graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a minor in Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media. Her interests are mainly focused on User Interfaces and video game design, but is also interested in web development and content management systems. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, cooking, and being outside.
Anthony Badell
Integration and Installation Manager
Anthony is the Integration and Installation Manager for Ideum. He has a Bachelors of Music in theory and composition from Concordia College, Moorhead, MN. Anthony spent 12 years as a professional musician and audio engineer before coming to Ideum. He enjoys writing and playing music, yoga, riding bikes, gardening, and fixing broken things.
Steven Mayo
Photographer / Videographer
Steven is a Junior Photographer / Videographer at Ideum. He has a BFA in Film Production, with a focus on Cinematography, from the University of New Mexico. For the last two years Steven has been a freelance videographer filming public festivals, music videos, instructional videos, and music events. In his free time, he enjoys making short-films, going to concerts, hiking, and fishing New Mexico’s local streams and rivers.
Alexander Booher
Leading Senior Developer
Alex Booher is a Leading Senior Developer for Ideum. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media and a minor in Computer Science. Before coming to Ideum he worked on several interactive projects, some of them leveraging skeleton tracking or the Microsoft Hololens. During his free time, Alex enjoys playing tabletop games, photography, reading, and creating games with friends
Sonia Lorenz
Experience Designer II
Sonia is an Experience Designer II at Ideum. She has studied Digital Media, Graphic Design and Print Making. She has over 10 years of experience doing freelance work for a vast variety of clients and industries including local small businesses and national non-profit organizations. She focuses her work on storytelling and creating meaningful connections through the influence of design. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, crafting, drawing and painting.
Tomas Durkin
Exhibit Developer II
Tom is an Exhibit Developer at Ideum. Tom graduated from the University of California San Diego with a BS in Interdisciplinary Computing in the Arts. He also holds an MFA in Web Design and New Media from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Before coming to Ideum, Tom was the Exhibits Development Manager at the Children’s Creativity Museum in SF for 6 and a half years. There he was able to manage and contribute to the full range of the exhibit development process, from initial concept renderings to programming and fabrication.
Tom is passionate about immersive, interactive experiences that leverage tangible objects and physical gestures. In his spare time, he enjoys playing drums and guitar, cooking, playing video games, and working on creative coding projects. He also taught sailing in San Diego for 9 summers. As a California transplant, Tom is learning to take his love for the ocean and find some new outdoor adventures in New Mexico.
Alex Monasterio
Technical Artist
Alex Monasterio is a Technical Artist at Ideum. Alex Graduated from California Institute of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Composition. Prior to working for Ideum, Alex worked as a Game Design and Programming instructor as well as a freelance audio engineer and sound designer. In his free time, Alex can be found playing video games, hiking with his dog, or making music.
Zuyva Sevilla
A/V Technician
Zuyva is an A/V Technician at Ideum. While studying New Media Art at the University of North Texas, he also worked at their Digital Fabrication Lab where he helped students make their artistic visions a reality by teaching the use of all different sorts of manufacturing equipment. As a new media artist, his free time is spent researching and tinkering with myriad stuff, ranging from VR to lasers, while also trying to find time to experience the New Mexican outdoors!
Mark Novelero
Web Developer
Mark is a Web Developer at Ideum. Mark graduated from the University of California San Diego with a BA in Visual Arts. In 2011, Mark moved to New York City to pursue a career in museum education. After earning his MA in Museum Studies at New York University, Mark joined the National September 11 Memorial and Museum as an Interpretive Programs Supervisor. In that role, Mark managed and trained museum educators to deliver educational programs.
Mark is passionate about museum education, exhibitions, and art history. In his spare time, Mark likes to eat at food trucks, attend cultural events, and walk around New York City. Additionally, Mark is an avid traveler, having visited over twenty countries.
Alexis Ramos
Junior Designer
Alexis is a Junior Designer at Ideum with experience in 3D modeling and rendering as well as 2D design. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Arts in Pre-Professional Architecture. Following graduation, she worked as a set designer and graphic designer in the film industry as well as a freelance designer.
Outside of work, she enjoys obsessing over the scores and cinematography of great films, staying up to date on new design trends and programs, playing video games, and spending time with her dog.
