Squad
Andrew Vitale
Founder
With roots in the agency, technology and design communities Andrew walks the line between the conceptual and tangible arenas. A designer by trade, he's spent most of his career actively listening in anticipation of thoughtfully and accurately representing his clients. When he's not pursuing Prime Eight initiatives he's an Innovation Executive at Salesforce Ignite and serves as a philanthropists/ambassador to Marwen. In addition, Andrew has been invited to speak about industry trends at Gensler, IxDA, Northwestern University's High Tech Club and is a former board member of AIGA Chicago. He has been featured in Soho House's House Magazine, holds a BFA in Printmaking from Ohio University and an MFA in Digital Media from Rhode Island School of Design.
DeYandré Thaxton
Director of Creator Representation
DeYandré is an event planner, fashion stylist, and writer with an eye for design and logistical prowess. She received a BA from Umass Amherst in a self-directed concentration, Arts & Entertainment Management. DeYandré's interdisciplinary path spans styling at Anthropologie, coordinating branding events for creative marketing firm COLLiDE, and adopting a design thinking toolkit from innovation firm gravitytank. An advocate for self-expression, DeYandré is exploring where fashion meets the moon phases and astrology through her project Style Phases. Her love for people, art and culture invites opportunities for connections unseen.
Elliot Leiva
Director of Creator Representation
With a background in Art History, Elliot is very passionate about the arts and all creative expressions. He spent four installments of Art Basel Miami Beach facilitating event and exhibit activations for Flaunt Magazine, Los Angeles Nomadic Division, and Miami-Dade County Art In Public Places. There he touched on all aspects of the production and curatorial process, working alongside artists like Vanessa Beecroft, Julie Mehretu and curator De Pury De Pury. Recently, he has focused on business operations for architecture and design manufacturers such as Mike Bell, Inc., Farrow & Ball and currently Transceramica by Fiandre. Se habla español.
Stefanie Mclaren
Director of Creator Representation
Stefanie is a creative problem solver and part-time digital nomad. She began her career in Graphic Design and transitioned into User Experience due to her innate curiosity, empathy and desire to dig into complex problems. In the past she’s had a hand in everything from selling crystal collections and jewelry to marketing Clif Bars, vegan protein and espresso machines. She also led youth painting projects in Chicago via Pianos on Parade and continues to find ways to participate in hands-on activities in the community. An avid traveler, Stefanie is inspired when discovering new cultures, meeting new people, or exploring the outdoors. When she isn’t circling the globe, you’ll find her in San Francisco supporting business goals while championing user needs as a UX Designer for consumer-facing experiences.
Lee Salisbury
Head of Brand
A leader in the brand & interactive design space, Lee strives to look for the thoughtful solution to all projects. He's had the opportunity to work with Billion dollar brands as clients down to passion projects for non-profits. He's most interested in solving complex problems by breaking them down in simple steps and collaborating with others. A connector and educator Lee's the first to help out others and does not like to refer to himself in the 3rd person. Lee is also the founder of the award winning digital agency UnitOneNine.
Leah Lemelin
Director of Creator Representation
Leah Lemelin is a passionate creator and multichannel professional supporting individuals and teams during growth and development. She is fueled by decades of work building her practice within various arenas including her role as a birth doula, educator, business team and career developer, yoga and meditation practitioner and guide, a creator of artwork exploring ephemeral perception and a mama to two little people. Throughout all of her channels, she sharpens her focus on connecting with others where they are at and offering a trusted presence, with tools and resources to support their individual, creative evolution. She loves supporting creatives manifesting their craft into the work, as she believes we are all creators in one form or another!
Clare Austen-Smith
Director of social media
Clare Austen-Smith is stand-up comedian, writer, designer and illustrator. She brings her creative lens to all of the projects, like building a geodesic dome in the middle of the Chicago Athletic Association or laser cutting jewelry. Currently, she is the Digital Content + Strategy Manager for UChicago Arts and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts. In her comedy work, she’s featured for Jaboukie Young-White, Jo Firestone, Joel McHale and Elliot Morgan and produces the monthly alt-comedy showcase “Just Us Gals” at Sleeping Village and “Yeast Party” at Marz Brewing. Find her on twitter and instagram at @Okayclare.
arrin williams
Director of Creator Representation
Arrin Williams is a Chicago-based merchant, curator and stylist. Which means he's a retailer and strategist by trade and an artist and designer at heart. Since running The Haymaker Shop, a nationally-recognized home goods and custom design store that showcased Chicago makers, he has spent time at Sotheby's and Everything But The House. Now you'll find him scratching the business itch via a vintage art e-comm venture and scratching the creative one as a photo stylist and display artist for national brands. You will always find him advocating for those who push the boundaries of visual culture, design democratization, and the creative economy.
Kayla Scott
Director of Creator Representation
Kayla Scott is a coffee addict and art enthusiast who finds herself immersed in all areas of artistic design, production, installation and sales. Most recently Kayla worked at Lik Fine Art assisting collectors find the perfect artwork for their home, it was there that she found a love for connecting people and artwork. Kayla is an artist herself, as well as a writer and educator. She received her BFA from Illinois State University as well as a degree in Art Education. Throughout her career she published writing in The Grassroots Writing Research Journal, displayed her work throughout local galleries and taught high school art for a period of time. Kayla has assisted studio artists such as Tyler Lotz and curators such as Kendra Paitz and Jason Judd. While assisting various curators, Kayla worked with artists like Carrie Schneider, Claire Ashley, and Edra Soto to install, document and create educational materials in tandem with their exhibitions. When she isn’t in the middle of an exhibition, Kayla can be found at local art centers and schools helping students find careers in art.