An agency
Shaped For
The Shape
of
Things

To us, change is beautiful. It's a tool to challenge convention, solve problems and illuminate possibilities.

Our focus on change inspires how our people work: carefully interweaving brand strategy, design and innovation in novel ways to help our clients look up, look out and evolve for the unfolding future.

A Culture
All Our Own

We own the place

For 40+ years, we’ve been independent. (And employee-owned for 20.) It empowers us to be a different kind of branding agency, leading with our values and bold ambition—and partnering with clients who share in them.

5 guiding values

Dig deep. Experiment. Pitch in. Keep it really real. Unfurl and fly your freak flag. These are the values that unite our people and empower us to do our best work.

Progress through creativity

Creativity is a powerful tool to drive real positive change—social, environmental and economic. We support this progress in all kinds of ways: through our work, our diverse partnerships and our community giving.

Committed to our own change

Our work to do better—and be better—is never finished. For us, it means looking outward and inward: facing our own biases, embracing new perspectives and celebrating diversity in all its forms.

We Are

Our Leadership

Our Collective

Wendy Adams
Senior Director, IT
Wendy Adams
Expert In:
Simplifying complexity.
Freak Flag:
Genealogy is in my blood. I'm passionate about tracing our family's history.
Inspired By:
That magical moment when the dots connect.
Next Adventure:
A destination wedding in Madrid, Spain. It will be my first trip to Europe!
Kelly Austin Daly
QA Manager
Kelly Austin Daly
Expert In:
Finding the time.
Freak Flag:
I am a perfectionist-procrastinator.
Inspired By:
Nature. A museum. A really good book.
Next Adventure:
Cleaning out my closet.
Lynne Averbeck
Design Adaptation Director
Lynne Averbeck
Expert In:
Fixing broken things.
Freak Flag:
I have found, on average, a dime a week for over 25 years. It's a God thing.
Inspired By:
My granddaughter's hand in mine. Green leaves against the blue, blue sky. Hummingbirds.
Next Adventure:
Sitting down and taking the time to read more books.
Kelli Bales
Benefits + Payroll Manager
Kelli Bales
Expert In:
Keen eye for detail.
Freak Flag:
I’m always planning my next trip.
Inspired By:
Nature.
Next Adventure:
New Zealand!
Regan Bench
Copy Director
Regan Bench
Expert In:
Embracing the elephant in the room.
Freak Flag:
Vintage Pyrex and K-pop albums follow me home.
Inspired By:
What's possible when big brains collide.
Next Adventure:
Planning a solo jaunt across the pond.
Steve Bowling
Senior HR Business Partner
Steve Bowling
Expert In:
Remembering people. I don't forget faces. Love making new connections and building relationships.
Freak Flag:
I love working in my flower garden.
Inspired By:
Connecting the dots and connecting people.
Next Adventure:
I'm always excited to try a new restaurant, go to a show, buy a new plant, or take my dog, Tebow, for a pup cup.
Shanyn Brady
Lead Designer
Shanyn Brady
Expert In:
Being prepared for anything and everything.
Freak Flag:
Love the numbers 1, 3, and 5. In any combination.
Inspired By:
Art, interior design, any form of good design.
Next Adventure:
Home renovation.
Mary Carroll
Senior Strategist
Mary Carroll
Expert In:
Yes and-ing.
Freak Flag:
I love curating music playlists specific to vibes, vacation spots, eras, etc.
Inspired By:
Humankind—literally. The innate goodness in all of us.
Next Adventure:
The next book on my to-be-read shelf.
Jennifer Cashman
Senior Executive Assistant
Jennifer Cashman
Expert In:
Herding cats.
Freak Flag:
I love a good junk drawer purge/organization sesh. If you don't have a junk drawer, I'm not sure we can be friends.
Inspired By:
I've discovered some of my favorite places and people because I took an unknown road to see where it would lead.
Next Adventure:
Fresh flowers by the kitchen sink always make me smile. I would love to grow my very own cutting garden.
Morgan Cavanaugh
Design Director
Morgan Cavanaugh
Expert In:
Staying (freakishly) calm through the chaos.
Freak Flag:
Mushroom fanatic and forager.
Inspired By:
The world around me, whether it's my travels abroad or my neighborhood back home.
Next Adventure:
Traveling around Spain.
Kyle Clos
Resource Manager
Kyle Clos
Expert In:
Puzzle solving. Every day and every project is a giant puzzle that I get the opportunity to help solve.
Freak Flag:
I like the strange and unusual. I was married on Halloween, in front of a cemetery, on a stormy night.
Inspired By:
Figuring out the impossible always gets me excited. I love a good challenge.
Next Adventure:
I’m excited to meet baby #2 and watch my kids grow up!
Grant Collinsworth
Senior Creative Director
Grant Collinsworth
Expert In:
Directness.
Freak Flag:
I love to build. All things from Legos to furniture.