Samuel Bridgeman
Exhibit Designer
Sam is an Exhibit Designer at Ideum. He studied academic art in Southern Pines, NC and holds a bachelors of Industrial Design from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Lafayette, Louisiana. In the past he has had the opportunity to work in a diverse number of creative design fields including printmaking, game design, luxury cruise ship interiors, and aftermarket pinball machine parts. Sam is most interested in using design as a means of helping and assisting others. Some of his favorite activities include drawing on long hikes, drawing on the beach, drawing while skygazing, and drawing.
Jonathan Namovic
Experience Programmer
Jonathan Namovic is an Experience Programmer at Ideum. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and a minor in Game Design. Before working at Ideum, he worked on a number of smaller projects such as virtual competition environments, educational experiences to teach cyber security concepts, and many short-form games and demos.
Outside of work, he enjoys backpacking, playing and making video games with friends, and being in the great outdoors.
Naichelle Davis
Experience Designer I
Naichelle is an Experience Designer I for Ideum. She holds two degrees in Fashion Design, a Bachelors from Moore College of Art & Design and a Master of Fine Arts from De Montfort University. She has over 6 years of experience freelancing for commercial clients, small businesses, and independent customers. Her recent work is centered around the User Experience and building interactive stories through design. When she’s not working, you can find her hiking, going on road trips, playing card games, Animal Crossing, spending too much money on food, and studying languages.
Angela Arzave
SEC / Director of Finance
Angela Arzave is the Chief Financial Officer for Ideum Inc. She manages Ideum’s finance unit and helps with all strategic and tactical matters as they relate to budget management. Angela assisted in setting up Ideum’s accounting system and her group coordinates domestic and international payments along with logistics for Ideum’s worldwide multitouch hardware sales. Before working in management for Ideum, Angela was a well-known pastry chef at two top restaurants in San Francisco: EOS, and Bacar.
Rita Sanchez
Assistant Director of Finance / Partner
Rita is the Assistant Director of Finance for Ideum. She brings extensive knowledge in the audit and accounting fields in which she has worked, off and on, for the past 25 years. Rita brings experience implementing and managing financial and accounting systems for small privately owned businesses. Rita has extensive experience tracking grant funding, inventory tracking and financial reporting. She started her career as a bank auditor and was eventually promoted to Vice President for a small bank in Espanola, New Mexico. Rita holds a BA degree with honors in Business Administration from New Mexico State University. She has lived in Corrales, New Mexico for the past 12 years with her husband and two children.
Jason Martinez
Procurement Specialist
Jason is the Procurement Specialist at Ideum. He is currently completing his Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting at the University of New Mexico. Prior to joining Ideum, Jason worked at the UNM Controllers Office. Jason has also worked with other areas of UNM and the City of Albuquerque to create and implement standard practices in Internal Auditing and IT implementation/strategy among organizations. Jason is a native northern New Mexican who enjoys the outdoors and auto-mechanics in his off time from work.
Liz Richardson
Sales and Marketing Associate
Liz is the Sales and Marketing Associate at Ideum, communicating with clients and assisting with the marketing team's campaigns. She earned her Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Photography from the Southwest University of Visual Arts in 2014. After graduation, she spent some time working for a portrait photography studio, but after a short time, moved on to management and marketing while freelancing a broad range of photographic work. In her free time, she likes working on personal art projects, playing video games and D&D, cooking and baking, and hanging out with dogs.
Brenda Hayes
Sales Team Admin Specialist
Brenda is a Sales Team Admin Specialist at Ideum. She has been a proud member of the Admin team in Bldg C since March 2022. She brings to Ideum 20+ years of hands-on office management & sales team administration experience within the AV systems integration industry. Brenda is originally from Edmond, Oklahoma, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences. She has an affinity for creative writing and possesses a passion for animals. Now that the pandemic shows signs of waning, she looks forward to exploring the various dog-friendly trails and enjoying all the sites she's heard so much about that New Mexico has to offer.
Anthony LaBella
Technical Sales Engineer
Anthony is the Technical Sales Engineer at Ideum, working with clients to communicate their needs and assist with the team's marketing campaigns. Anthony studied Marketing at the University of New Mexico and attended CNM's Inguentity Bootcamp for Digital Media. After graduating, Anthony worked as an Account Development Executive while freelancing various digital media work. He has a passion for technology and design and enjoys playing video games, bodybuilding, museums, and spending time with dogs.
