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Joseph works in Operations at Arrowhead Promotions & Fulfillment. He is an entrepreneur and has been part of multiple start-ups ranging from E-commerce to Independent Video-game design. Much of his carreer has been in customer service and involvement in IT or other tech related fields.
Joseph has traveled quite a bit before finally moving to Grand Rapids reconnecting with family. While his family has gone their own ways, Joseph has found his place here.
Joseph grew up in Fridley MN and has traveled the continental US extensively with aspirations to spend time over-seas. He's attended multiple conventions over the past 20 years as an attendee, cosplayer, panelist and consultant. His biggest passion is in TTRPGs, starting with D&D over 35 years ago. Videogames would take a close second, JRPGs and platformers being his go to games, but a new fascination with Rogue like/lite games has grown on him. Anime and manga are one of his down time activities, having watched much of the offerings from a certain subscription service.
When not being at one with his nerd side, Joseph has been working on writing a world setting for TTRPGs. He's also working on obtaining two black belts in martial arts, though it's on hold currently due to work schedule conflicts. One of his other dreams is to begin writing a series of novels that has been lingering in the back of his head for years.
Range FanCon is a work of passion for Joseph, something he has found that he wants to fully invest in and grow into something remarkable.
Brought on as a consultant before the Range FanCon name even existed, Joseph was excited to be asked to help with this new endeavor. The first event was such a success, the people running it, the attendees excitement, and the unique location on the Iron Range made him realize that there was a wonderfully untapped need for something like this in the area.
He is beyond proud and amazed at the team that has made Range FanCon what it is and knows that this is just the beginning of a long and entertaining convention.
Stephanie is a librarian who has worked in libraries for 10+ years, and has been going to them for books for much longer. Stephanie works with youth of all ages planning events, creating community outreach connections, and singing loudly when she can! She loves working with kids and finding them books that match their interests, or you could say, finding their fandoms! She has recently been promoted and now visits libraries across the region and plans tours with
performers and authors.
Stephanie has always had an interest in fantasy and, when
devouring books from the youngest age, has always been drawn to anything about dragons and magic. It would be difficult to say which fandoms are her most influential, especially with the late life addition of manga and anime, but she’ll always be down the marathon and chat about: Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit, Avatar: the Last Airbender, Over the Garden Wall, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and any adaptation of Sherlock Holmes.
Stephanie started looking into hosting a Mini-Con event at the library when working in Virginia, MN. While the name for this small event changed over the three years it was held at the library, the audience and interest in the event continued to grow. After the last library edition of the event, the folks who now make up the Range FanCon committee came together and created the event you now enjoy today. Stephanie is delighted to continue working with the team, and help bring this event to our community!
Ceasar works as the Marketing Coordinator for the Iron Range Tourism Bureau & the Chisholm Area Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the board of directors of CHAIR (formerly The Lyric Center), as the President of ReGen Northland, and as a Laurentian Chamber of Commerce ambassador.
He has lived on the Iron Range for four years and in that span of time has helped raise awareness for local events, assisted in event coordination and marketing, and has provided video and photo content of the area & it’s unique qualities.
Ceasar Ortega is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia and has attended several conventions ranging from Horror conventions to anime conventions.
He is a practiced Game Master who has been playing various TTRPGS for over twenty years & loves various video game genres, most notably Turn-Based RPGs, Asymmetrical horror, Rouge-Lites, and classic platformers. If asked, his favorite anime of all time is likely to be Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood (the first show that truly caught his attention) or Attack on Titan (a show that he has watched all the way through together with his sister since it began).
He is working on a podcast (still yet to be released) featuring friends playing various TTRPGs, most notably a Fallout campaign set on the Iron Range that they have made as close to canonical as possible.
He is a hobbyist 3D printer, model painter, and is also a fairly talented writer who once had a minor publication of a short story called “Red Wolf” about a boy obsessed with a local urban myth that explored what makes fear an experience that people seek out.
Coming home to his cat, Meyers, is always the best part of his day.
Ceasar is invested in Range FanCon because, as a relatively new resident to the area, he wants the things that he loves to be celebrated in the area where he lives & works.
He feels that to have a community of people who share your interests nearby is an important asset to have and believes that creating that community for the area is a project not only worthy of his time but one that is of enormous value to the region as a whole.
He was introduced to Range FanCon in its infancy while working with the Iron Range
Tourism Bureau and has since made efforts to ally his work to what he does with Range FanCon.
Range FanCon is a project that he believes in and which he wants to see grow into
something amazing!
Liz has lived on the Iron Range since 2016. Currently, she works as City Secretary for the City of Mountain Iron.
Liz’s community involvement includes volunteering for Ruby’s Pantry, Hibbing Public Library’s Yuletide festival, and community theatre with the Lyric Center for the Arts and Stages of the Range Players.
With her partner Ty, Liz also co-owns a small business …. On an unrelated note, did you know that a group of ferrets is called a business?.... With two ferrets, Holly and Poppy, our “business” may be smol but watching our fursnakes romp around the house is the best part of our day.
At home, Liz is passionate about cooking new dishes, reading fantasy fiction books, or playing TTRPG’s with friends. ***Controversial opinion alert!*** While she has tried a variety of settings from Blades in the Dark to Fallout, Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition will always hold a special, unabashed place in her heart as her first-ever TTRPG system played. Also, Star Wars- Phantom Menace was an excellent movie, and Qui-Gon Jinn was taken from us far too soon.
Other less-controversial nerdy interests include watching anime, painting miniatures, running BattleTech lances in fights to the death, and finally playing Zelda games—now that she doesn’t have to share the console with her many brothers.
Liz joined the FanCon team first as a volunteer in 2023. Loving the sense of community and joy she found there, she continues to support the event in any way she can. She is incredibly grateful to have a local scene where she can indulge her hobbies and make friends at the same time. She is thrilled to see Range FanCon continue to grow with love and support from the Iron Range community.