Inspired By:
New ideas. Discovering new ways of doing things. That moment you know you have found the solution is magic.
Next Adventure:
The new discoveries of AI are very exciting. Seasons of change energize passions.
Johna Digonno
Brand Leader
Johna Digonno
Expert In:
Reading the room (even Zoom ones).
Freak Flag:
In times of uncertainty, I put my bare feet on the earth and listen. The answer usually comes to me after that.
Inspired By:
Mythology, travel Tiktok, laughter, stories about the human condition, and the pursuit of greatness.
Next Adventure:
Figuring out how to make the perfect floral arrangement.
Lisa Dundon
Staff Accountant
Lisa Dundon
Expert In:
I'm always there, but appear like I'm not. Quiet, but getting things done.
Freak Flag:
I have a yoga studio in my basement.
Inspired By:
My two daughters.
Next Adventure:
Planning a trip to Italy.
Caroline Dunn
Group Director
Caroline Dunn
Expert In:
My Spidey sense. I have an ability to read the room, anticipate what's next, know what others need and adapt to make it happen.
Freak Flag:
I love and thrive in chaos. It forces honesty and growth.
Inspired By:
Stepping into the unknown with no expectation but to forge ahead. Working with an expert who has passion for craft.
Next Adventure:
Attempting to learn French. Chasing after the 6 World Majors (marathons) to earn my 6-star finisher!
Maddie Fennell
Brand Leader
Maddie Fennell
Expert In:
Going with the flow and steering the ship!
Freak Flag:
I moonlight as a reformer Pilates instructor.
Inspired By:
Family and travel.
Next Adventure:
Coming out of Pilates teaching retirement.
Emily Flannery
Senior Director, Discovery
Emily Flannery
Expert In:
Unraveling the messy middle between today and tomorrow. Connecting the seemingly disconnected.
Freak Flag:
I collect the last, big September issues published by major fashion pubs.
Inspired By:
Fans in full freak-out mode, the evolution of slang, the impact of art on science, and vice versa.
Next Adventure:
Getting back into slow crafting: needlepoint, embroidery and beadwork.
Claire Keys Pytlik
Senior Marketing Director / Senior Creative Director
Claire Keys Pytlik
Expert In:
Finding that word you’re thinking of.
Freak Flag:
I stockpile restaurant menus in shoeboxes.
Inspired By:
The way my son sees things.
Next Adventure:
To Paris for all the cheese and Bordeaux.
Sanah Lal
Senior Innovation Strategist
Sanah Lal
Expert In:
Bringing clarity to chaos.
Freak Flag:
Hoarder of all kinds of information that could make life easier.
Inspired By:
Dreams and the life stories that got you there.
Next Adventure:
A dreamy Jamaican getaway by the sea.
Michelle Lehan
Brand Leader
Michelle Lehan
Expert In:
Remaining calm under pressure and listening for the unsaid.
Freak Flag:
I collect blown glass paperweights.
Inspired By:
My daughters, adventure, the ocean, and all things vintage.
Next Adventure:
Learning Spanish.
Alex Lohmann
Creative Director
Alex Lohmann
Expert In:
Seeing the potential and taking a positive spin.
Freak Flag:
My car's trunk = treasure trove. (Nay, junk yard. I once had a broken food processor back there for years.)
Inspired By:
The natural world.
Next Adventure:
Hitting the pickle ball court. Taking salsa lessons. Plotting my next hike.
Dana Makstaller
Brand Leader
Dana Makstaller
Expert In:
Reading the room.
Freak Flag:
I am a potter. I teach beginner wheel-throwing classes at my studio. Check out my work at @kin_ceramics.
Inspired By:
Human connection and seeing someone experience something for the first time.
Next Adventure:
Making myself a complete dinnerware set (thrown on the pottery wheel) for an upcoming dinner party.
John McKenzie
IT Director
John McKenzie
Expert In:
Knowing every Mac keyboard shortcut.
Freak Flag:
I'm generally watching the part of the screen the director didn't count on people focusing on.
Inspired By:
My terabyte-sized, thousand-genre music library.
Next Adventure:
Roaming around neglected corners of the Midwest.
Ben Meyers
Senior Designer
Ben Meyers
Expert In:
True listening = empathy>understanding>compassion>humility
Freak Flag:
Never underestimate failures as learning opportunities (and fodder for humor and self-deprecation).
Inspired By:
Grace.
Next Adventure:
Renewed passion around typography, creating bespoke fonts, and learning more about specific font designers and foundries.
Caroline Molony
Lead Designer
Caroline Molony
Expert In:
Using exclamation points!
Freak Flag:
I collect small, odd figurines and taxidermy!
Inspired By:
Hopecore/Corecore TikTok’s, my friends, a laundry list of artists, and who I wish to be.
Next Adventure:
Teaching myself to garden.
Tara Morrison
Senior Strategist
Tara Morrison
Expert In:
Telling stories with exaggerated enthusiasm, even if it's just about my trip to the grocery store.
Freak Flag:
