Past, Present, Future: Our Journey Together

Welcome to Rainfire Media! I’m Rick Romano, the Founder of Rainfire Media, and I’m excited to share a glimpse of our journey and my background in the web design industry.

Our adventure began in 1992 in the vibrant city of San Francisco, California, a renowned hub for multimedia innovation. Drawn by the opportunities in Multimedia CD Rom production, I moved to San Francisco with a dream. Although I initially faced challenges finding the perfect opportunity, I joined Aspen Graphics, a print production service bureau, as a salesman in San Francisco’s bustling advertising district.

The internet revolutionized everything in 1993 with the release of the Netscape browser. Captivated by this new frontier, I successfully pitched my first website design to KFOG Radio, the leading Contemporary Rock Station in the Bay Area. This pivotal moment led to the creation of FogNet, the first radio station website to receive multiple awards in the radio industry. Our success continued, and by 1994, AspenMedia was born, securing contracts with ten more radio stations.

In 1995, we proudly added Yahoo! to our client roster, and I had the honor of leading the design for the Yahoo! logo and business brand identity. AspenMedia also developed the initial website portals for Yahoo! Shopping, Yahoo! Entertainment, and Yahoo! Jobs. As the Internet industry boomed in San Francisco, we grew to a team of over 65 individuals, serving 100 clients and collaborating with pioneering Internet leaders. We helped numerous startups build their first websites, including Yahoo!, ZipCityUSA, Excite Networks, and Grocery.com. These experiences sharpened my ability to innovate and think ahead.

The Dot Com bust in 1999 posed significant challenges, but in 2000, I consolidated the company and relocated AspenMedia’s operations to Irvine in Orange County, California. We discovered a new market niche within the thriving real estate industry, leading to the creation of Pacific Vantage Real Estate. Within six months, we assembled a team of over 300 agents. As the agency of record for Keller Williams in Orange County, with a network of over 3,000 agents, we acquired a print production company to support direct print marketing campaigns in the real estate industry. I successfully managed this organization for another 11 years.

A New Chapter in Florida!

In 2010, following the economic downturn, I decided to close AspenMedia. Soon after, I received an exciting offer to join VitaCost in Boca Raton, Florida, as the Vice President of Internet Services. There, I developed their ecommerce business model across six major categories. After successfully formulating strategies, overseeing development, and assembling a talented team, a new opportunity emerged in 2012, leading to the birth of Rainfire Media. We secured a significant contract with a startup in the Golf industry and have been steadily growing ever since.

More recently, I was involved with BidWizer as the Chief Creative Officer on contract between 2018 and 2023 while still operating Rainfire Media. This venture in the automotive industry is currently thriving, significantly impacted by Rainfire’s role as a supporting partner for this disruptive startup.

At Rainfire Media, we continually embrace new technologies and craft innovative solutions to tackle challenges in mobile technology and web application development. Our team of seasoned designers, developers, and marketers leverages over 3 decades of my personal experience and guidance.

As we move forward in 2024 and beyond, I’m eager to learn about your business, projects, and goals in the digital realm.

Let’s build something extraordinary together!