Good Work With Good People Makes For a Good Life

Abbey Korthals plays a vital role in preserving INK’s unique culture by overseeing and supporting operations and an ever-growing team. With superior organizational efficiency and problem-solving skills, Abbey ensures INK’s internal operations are streamlined. Her ability to keep the trains moving allows INK to continue delivering exceptional services to clients and serving as a nurturing and encouraging place to work. Abbey graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Public Relations and began her career at Porter Novelli where, in addition to managing clients, she managed their professional development program.

Abby O’Connor ensures INK’s marketing communications programs are informed and enhanced by research. She applies thoughtful curiosity and an analytical approach to every aspect of her work, whether crafting brand positioning, writing impactful content, or drawing industry and audience insights from data. Her expertise in developing meaningful and actionable personas earned her team a Platinum MarCom Award for its Whole Foods Market 365 audience research. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Abby has a drive to never stop learning and has since become professionally certified in Brandwatch analytics and the ThinkWrong problem-solving methodology.

Alex Austin has a passion for helping brands sustain their competitive edge in quickly evolving spaces. Whether she's pitching the perfect story angle, crafting social copy, or using data to see the future, Alex works persistently to break through the noise and deliver results that matter for her clients. Through her media relations experience in the advertising and B2B tech industries, Alex has garnered her clients recognition at the Webby Awards along with placements in CBS, NY Times, CNET, and more. A Massachusetts native, Alex received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in advertising and communication with a minor in business.

Alex Murphy is a creative content producer with a unique storytelling ability focused on reaching a wide audience. With more than a decade of experience in different newsrooms and building storylines for different organizations, Alex can deliver information through multiple platforms and covers an expansive array of topics. Originally from New York, Alex has also called South Carolina, Texas, and Colorado home.

Allyse Sanchez is a self-proclaimed media junkie who thrives on placing the right stories, in the right outlets, at the right time. She’s a media relations specialist that brings to the table aggressive strategies that warrant results for her clients, in addition to being a strategic advisor, project manager, and Denver business development lead. Allyse’s client experience runs the gamut from Apple-acquired companies to mid-stage start ups to publicly traded companies. Her dedication to quality results for her clients was recognized in 2017 when Allyse won a Silver Stevie Award for Communications Professional of the Year.

Bailey Shelden combines journalistic research and nerdy passion to craft written content with speed and finesse. She continues to build on more than five years of writing experience in various settings and specialties, but she now focuses on how to tell a brand’s story best and convey a message without sacrificing the written word in both the B2B and B2C markets. Her diverse personal background and enthusiasm for consumer tech lets her provide unusual angles and speak to various demographics as a fellow community member.

Bree Wood has a passion for helping businesses – as well as the people within them – shape and share their stories. Her experience with B2B and B2C clients across industries, including adtech, cybersecurity, real estate tech, and the social sector, arms her with diverse perspective and wide-ranging media relationships that she leverages to help INK clients drive brand awareness, overcome challenges, and meet goals. A Colorado native, Bree earned her degree in Journalism and Media Communications from Colorado State University.

Brittany Miller stays on top of industry trends and channels her curiosity to better shape client stories for media. Before her postgraduation career at INK, she gained experience through internships within the nonprofit, health care and journalism spaces. Brittany is a native Texan and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in public relations and a minor in business.

Caitlin New is on a mission to inspire creative solutions for clients that want to move beyond the routine and welcome bold, new paths in their marketing and communications programs. Through her skill for building strong client relationships and passion for measurement and strategy, Caitlin creates communications programs that are built on meaningful data and trust. Caitlin has deep experience in technology communications and has promoted innovation in the payments, retail, cybersecurity, insurance, and real estate industries. Caitlin’s ability to motivate self and teams led to her earning an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, as well as her team securing a PR Daily Digital PR and Social Media Award.

Candice Eng delivers results and connections that matter – especially around New York-based media and business relationships. Building on a decade of experience in enterprise tech, consumer, and energy markets, she leads INK’s New York office and media relations services ensuring best practices and relationships are leveraged across the company and for all clients. Candice has executed media events with 400+ media and analysts in attendance and managed events with major partners such as Anheuser Busch, T-Mobile, Bloomberg, ESPN, and more. Her media, communications, and management talents have landed her recognition as Top Tech PR Pro by PRSourceCode’s and Agency Account Manager of the Year by PR News.

Caroline Patterson brings a strategic, creative, and resourceful approach to helping clients tell their stories. With experience on B2B accounts from cloud to cybersecurity to enterprise software, she has landed her clients in top outlets including Business Insider, CNBC, TechCrunch, and WIRED. Prior to INK, Caroline worked at Matter on tech and consumer clients such as Alert Logic, CVS, and Progress. Caroline is a Colorado native and graduated from the University of Kansas where she studied communications and was a four-year varsity swimmer and team captain for her senior season.

Dannae Gomez leverages her experience in corporate communications, data-driven research, analytics, and SEO to identify creative, compelling narratives for differentiated storytelling. Prior to INK, Dannae worked at Gartner, collaborating with analysts and PR agencies around the world and securing coverage in top media outlets across various industries including Medical, Fintech, HR, IT and Security. Her agency experience includes B2B, tech, and Hispanic marketing & advertising. Based in Austin and a Texas native, Dannae is bilingual and fluent in Spanish. She earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees in PR & Advertising and English from the University of Texas Pan American.

Emily Grossman believes strategic design tells a story and connects with people. She combines conceptual thinking with an artistic approach to develop visual solutions for clients. A hunger for travel took Emily from Croatia to Cambodia, and these experiences inspire her work every day. Emily cut her teeth in Chicago, working in design, advertising, and shopper activation with clients like Pantene, Herbal Essences, Tide, Olay, Sara Lee, Kleenex and International Truck. She is originally from Minnesota, the home of Paul Bunyan, 10,000+ lakes and Hotdish, and studied design at the University of Kansas.

Erin Augustine has a knack for taking complex concepts and creating dynamic and thoughtful content for INK’s clients. With experience writing in-house for international non-profit organizations, national trade associations, tech startups, and a variety of freelance clients, Erin crafts messaging and communications that are compelling and clear. Born and raised in the heartland, Erin ventured to Chicago where she earned a BA in English from DePaul University. She also holds two masters, one in Applied Economics from CERGE-EI and the other in Political Science from Northeastern Illinois University.

Erin Eckert keeps an ear on the ground to maximize client opportunities and ensure that no stone goes unturned. Her agency background working with nonprofits in Austin, TX has fueled her passion for integrating community focused angles into larger campaigns. A graduate from Trinity University in San Antonio, Erin majored in Communications with an interdisciplinary minor in New Media which combines computer science, art, and communications.

Hannah Cole has the unique ability to think creatively, strategically, and tactically, allowing her to see big picture goals and small wins that will get her clients there. She has over five years of experience working in both B2C and B2B industries, including consumer goods, food and beverage, technology, clean energy and real estate data and insights. She thrives in the fast-paced, ever-changing world of digital marketing. Thanks to her background in journalism, Hannah can craft an appropriate voice to ensure content resonates with her clients' target audiences and yields maximum campaign results.

Jillian Ho-Lung brings high energy, insatiable curiosity, and a humble attitude to her work and each of INK’s unique clients. With experience writing for in-house teams, creative agencies, tech startups, and a variety of freelance clients, Jillian has a keen eye (and ear) for content that both excites and educates, compels and converts. Whether she’s building narratives around complex concepts or brainstorming strategic campaigns, one thing remains constant. At the core of her work there is an unshakeable love for language, authentic writing, and telling compelling stories for INK’s clients. She graduated from Florida State University with a degree in media communication studies.

Joey Held is a digital marketing and content creation madman. At INK, he’s worked with clients in the tech, supply chain, and retail space, navigating social campaigns, developing copy for newsletters, and writing expert content that makes you think and click. He also serves as the company’s podcast expert, pulling from experience producing and hosting series such as his own Parks n Wrecked show. A graduate of the University of Miami’s broadcast journalism program, Joey has shared his expertise speaking at events for the Public Relations Society of Austin and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

Kersa Haughey is a fervent organizer. She combines top-notch management skillsets with a grounded sense of curiosity to deliver marketing insights, communications strategy, and media relations that work. Her experience spans wireless technology, cloud services, consumer brands, and energy for clients large and small. Kersa graduated from Trinity University with a BBA in marketing and a new home state. She loves her Seattle roots and Texas life.

Kim Mackley specializes in strategic planning, change management, and data-driven decision making, leveraging over 15 years of experience in communications and project management. Kim leads INK’s research and insights practice and guides the company’s operations, recruiting, and business development. She applies a unique point of view and sense of humor to every problem, asking the questions no one else asks and finding solutions when others have given up. Kim designs research for our clients that helps them understand their customer audiences and uncover insights worth sharing. She is a proud Buckeye with a BA in journalism from The Ohio State University and an MA in liberal arts from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kristina Leal is strategic and driven, especially when it comes to helping her clients reach their goals. Prior to joining INK, she worked across a wide range of industries including SaaS, application development, telecommunications, food & beverage, and humanitarian aid. This experience helps her bring a well-rounded understanding of media to her clients, while also focusing in on their goals and needs. In 2017, she was included in a HuffPost series called, “Meet the Leading Ladies of PR,” and has been quoted in notable publications including Entrepreneur and Forbes. She graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia.

Kristine Parker has a knack for turning complex, technical jargon into an intriguing, digestible story. Her career has focused largely on B2B technology, with an expertise in cybersecurity, cloud, software development, semiconductor technology, and consumer electronics. By identifying opportunities from an integrated perspective, Kristine consistently delivers brand value to her clients. She works closely with media to tell the impactful stories of how technology is shaping our lives, securing placements in Business Insider, Fast Company, TechCrunch, The Wall Street Journal, and more. A New England-native, Kristine graduated from Roger Williams University with two Bachelor of Arts degrees in public relations and creative writing.

Liz Chavez creatively brings analytical thinking and a unique consumer prospective for demystifying complex technology to help her clients execute strategic communications programs. Prior to INK, Liz worked at Hill+Knowlton Strategies in its Austin office, where she worked across a wide range of industries including retail, energy, healthcare, consumer product goods, automotive and veterinary care. Liz grew up in Austin and graduated from University of Texas at Austin where she double majored in public relations, and international relations and global studies.

Lorissa Gonzalez is determined to find the “so what” in all of her work and challenges her teammates and clients to lead with an inquisitive mindset. By constantly staying in tune with media and industry trends, she keeps her teams informed, agile, and one step ahead. She brings her analytical background to INK to deliver powerful results. Lorissa is a Southern California native and moved to Austin to pursue public relations at The University of Texas at Austin.

Mallory Baker is passionate about sustainability and believes in the power of unlocking businesses' potential to combat our world's biggest issues. Equipped with the SASB FSA Credential, she helps our clients tell their ESG stories by drawing the link between sustainability and enterprise value. Mallory also has a keen eye for the just and clean energy transition from experience with influential players in the energy space including Enel, Vestas, and the Environmental Defense Fund. Mallory is thrilled by a challenge, which has taken her to live in US, Spain, Portugal, and Canada, driven her to learn Spanish and Portuguese, snowboard across the world, and attempt to crack to code on, well, coding.

Mary Brynn Milburn is a natural story teller and has a passion for building relationships with clients, media and everyone in between. She has past agency experience managing public relations, writing and social media programs, but her true passion lies in media relations and engagement. When she's not pitching a journalist, you can find Mary Brynn on the hunt for the next interesting story angle for her clients. Mary Brynn is proud to join numerous fellow Longhorns at INK - she graduated in 2018 with a degree in public relations and a minor in business administration. In her free time, Mary Brynn teaches and takes Pilates classes, obsesses over the latest additions to her Spotify Discover Weekly playlist and loves trying all of the restaurants and activities Dallas has to offer.

Mitch Nielsen has a combination of experience in design, advertising, videography, and web development that fuels a unique blend of strategic thinking and design. With an ability to execute on all things marketing, he can take projects from start to finish that range from print and digital design to videos and motion graphics to web design and development, and anything/everything in between. He’s created work for several Fortune 500 companies like Verizon, Dish Network, Cisco, and USPS. Mitch studied both advertising and design at Brigham Young University which touts one of the best advertising undergrad programs in the country.

Olivia Thomas has a love for project management and team organization. She brings critical thinking to her resourcing team and helps balance workloads for various clients. Before starting at INK, Olivia gained experience in account management through two local San Antonio agencies. A graduate of Trinity University, she studied Communication and Sport Management. Olivia believes that every team can benefit from a good Excel sheet and communication is the key to success. In addition to resourcing, Olivia loves to bike and hike in the Colorado mountains.

Paige Buescher brings creativity, thoughtfulness, and inquisitiveness to her work every day. Her need for knowledge drives her to absorb complex concepts and broad perspectives to create unique and impactful content for INK’s clients. Previously, she worked in politics with large corporations and national trade associations to craft their messages and communications to achieve their legislative initiatives. Paige grew up in Oklahoma City and graduated with honors from Oklahoma State University where she double-majored in strategic communications and psychology.

Payton Ricci is a graphic designer with a passion for telling stories through thoughtful, user-centric design. Before starting her post-graduation career at INK, Payton gained experience through internships and contract work with companies like Gensler, Google, and Urban Outfitters. She believes that design should not only look good, but also effectively communicate a message. In addition to design, Payton practices crochet, printmaking, and analog photography, and uses each unique process to inform her design thinking.

Armed with a passion for collaboration and a slight obsession with AP style, Reagan Costa brings creativity and enthusiasm to her client’s communications programs. The word “conventional” doesn’t exist in her vocabulary as she finds nothing more satisfying than identifying new and unique opportunities to tell her client’s stories and reach new audiences. She’s results-driven in every sense, securing coverage in Insider, Fast Company, Forbes and more. A Tennessean turned Texan, Reagan graduated from the University of Tennessee (known as “the other UT” by her Longhorn colleagues) with a major in public relations and a minor in business.

Doubling as a design nerd and social media junkie, Ryan Riggins has a passion for all things print and pixel. He uses his love for design to help our clients bring their messages to life visually. Ryan spreads this love to his other passion, soccer, by offering his talents to the MLS Austin supporter’s group, Austin Anthem. Ryan is INK’s resident videographer and photographer, creating work in these mediums for clients like CORT Furniture and 365 by Whole Foods Market. Born and raised on the West Coast, Ryan attended Azusa Pacific University. He headed to Austin with a desire to be in a creative city filled with unique people and a job to spend his days practicing the craft he loves.

Sami Sauerman creates and executes strategic communications programs that help her clients reach the right audience, at the right time, with the right message. Sami works with B2B companies in the financial services, SaaS, and manufacturing industries. Prior to joining INK, Sami worked at Ogilvy in its Los Angeles and Denver offices, where she worked across a wide range of industries, including tourism, healthcare, corporate social responsibility and sustainability, automotive, and plastics. She is a Midwest native and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications.

Traci Koller Mazurek is passionate about building data-driven social and digital programs that connect businesses with the people they care about most. With experience leading B2C accounts (Whole Foods Market 365; CORT Furniture) and B2B strategy across industries including real estate and cybersecurity at INK, she previously led social strategy for clients at Spredfast and R/GA. Traci is a native Dallasite who graduated from Baylor University, started her career in public relations with Edelman and FleishmanHillard in New York City, and now lives in Austin with her husband and daughter.

Valerie Carter strikes the perfect balance of creativity and analytical thinking in her work at INK where she helps teams run efficient programs and deliver results that meet client objectives. With experience in project management and investor relations, Valerie manages resource allocation, project timelines and budgeting, and supports INK teams and clients with research and project leadership. A graduate from The University of Texas Moody College of Communications, Valerie is the ultimate skeptic of a business-as-usual approach and always tries to find a better way to address any challenge she faces.

Vanessa Villescas’ drive and inherent curiosity has helped her craft distinctive digital strategies for a variety of industries. Her background in marketing, advertising and graphic design has empowered her to approach problem solving with a wide lens. Vanessa’s expertise in developing engaging digital content earned her Texas State University marketing team a Gold Circle of Excellence Award from The Council of Advancement and Support of Education for its Alumni Relations digital campaign. She received her Bachelor of Science in advertising from Texas State University and is currently working on her Master of Arts in mass communication.

Will Gilbert is as bold in his personality as he is in his professional pursuits. He doesn’t let the word “no” stop him from thinking of creative ways to bring his clients’ stories to life. Will’s experience includes social and digital communications for B2B and B2C brands, including consumer goods, technology, and internal marketing. His background in video journalism gives him the ability to tell a story from multiple angles and perspectives. Expect Will to bring big ideas to the table before executing and delivering measurable results, all while entertaining you with a funny story or three.