The Database Designs Leadership Team

Steve Backman, President. Steve founded Database Designs in 1989 to bring new, effective software development and technology strategy to nonprofits, small businesses and public sector organizations. Steve’s commitment was to "Making advanced technology affordable and accessible." Some of the original labor, nonprofit, business, and state government projects are still in use, and work continues today for the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the New England Carpenters, and other original clients.

The skills and technologies Database Designs offers its clients has evolved and expanded with the times and Database Designs has grown from a company of three to a company with a team of nine consultants. Steve has chosen to keep the company small, independent, and focused on providing select clients comprehensive support in creating unique, mission-critical data-driven systems.

Steve’s own work has increasingly focused on strategic technology planning for sophisticated contact relationship management, community building and e-advocacy initiatives. He sees much of his work as a computer software consultant as an extension of his lifelong commitment to promoting civic and political engagement—not just as a technology provider—but as an activist and organizer.

Steve enjoys speaking and teaching about the creative use of technology to clients and at conferences. Currently, he works closely with Idealware.org on a number of initiatives.

Linda Roistacher, Managing Director and Web Design Consultant. As Database Designs has expanded, Linda has worked closely with Steve to establish systems and processes to guide business development and project management and build the management team. Her particular focus has been on reorganizing the company’s web design work using the Drupal Open Source content management system.

Linda started out as a print designer working for non-profits. Since 2002, she has shifted her focus to web design. She works with clients to define strategic project goals and then translate those goals into websites that are easy to navigate; have a distinctive visual design; include dynamic features and functionality that meet organizational goals and content appropriate to a web format.

David Gabbe, Director of Operations. David joined Database Designs in the winter of 2008. He operates where the business and IT systems intersect to insure that software solutions solve key business problems and challenges. In addition to overseeing business operations for Database Designs, he helps to structure goals, timelines and budget for new engagements and acts as manager for larger development projects.

David has worked as a software developer, technical architect, business analyst and IT consultant for over 10 years. His industry experience covers real time embedded systems, computer software, and health care and insurance. His creative solutions to technical and business problems resulted in one patent.

Selected Staff Profiles

Emily Graham. Emily Graham has twenty years experience designing, consulting on and building sophisticated software systems in an array of technologies. Emily brings a Masters in Computer Science education to her work on large scale client server systems, web sites and networked databases using such environments as SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Visual Basic, Visual Basic .NET, Active Service Pages and ASP.NET, Fox Pro, MultiValue database systems, MySQL, JavaScript, XML and HTML coding, Apache and IIS web servers, GIS and Mapping integration, and all types of sophisticated Microsoft Office VBA automation. She has worked on a range of nonprofit, public sector and for profit systems. She is equally comfortable advising and mentoring on improvements of existing systems, building customized data integration functionality, and designing and creating systems from scratch.

Mimi Kantor, Project Manager, Web Communications consultant and WordPress Developer. With a MA in Media Studies & Film, Mimi took her diverse experience in event, media and non-profit business management to the Internet production realm as a project manager and WordPress developer. Her project management background focuses on stewarding the building of large websites, consulting on content structure and design, while her development background includes work with HTML and WordPress. 

Jon LaRosa. Jon LaRosa has 5 years of experience working with non-profit clients, assessing their needs and developing systems to meet those needs. He has worked with various technologies including SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Visual Basic, ASP, MySQL, JavaScipt, HTML, PHP, CSS, AJAX, and Microsoft Office VBA.

Aaron Manire. Aaron has over ten years of experience with web and database development. For the past three years, he has devoted his career exclusively to developing themes and custom modules with the Drupal content management system. Aaron is strongly committed to the Open Source community, standards compliance and good design.

Mike Tobias. Mike has worked with Steve and Database Designs almost since the beginning. Mike is a committed database developer, principally working with Microsoft Access, the Office Suite, and SQL Server. He has developed the ability to craft highly customized systems to meet exacting client requirements.

Rounding out our team are part time colleagues Alberto Castro, Larry Manire and Oliver Brody.