Chris started his entrepreneurial journey when he was 13 years old, delivering newspapers for a local paper. Over 30 years later, he is still learning and growing, both personally and professionally. Having worked in a multitude of different industries with thousands of different people, growth remains his primary focus. However, his number one focus is his wife, Kris and their two children, Hayden & Audrey. They spend time together often traveling to their favorite destinations – Cook Forest and Walt Disney World. He enjoys Trail running, Pumpkin Pie and Frank Sinatra.

As AVP’s resident ‘Jill-of-all-trades,’ Kris enjoys helping businesses flourish. She graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in electrical engineering, eventually leaving the profession to become a domestic engineer (stay-at-home mom) and care for her young kids. During this time, she gained mad skills in multitasking, creative problem-solving, planning, entertaining, and staying focused on the ‘big picture’ in every situation.

When she isn’t working, Kris loves spending time with her ever-growing family, volunteering with The Montessori School of the Mahoning Valley and Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.), life-planning with her adorable and unpredictable husband, trail running with her loyal dog, living the simple life in Cook Forest, and taking magical family vacations in Walt Disney World with Chris and their children, Hayden and Audrey.

Jim has been with Advantage Video since 2008. Originally from Upstate NY, he attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where he received his Bachelor of Science. Fluent in motion graphic design and a range of editing programs he works as primary editor on many of our projects. Outside of work he enjoys video games, cycling, movies, and would like to do more kayaking.

Alec joined the advantage team in 2017. He was born and raised here in the Mahoning valley, and started capturing photographs and videos from a young age when he decided that one day he would make videos for a living. Alec continues to hone and develop his skills in Motion Graphics, Video Editing and Videography to further his craft. Outside of work Alec spends his time traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Zach discovered his passion for all things video when he attended his high school’s multimedia program. After high school, he studied Video Production and 3D Animation in Pittsburgh, PA.

With his wife Kayla, Zach started a Wedding Videography company and they have been creating wedding films for couples in Northeast Ohio ever since. In his free time, you can find Zach with his wife and son spending time outdoors.

Jacob is a the Head Graphic Designer with Advantage and is also the office puppy. A Raider and a Penguin, Jacob was born, raised and still loves the area. He got his start doing graphics from a video class in high school and since then, hasn’t exited out of Photoshop.

When not at work he enjoys his little free time spending time with his family and friends, playing and watching soccer and basketball, skiing (when the weather is right), the hijinks on the show The Office, and honing in on his graphic design skills.

Samantha is the Copywriter and Engagement Specialist for Advantage but is lovingly referred to as “Post-Post.” She graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in English and takes language incredibly seriously (but also has fun with it!). Samantha is fluent in Italian and happy to talk to you about music for any length of time. She takes great care to be the online voice representing our clients. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, attending concerts, and spending time with friends and family. That’s what life is all about, folks!

Matt is a graduate of Youngstown State University where he studied Marketing, Management, and Digital Media. He was born and raised in the Mahoning Valley, and started creating videos and taking photos his freshman year of high school. After developing a love for digital media, he decided to pursue a Marketing degree to help businesses create content and is continuously learning new Marketing strategies. Besides work, Matt loves everything and anything outdoors including hiking and skiing with friends and family.

Lucas is the most recent addition to the Advantage team, he has just graduated from Youngstown State University in the spring with a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising and Public Relations. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Business Administration. Lucas assists both the video and marketing teams here at Advantage. Other than school and work, he enjoys creating short films with his friends and creating music. He has always loves to create and prides himself on getting better from everything he does.

Maccy was born and raised in Warren, Ohio. While attending her local trade school for multimedia, she fell head-first into the digital world and editing. Since then, she’s been honing her skills in motion graphics and video editing. When she’s not in the office, you can find her raving about another horror movie, coloring, or cuddling her fur baby, Smokey.

Jeff Kraus is the latest addition to Advantage. He has worked in video and film production since graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Electronic Media in 2014.

Jeff is an award-winning, two-time published author of the books The Aspie Teen’s Survival Guide and The Aspie College, Work and Travel Survival Guide. In his downtime, Jeff writes, catches up on movies, and collaborates on independent films.