When Mike Gingerich (’96) enters his unassuming office on Main Street in Goshen, Ind., most people wouldn’t think that his to-do list for the day includes communicating with businesses in Brazil, Japan, Australia and beyond. Gingerich is co-founder/business and product development manager for TabSite, a company that helps businesses around the world connect with their customers through social media.

As a student at Bethel, Gingerich had his sights set on international goals of a different type–after graduating he and his wife moved oversees with a mission organization. They eventually transitioned to working stateside for the organization, which is when Gingerich began working in a marketing  role and obtained a master’s degree in organizational leadership.

Several years later Gingerich found himself back in Goshen working with Digital Hill, a website development company. As he watched the growth of social media he wondered if the company could translate their work on the web to a platform such as Facebook. In March 2010 TabSite first rolled out and by that fall had thousands of users.

Today, TabSite has more than 70,000 users including brands such as Cold Stone Creamery and CoffeeMate. Gingerich and his team spend their time working with users and trying to keep up with the evolution of Facebook and other social media. “It keeps us on our toes,” says Gingerich.

Although he didn’t study business during his time at Bethel, Gingerich relies on the knowlege he learned from Norman Spivey, Ph.D., professor of psychology. “Psychology applies when you’re trying to help a business build engagement with customers,” which is an integral element of business success in today’s marketplace.

One way TabSite assists businesses with building a successful social media presence is through online webinars, often attended by hundreds of people located in many different countries. This brings Gingerich full circle in his international pursuits. “To me, that’s been enjoyable because it’s reconnecting with that global element. I love that.”

Gingerich hopes to see TabSite continue to grow with the social web and find new ways to provide services for businesses around the world. “With all the changes [to technology and social media] you keep adjusting and seeing where things go,” he says.