Josiah Sjöström is an entrepreneurial-creative and advocate for Rockford (IL)-based productions; with a background spanning commercial film production, marketing, and music. After founding Bonza Media in 2009 and spending much of his career in the film production industry, he turned his attention toward building the infrastructure and resources to bring those productions to Rockford.
In 2020, Sjöström founded City Stage Studios, a production hub dedicated to supporting Rockford’s creative professionals and attracting outside productions to the region. Through City Stage, he works to connect talent across film, photography, music, and other creative disciplines, facilitate collaboration, and champion the people and resources that make a thriving creative industry possible. His broader mission is to help establish Rockford as a place where creative professionals can build sustainable careers and where exceptional creative work can flourish.
Rob Labak is a marketing and branding professional with 25 years of experience helping businesses strengthen their brands and connect with their customers.
After earning his degree in Marketing from Illinois State University in 2001, Rob spent the next 20 years building and managing the Rockford, Illinois, location of American Solutions for Business, a national provider of branded merchandise, commercial printing, and marketing solutions.
During that time, Rob worked with organizations ranging from small local businesses to national and global companies, including WeatherTech, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Merge Healthcare, Regal Rexnord, and Kerry Group. His work encompassed branded merchandise, commercial printing, apparel, trade show exhibits, and custom corporate purchasing programs.
A major focus of his work was developing custom corporate web stores that helped organizations maintain brand consistency, streamline purchasing, control spending, and make informed decisions across multiple locations.
In 2021, Rob transitioned from that business and partnered with Aaron Biby to launch Lightwave Creative, a branding and web development agency based in Rockford, Illinois. What began with a focus on website design and development quickly evolved into a broader offering of brand strategy, identity design, and creative services.