Who We Are
Bil MacLeslie
Bil MacLeslie is the Chief Executive Officer of ipHouse, a
Minneapolis based Internet Service Provider. MacLeslie has over 12
years of Internet experience. Prior to starting ipHouse MacLeslie
spent 9 years at VISI.com. Prior to VISI.com, MacLeslie spent 2
years at the University of Minnesota operating networks for the
Biochemistry Department.
Prior to joining the University of Minnesota in 1992, MacLeslie
worked as an independent consultant specializing in planning,
installing and maintaining computer networks for corporate and
educational institutions.
MacLeslie was lured into the field of technology after spending
a decade mastering the technical challenges of theatre and live
& recorded performance. As a stage and sound technician, he
spent three years with the Guthrie Theater and toured nationally
with such acts as The Replacements, REM, X, The Jets, Rod Stewart
and The Nylons. He's worked his backstage magic with Graham
Chapman, Bruce Willis, Harry Anderson, Theatre de le Jeune Lune,
Emo Phillips, Todd Rundgren, Louie Andersen, The Minnesota Opera,
Judy Collins, NRBQ, The Pixies, Tina Turner and countless others.
In 2002 MacLeslie earned the coveted 40 under 40 award from The
Business Journal, placing him as one of the top business people
under 40 in Minnesota. MacLeslie is also former President of the
Minnesota Internet Services Trade Association and actively monitors
public affairs and regulatory issues relating to telecom and
Internet in Minnesota. In his role at ipHouse he supervises
marketing, brand identity, sales, development of new products and
service for customers. MacLeslie has also served on the Board of
the Minnesota High Tech Association.
Mike Horwath
Mike Horwath is the reigning CTO (whoa, acronyms!) of ipHouse with
over 14 years of Internet experience from the technical operations in
an ISP enviornment.
Prior to starting ipHouse with MacLeslie and Lyon, Mike spent 8
years at VISI.com as the lead tech/director of network
engineering/chief scientist (loads of titles! I wanted to be NE/RD
but Doug McIntyre stole that title).
Prior to VISI.com, Mr. Horwath spent 3 years at another ISP he
founded, Winternet, which at the time was the largest ISP in the
Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. Ah... 9600bps, SLIP, Trumpet
Winsock, Internet in a Box, and life before the web.
Before that... Mike had spent several years as a BBS operator,
database author/administrator, and general systems builder/consultant
dealing with a variety of different hardware, operating systems and
databases, including PICK. Anyone remember PICK? VMS and DCL?
SyncSort? DOS-5? DOOM? Kareteka? TPro BBS? COBOL? GNO?
Favorite statements:
The Internet - it's like heroin, man, the first times free!
-- Joe Kohn of the old Apple ][ world, Kfest 1995
Only you can prevent forest fires!
-- that silly bear
None of this is rocket science, it is all memorization and rote,
what sets us apart in this business is our imagination.
-- myself
Eric Snyder (Senior Sales Guru)
Eric Snyder has 10 years of Internet experience. Eric was one of
the original founders of GoldenGate Internet Services in 1995. Eric
came over to da'House with the merger of GoldenGate into ipHouse in
2004. At ipHouse Eric has moved back into his original calling -
sales. Previous to GoldenGate, he sold computers for the once famous
Zeos Computer Outlet Store and sold software for several Software
Etc. stores in a mall near you. He has also spent time as a network
consultant, political activist, and foosball wanna-be. Present
non-work activities include basset hound herder, Mariucci Arena seat
warmer, almost 10 year husband, and proud/gushing father of a
six-year-old boy.
Doug Rau (Webmaster)
Doug Rau is the ipHouse webmaster, responsible for This Mess Here.
Doug has been working with computers for over 450 million seconds,
starting with programming on the Apple ][. In his younger days, he
studied aerospace engineering and worked in the dark, seedy
underworld of RF propagation prediction and analysis software, before
becoming distracted by something shiny called the Internet. Doug
spent 8 years as webmaster of VISI.com before coming over to
ipHouse.
When Doug isn't programming, he is likely to be with his wife,
gaming with paper and funny dice, listening to techno music, or
watching anime. When Doug isn't near a computer, he is likely to be
suffering withdrawl, please approach him only if necessary and do not
make any sudden moves.