Hardware & Fabrication
top ▲
Matthew Gallegos
Hardware Product Manager
Matt is a Hardware Product Manager for Ideum. He works in both the production and prototype shops at Ideum. He is an experienced designer, integrator, and fabricator. His background includes design, fabrication, and sales of high performance fluid control systems, and custom products for use in cleanroom and other critical environments. As a lifelong student of the arts and engineering, his main focus is on design for manufacturing. Away from Ideum, Matt is an avid gamer who enjoys the outdoors, jeeping, and is a vociferous proponent of the reinstatement of Pluto’s rightful planetary status.
David Bayer
Master Exhibit Technician
David is an Exhibit Technician at Ideum, where he assembles multi-touch tables. He has an extensive background in IT as well as an associates of applied science. He first got into computers thanks to gaming and later learned programming. After some years working for a small business doing IT he decided to return to school, where he graduated from CNM as an electrical technician.
Kaitlin Ha
Advanced Exhibit Technician
Kaitlin is an Advanced Exhibit Technician at Ideum. Helping construct multitouch tables she does. She studied in Albuquerque, NM. at University of New Mexico, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Kaitlin's past has been filled with diverse pursuits: from research on infectious diseases to helping her mother build pcs. Teaching at the aquarium and volunteer ESL teacher she does. A passion for teaching and learning she loves. Video games, powerlifting, rugby, walking her dogs, and playing games, these things she does enjoy.
Eddie Montoya
Advanced Exhibit Technician
Eddie is an Exhibit Technician at Ideum, where he assembles multi-touch tables. He has an extensive background in IT and Logistics, and helps out wherever he is needed. Growing up in New Mexico he has always had a passion for computers, computer assembly, and anything electronic to take apart, figure out how it works, put it back together again. In his free time, Eddie enjoys gaming, cooking, playing guitar, and reading.
Lakhena Raingsan
Director of Fabrication
Lakhena is the Director of Fabrication at Ideum. She leads a team of dedicated designers, builders, and craftspeople at Ideum’s fabrication facility. With over a decade of experience designing and fabricating unique and complex projects, Lakhena is driven by thoughtful craft, material experimentation, and an interest in pushing the limits of what is possible. Prior to joining Ideum, Lakhena led a multi-disciplinary design and fabrication studio in Brooklyn, NY. She holds a Masters of Architecture from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.
Internally, Lakhena focuses on cultivating an inclusive environment that promotes and encourages open collaboration and trust, allowing each team member to inspire one another and to contribute their ideas at a high level.
Alex Genove
Exhibit Technician
Alex is an Exhibit Technician at Ideum. He graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a BA in Sound Design focusing primarily on film and audio recording techniques. Alex has experience in digital audio workspace editing, live performance setup and mixing, as well as game audio design. He enjoys going to live music venues, playing drums, and PC gaming.
Chris Harlow
Exhibit Technician
Chris is an Exhibit Technician at Ideum. He was raised in Corrales, Graduated from Cibola high school and went on to get his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from NMSU. While fairly new to the Touch display industry, he's excited to learn. In his spare time, Chris enjoys playing Video games, Ultimate Frisbee, Lake days, and anything to do with dogs or cats.
Cat Cao
Industrial Designer
Cat is an Industrial Designer at Ideum. She graduated from James Madison University with an Industrial Design degree. During her time in school Cat was very involved with touchless technology from VR to AR and she is excited to learn more about the industry. In her free time, Cat enjoys working on her digital sketching skills, trying new yoga poses, exploring hiking trails with her dog and watching tons of movies.
Alayne Ballantine
Exhibit Technician
Alayne is an Exhibit Technician at Ideum. She studied Philosophy and English Literature at the University of North Texas. During school Alayne worked in electronics building cables and circuit boards. She has also spent time creating 3-D modeled electronic toys for pinball machines and other arcade games. Alayne loves to work with metal and other tangible art forms in her free time and also likes to spend time writing educational short stories about her dog, Kimber.
Let's Collaborate
Do you have a project or collaboration in mind? Fill out our inquiry form so we can see how we can help.
+ Inquiry Form