Note: the visuals in this section are currently under construction.

Easily the most challenging role of my life. As the sole Creative Director and design lead at Start Somewhere, I owned the creative direction, visual identity, and hands-on production across a growing portfolio of technology, career, and community-focused brands. I was responsible for taking projects from concept through execution, often designing and producing the work myself across web, digital, email, social, print, signage, events, and marketing.

 

I joined at the beginning of Include.io, a job board focused on inclusive hiring and connecting people from a wide range of backgrounds with opportunities. I developed the initial visual look and feel and created the creative assets supporting the platform. Include.io later evolved into SquadJobs and then Squad Profile, with each evolution requiring updates to the brand, website, profile experiences, and supporting print and digital materials.

 

I also led all creative for the annual Lesbians Who Tech Conference, directing and executing the complete visual experience for the in-person event. This included event branding, digital communications, social, print, signage, and marketing assets. I also created the creative for the virtual Pride Summit and Debug Summit, as well as the ongoing Byte technology newsletter.

 

As the organization grew, the Lesbians Who Tech Conference became LWT Summit, requiring a full brand and visual overhaul. I also developed the creative for Squad City, a series of smaller community events, and the Squad Leadership Program, including its visual identity, website presence, signage, and digital communications.

 

Eventually, Start Somewhere acquired Women Who Code, adding another major brand and creative ecosystem to the mix. I led the visual work across the rebrand, including the logo, website, profile sites, conference site, and local city events.

I also helped create TechFutures, a new, more mainstream-facing brand designed to open the organization's work to a broader audience. I developed the brand identity and creative system and designed the website, profile experience, conference materials, and ongoing print and digital assets.

 

A significant part of the role was supporting sponsorship and business development across all three brands. I designed and continually updated sales and pitch decks for LWT, Women Who Code, and TechFutures, tailoring presentations to individual prospective sponsors and their specific goals, audiences, and partnership opportunities. This meant producing dozens of deck variations and iterations, often on tight timelines, while maintaining a polished and consistent brand experience.

 

I was fortunate to work alongside a gifted WordPress developer who could shift and flex with the creative as projects evolved, translating new visual directions into thoughtful, functional web experiences. I also partnered closely with a whip-smart social media manager who helped bring the creative to life across social channels. Together, we could move quickly from concept to launch while keeping the brands connected and cohesive.

 

With multiple brands operating simultaneously, I was essentially building and maintaining three creative ecosystems at once: LWT, Women Who Code, and TechFutures. A single email campaign, for example, could require three distinct executions, each tailored to its own brand while still supporting the same underlying message and strategy.

The role was hands-on. I wasn't just directing the work. I was the person creating it. From high-level brand systems and campaign concepts to the individual social post, email, web graphic, event sign, sales deck, or printed piece, I owned the creative from idea to final asset.