Digital Third Coast was created in Chicago in 2007 by our two co-founders, George Zlatin & Taylor Cimala. Since then, we’ve grown our digital family to an incredible, 17-person team.
The backdrop for our success and accomplishments has, and always will be the City of Chicago. We are proud to have built and grown our business in the Windy City, and excited for the opportunity to give back to those who do the most for our community.
Each team member receives two, paid, volunteer days to give back to causes that are most important to them.
When weather permits, our Digital Family spends Friday afternoons cleaning up our own neighborhood, one sweep at a time.
When DTC first started, we had the great fortune of connecting with several partners working in similar spaces – web design firms, social media managers, PR agencies, and video production companies. Each agency we engaged with was focused towards the same goal of helping our clients grow their revenue. But we all wanted to do something more…
Thus was the birth of Chicago Cause, a philanthropic partnership now spearheaded by Digital Third Coast, Orbit Media and Lightspan Digital.
Since 2012, Chicago Cause has awarded deserving Chicago-area nonprofits free digital services including new websites, social media management, SEO, PR consulting and video production valued at more than $530,000.
CATCH is a Northbrook-based, volunteer-dependent, 501c3 focused on empowering families to foster resilience and prioritize mental health and emotional wellness in their children through educational programming, access to resources, and peer support.
2021: Collaboraction — Collaboraction, Chicago’s theater for social change, collaborates with a diverse community of Chicagoans, artists and community activists to create original theatrical and virtual experiences that cultivate dialogue and action around the world’s most critical social issues. Since the company’s founding in 1996, Collaboraction has pushed artistic boundaries working with more than 3,000 artists to bring more than 60 productions and events to more than 150,000 audience members.
2020: Kids Above All – Since 1894, Kids Above All has set out to protect, heal and educate children and families so they can build better lives. Every child in their care has experienced trauma–abuse, neglect, poverty, toxic stress, or violence. They use a clinical framework called Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC) to encourage healing and personal growth.
2019: I Grow Chicago – With the goal of solving the root causes of violence and trauma, I Grow Chicago operates with a holistic Healing Justice model combining cultural transformation, community development, and individual empowerment.
2018: The Friendship Center – Fostering hope and dignity in their community through access to food, vital resources, and critical social services.
2017: Casa Central – Transforming lives and strengthening communities, with a special focus on Hispanic communities in Chicago. Casa Central’s network of social services aims to propel a diverse population of all ages toward self-sufficiency and a higher quality of life.
2016: Camp One Step – A leader in providing empowering, supportive, educational and fun experiences for children diagnosed with cancer.
2015: Rainbows for All Children – Working to support youth as they navigate grief and loss from death, divorce, deployment, deportation, incarceration or other trauma.
2014: Resilience (Formerly, Rape Victim Advocates) – Working to heal and empower survivors of sexual assault through non-judgmental crisis intervention counseling, group and individual group trauma therapy, as well as medical and legal advocacy.
2013: Illinois Safe Schools Alliance – Working to promote safety, support and healthy development for LGBTQ youth in Illinois schools and communities through advocacy, education, youth organizing and research.
2012: Snow City Arts – Provides one-on-one instruction in the visual arts, creative writing, music, theater and media arts to patients at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Rush University Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital University of Illinoi, and Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital.