Katie has led marketing and design initiatives for enterprise startups and venture funds since starting the firm in 2001, and has helped bring dozens of startups from seed to exit. Katie holds a BFA from Georgetown University, is the founder of the Georgetown Technology Alliance and recipient of the university’s Gaston Award. She serves on the boards of a number of non-profits and early stage startups and speaks regularly as an advocate for women in the technology community.
Fun Facts: Katie loves to bake and spends most of her free time reading cookbooks and testing recipes in the quest for the perfect cookie. Proud fan of 70s music and retro TV shows, much to the chagrin of her husband and two kids.
Rob’s interest in design and development began in high school, where he spent his computer classes building websites and exploring graphic design. After graduation, he jumped into the creative industry, learning from talented creative directors, gaining hands-on experience, and making a few mistakes along the way—luckily, nothing catastrophic.
Over the years, he’s grown from an entry-level designer into senior creative roles, leading projects for Fortune 500 companies and earning a few awards along the way. Never one to settle, Rob continues to explore new technologies, sharpen his skills, and push himself creatively.
Outside of work, Rob enjoys spending time with his wife and their growing family. Recently, they welcomed their first child, beginning an exciting new chapter filled with plenty of love, learning, and a little less sleep.
Lorik Fanaj is a multidisciplinary designer with a background in graphic design and experience across branding, visual identities, and digital experiences. His work is shaped by a passion for creativity, contemporary design, and typography. He enjoys exploring new ideas and bringing them to life across both print and digital platforms. Outside the digital world, you’ll likely find him snowboarding in the mountains or riding his motorcycle.
Daniel develops financial strategies, oversees project finance, and directs back-office functions for KBD. With a wide variety of professional experiences – spanning leadership roles in fashion marketing, political finance, and executive operations across multiple sectors – there are few business and financial challenges Daniel has yet to face. A former high school dropout in south central Kentucky, Daniel now holds a graduate degree in strategic finance from the University of Oxford and is regular guest on regional talk radio shows, offering wide-ranging commentary on global economics and business to tens of thousands of listeners.
Fun fact: Daniel reads 50+ books each year, a habit which has been inherited by his 7-year old daughter, Most Saturday mornings, Daniel and Cain Lee can be found with their noses in a book.
Josh has 22+ years of experience in the creative industry with a specialization in visual, digital, interactive, and motion design. Throughout his career, he has held various positions as an art director, creative director, and senior designer. He is passionate about helping a client along their storytelling journey through branding, messaging, and visual design systems.
Fun Facts: Some of his hobbies include going to Disneyland with his four kids and wife whom he has been happily married to for 15 years. He also enjoys CrossFit and rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers – Bleed blue!
Natasha Leong is an early multidisciplinary marketer and designer from Hong Kong and Australia with experience across brand management, graphic design, digital storytelling, and cross-cultural research. A recent graduate of Georgetown University, she earned her degree in Regional and Comparative Studies (between the US and Asia) with a minor in Studio Art.
Steve has been developing websites professionally since 1999 and as a hobby since the days of Internet Explorer 3. Steve holds a Masters of Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Steve is the creator of ACF Builder, a popular open-source PHP library for defining WordPress Advanced Custom Fields quickly in code.
Steve gets excited by all new tech, which is part of the reason he loves being a web developer so much. The field is constantly evolving. He is also addicted to the instant gratification of creating something and watching it come to life, or finally solving that seemingly impossible problem.
Fun Facts: When not working, Steve likes to bike and play games with his wife and their two boys from their massive Nintendo and board game library.
Matt Rowland is Chief Creative Officer, leading brand strategy and creative direction for top-tier venture capital firms and AI-native startups. With 25+ years of experience building brands that raise capital and drive growth, Matt brings deep expertise in translating complex technical narratives into compelling visual stories. He partners with leading VC firms including Andreessen Horowitz, Greylock, and Mayfield, while serving as strategic advisor to emerging companies building agentic AI and machine learning solutions.
Matt leverages generative AI tools to accelerate concept development, keeping strategic judgment and craft at the center of every decision. He blends strategy with hands-on design execution across brand identity, web experience, and event production. His background spans corporate branding, consumer packaging, and large-scale experiential design.
Matt likes to have fun while doing serious work, and he’s spent 25 years building teams of designers and developers who push each other and support each other along the way.
Reiko is a marketing and brand strategist with experience leading client relationships, shaping brand strategy, and delivering integrated marketing programs for global consumer-facing brands across venture capital, tech startups, quick-service restaurants, and fashion brands. Her work spans brand positioning, digital marketing, and campaign development, bringing together strategic thinking and storytelling to build brands that connect with audiences and drive meaningful engagement.
With experience across both global brands and boutique businesses, including elective healthcare, Reiko brings a cross-industry perspective to building brands that are commercially relevant and culturally resonant. She is particularly interested in how personal and organizational stories can create meaningful connections between brands and their audiences.
Fun Facts: Reiko is an avid runner who has completed multiple half marathons and marathons. Come fall, she’s always on the hunt for the best pumpkin spice treats.
Madisyn has built a career in operations, with a love for problem-solving that started with math. Madisyn is passionate about making sure everything behind the scenes runs smoothly, so the front-end looks great.
Fun Facts: When not working, Madisyn is an avid reader (New Yorker short stories are where it’s at). She can also be found learning about Chicago history, or training for a marathon!
