Celebrating ei³’s employees: The team behind the company’s growth

What makes a company thrive for over two decades in a fast-changing tech landscape? At ei³, the answer lies in the vision of its founder—and the dedication of the people who brought that vision to life.

ei³’s success is rooted in the vision of its founder and the skills of its engineers. This is as true today as it was in 1999 when a handful of talents gathered around Spencer Cramer to lay down the foundation of what would become the world’s longest-running industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) company. Over the years, ei³ expanded its footprint and attracted a growing group of talented staff, each new team member adding to ei³’s pool of aptitude and ideas. Of this diverse team, Chad Ifill, Tony Birman (both “first-hour” employees), Donna Meier, and Frazier Sinkler have all had significant influence in helping ei³ become what it is today and stand here representing all of the ei³ family: Their loyalty, teamwork, and dedication have helped ei³ develop from 12 connected machines in 2 countries in 1999 to more than 100,000 connected machines in 113 countries today.

Chad Ifill, one of ei³’s first employees, started as a Help Desk assistant providing 24/7 service to customers. Chad has since held more than six customer-focused positions and has been involved in a variety of projects. He has embraced each role and built most projects from the ground up and now serves as ei³’s Director of Inside Sales. For Chad, the ability to venture into different roles, the work time flexibility, and the independence to shape his own path has helped keep things stimulating. He describes watching projects he helped establish as “having a puppy and watching the puppy grow…It’s an absolutely amazing thing.” He’s also an invaluable part of ei³’s company culture, actively helping and coaching old colleagues, new colleagues, and clients alike.

“We really built a family in ei³. These are people that I consider friends outside of work. Through ups and downs in life, we're all there for each other.”

Chad Ifill, Director of Inside Sales

Tony Birman arrived at ei³ soon after Chad. Tony joined as a software developer and still considers writing software the “thing he does”, though he currently holds the title of Principal Engineer. Tony has had his hands on nearly every project ever conceived at ei³. For example, LightStay, which Tony developed in 2001, has now saved Hilton hotels over $1 Billion in energy costs. Witnessing the impact of his designs has instilled in him a sense of pride and belief in ei³’s vision - using technology to help create a sustainable future. Tony’s vision of change has helped him stay engaged for 23 years. His extensive knowledge and experience have also enabled him to mentor countless younger ei³ employees - sharing a vision of the future with the future.

Donna Meier has worked at ei³ since 2009. Her part-time role as a bookkeeper and accountant quickly evolved into the full-time management of ei³’s finances. The necessity of the position marked a significant point in ei³’s growth: Donna put ei³ on the map of the world of finance. Despite the sudden increase in responsibility demanded by the role, Donna addressed challenges as a learning experience and built confidence in herself.

“You can surprise yourself with what your inner skills are when you’re faced with a challenge,” says Donna.

By expanding her accounting skills and building connections with colleagues and mentors, she was able to “embrace every aspect of the job.” Donna has managed the company’s accounting functions for 16 years and contributed to the rapid growth of the company with outstanding talent and professionalism. She also attributes part of her loyalty to Spencer Cramer, the company’s founder and CEO. Spencer’s approachable nature helped Donna build trust and faith in the company during ei³’s early stages. “That’s where the inspiration comes from to want to be loyal to the company.”

Frazier Sinkler started with ei3 in 2010 as a consultant, working alongside Tony. He played a critical role in developing ei3’s “e-services” strategy—an initiative that laid the groundwork for the company’s modern offerings. With it, Frazier has overseen an incredible 500-fold growth in the number of ei³’s machine connections while directly enhancing the scalability of ei³’s solutions. He has also played an integral role in helping to establish ei³’s Center of Software Excellence in its Montreal office. He is currently Vice President of Applications and working as a scrum master, overseeing the development and delivery of ei³’s suite of Industrial IoT applications. Frazier describes his journey as that of a “technology nerd to a professional,” and regards the collaborative atmosphere he has experienced at ei³ as a vehicle for valuable personal growth. 

“I haven't bumped into anyone who hasn't in some way taught me something or dropped a golden nugget of wisdom – which I also try to do in return.”

Frazier Sinkler, Vice President of Applications

Together, Chad, Tony, Donna, and Frazier have played defining roles in helping ei³ deliver on its mission. As Frazier puts it, “The culture, the vision, and our mission is one that is often hard to find. It’s a redeeming mission.” From the earliest days to now, they’ve been instrumental in advocating for a smarter, more sustainable, and more connected industrial world.