Meet the team that brings you chambanamoms.com. Our team consists of local parents that have a passion for connecting families to all of the amazing activities, classes and resources for raising a family in Champaign-Urbana.
Mom-in-Chief: Laura Weisskopf Bleill is the co-founder and CEO of chambanamoms.com. A former sportswriter who has two journalism degrees from Northwestern University, Laura founded chambanamoms.com in 2009 after being frustrated by the lack of information for families in our community (you can read more about that here). Laura has worked in academic communications and marketing for the past 10 years; some of you may know her as the Director of External Engagement at the University of Illinois Research Park. Laura is a social media junkie who loves to laugh with friends and travel. She spends most of her free time running around town with her three daughters.
Managing Editor: Tony Bleill. Tony is not the first dad to work for chambanamoms.com, but he is the First Dad. Editor, content manager, and account executive, Tony is managing multiple aspects of the site. He spent 20 years as a sportswriter at three daily newspapers before joining Mervis Industries for three years, leaving in April 2015 to join “the family business.” A graduate of Ball State University, he spends his free time teaching the finer points of Chicago Blackhawks hockey to his three daughters while simultaneously picking winners of thoroughbred races.
Chief Content Strategist: Amy Cunningham. Amy has checked the chambanamoms.com event calendar nearly weekly since becoming a mom – only years later to become the site’s calendar editor. Seven years later she has grown into a position that touches every aspect of content produced by the team. Amy spends her time with her husband, son and daughter — preferably outdoors — and enjoys planning (and taking!) trips with her family. You can also find her teaching fitness classes throughout town.
Chief Happiness Officer: Mindy Borden. Mindy is Chambanamoms’ chief happiness officer, working with clients to design and fulfill marketing opportunities to spread joy around Champaign-Urbana. Mindy also channels her energy into her work as an occupational therapist at the Champaign Unit 4 School District and as an aquatic therapist at the Stephens Family YMCA. When she isn’t in the classroom or in the pool, you can find Mindy pool-side cheering on her children at swim meets. Mindy holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a masters from the University of Illinois. Mindy lives in Champaign with her husband John, their daughters Kennedy and Mallory, and a flock of birds named Mango, Toshiro, and Mr. Pickles.
Chief Social Strategist: Annie Crawford. Upon moving to Urbana from the Pacific Northwest in 2022, Chambanamoms’ event calendar played a crucial role in helping Annie feel at home in the Midwest. Now she is hoping she can use digital storytelling and love of community to help others feel at home in Champaign-Urbana. When she’s not snapping photos and posting about events on Chambanamoms’ social media, Annie’s favorite things can be boiled down to: good food, good people, and good books. She can often be found running around outside with her husband and two kids, looking for cool things in nature. Annie borders on having too many hobbies, but top of the list is practicing ceramics at the CU Potters Club.
Good Vibes Curator: Courtney Malcolm. Courtney credits Chambanamoms.com as a big part of why she and her family chose to move to C-U in 2017, when she was avidly researching the areas surrounding the law schools her husband was considering. As the good vibes curator, Courtney touches numerous areas of the operation, from planning events to social media content. Courtney worked full time in marketing and communications before making the shift to her favorite job yet: Being the full-time stay-at-home mom to a wild toddler! In her “free time (a.k.a. “during nap time”), Courtney takes graduate classes in the iSchool at the University of Illinois, enjoys cross-stitching, and loves learning about gentle parenting and Montessori-based play from parenting Instagram.
Calendar Content Curator: Anne DeAtley. Anne never thought she’d leave Minnesota, but after meeting her townie husband and settling down in Chambana, she can’t imagine raising their four boys anywhere else. Anne manages our event calendar and is always on the look-out for all the fun stuff happening in C-U to share with YOU! When she’s not watching her boys play sports, you can find her hiking in the woods, curled up with a book or dreaming of her next beach vacation.
Business Manager: Amy Armstrong. Amy is the numbers brains behind our operation. She is our one-woman accounting department who invoices clients as well as pays our bills.
