David Streit, Founder and Principal of Stephill Associates, started the firm in January 2003. He held senior PC and network support and a Director-level management position on Wall Street. He always had people asking him for technical assistance, so he formalized his expertise in his own firm. Clients expressed frustration with the complexity of technology, so he envisioned his mission to “Help Clients STEP over the HILLS of Technology”. To inspire him further, his daughters are Stephanie and Hillary. Finally, he knew he couldn’t build Stephill alone, so he added “Associates” to the name to recognize his colleagues, vendors, and contractors who helped him to provide products, services, and expertise to his clients.

David had the misfortune to be present in both World Trade Center terrorist attacks, but the good fortune to emerge unharmed. On 9/11, David remembered a poignant scene. “I was walking up Broadway after emerging from the dust cloud at Union Square. I heard horns and shouting. Construction workers were driving a front-end loader, shouting for cars and pedestrians to get out of their way. It was clear to me; they were headed downtown to help with pulling survivors from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. The frantic look in the driver’s eyes was a memory I’ll never forget. Ever since then, when I see a construction vehicle, I think of that moment.” David wrote and implemented the disaster recovery plan for the finance firm he worked for in both terrorist attacks.

Today, Stephill Associates provides backup systems and business continuity planning, IT support, network security systems, Office 365, and Microsoft Exchange e-mail Cloud services for firms in the construction-related specialty trades and other industries.