I am obsessed with hosting themed get-togethers and parties. Think murder mysteries and book exchanges.
Inspired By:
The people I surround myself with: friends, family and strangers. I'm a sucker for people-watching.
Next Adventure:
Raising my little dachshund puppy, Nala, in the big city.
Matt Moses
Senior Creative Director
Matt Moses
Expert In:
Finding the twist, the turn and the hook.
Freak Flag:
I create menus for the week like a restaurant.
Inspired By:
The open road. Food writing. Songs that meander. Movies and shows that feel like novels.
Next Adventure:
Finding another state to cycle across.
Jessica Owen Stephens
Senior Creative Director
Jessica Owen Stephens
Expert In:
Cute sh*t and connecting the dots.
Freak Flag:
I can lick my elbow. Give it a try?
Inspired By:
My kids. The finish line. Doing it better.
Next Adventure:
France.
Meredith Post
Senior Creative Director
Meredith Post
Expert In:
Inbox zero lifestyle.
Freak Flag:
I was an All-American lacrosse player.
Inspired By:
The creative kid inside of me who could never stop drawing.
Next Adventure:
Closing in on visiting all 50 states in the US.
Mike Proctor
Group Director
Mike Proctor
Expert In:
Changes daily. Stop back tomorrow to find out more.
Freak Flag:
I can eat a whole loaf of bread and drink a gallon of milk in under one hour. I do not recommend it.
Inspired By:
Music. No matter when or where, music.
Next Adventure:
Enjoying the next great brunch, lunch, or meal.
Andy Re
Innovation Director
Andy Re
Expert In:
Breaking bones during adventure sports.
Freak Flag:
I'm a D+D dungeon master. #supernerd
Inspired By:
Dank memes and jazz music.
Next Adventure:
Continuing world travels and teaching my dog how to get me a beer.
Marisa Richter
Director of Operations + Group Director
Marisa Richter
Expert In:
Seeing clarity in chaos.
Freak Flag:
I sang with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for 6 years, even performing in Carnegie Hall!
Inspired By:
Traveling abroad and experiencing different cultures, people, and ways of life.
Next Adventure:
Cooking up something new and delicious. It’s always a culinary adventure in my house!
Annie Rizzo
Design Activation Director, Marketing
Annie Rizzo
Expert In:
Taking something mundane and making it beautiful.
Freak Flag:
Being overly obsessed (in a good way) with all things fitness and nutrition.
Inspired By:
Truly happy people.
Next Adventure:
Learning how to be more organized!
Emily Rodgers
Brand Director
Emily Rodgers
Expert In:
Connecting with people at the deepest level. Helping others feel seen and heard.
Freak Flag:
I moonlight as an Instagram influencer on the weekends.
Inspired By:
My family and working in my garden.
Next Adventure:
Finding my next home to remodel—hopefully with a large porch and an acre of land to expand my garden.
Carina Sandoval
Strategy Director
Carina Sandoval
Expert In:
Simplifying the complex.
Freak Flag:
Gilmore Girls is my comfort show. I've watched it start to finish countless times.
Inspired By:
A day at the beach and a dip in the ocean.
Next Adventure:
Getting my daughter her first passport and using it.
Kyle Schutte
Group Director
Kyle Schutte
Expert In:
Remembering old job numbers and being able to tell someone how to find something on the server with my eyes closed.
Freak Flag:
I’m nearly legally blind.
Inspired By:
Anything that provides a fresh perspective or take. Anything original.
Next Adventure:
Turks and Caicos.
Adam Sievering
Copy Director
Adam Sievering
Expert In:
Turning experiences into stories that have legs, teeth and enough bite to leave a mark.
Freak Flag:
I collect misfit toys and miniature oddities, leaving them in public spaces—hidden in plain sight.
Inspired By:
Rabbit holes, white whales and collaborating with those who chase them.
Next Adventure:
Cruising the Greek Isles.
Paul Stutzman
Design Adaptation Director
Paul Stutzman
Expert In:
A little this, a little that.
Freak Flag:
Dad jokes all day.
Inspired By:
Nature and grit.
Next Adventure:
Yes, please!
Lana Ugurtas
Strategy Director
Lana Ugurtas
Expert In:
Uncovering the most random facts about brands.
Freak Flag:
I buy bracelets from every new place that I travel to.
Inspired By:
My son's positive attitude and his curiosity.
Next Adventure:
Can't wait to take my son camping for the first time.
Emily Venter
Brand Manager
Emily Venter
Expert In:
Figuring shit out.
Freak Flag:
Planning vacations I never intend to go on.
Inspired By:
Interactive art. My current favorite is Otherworld.
Next Adventure:
Travel back to Ethiopia with my daughter.
Diamond Wade
Designer
Diamond Wade
Expert In:
I'm a wizard with color. Color matching, color palettes, color theory.
Freak Flag:
I love personality tests. Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, Love Languages, Attachment Styles... shall I go on?
Inspired By:
Colorful things. Wonky shapes. Messy experiments. Unexpected combinations. Passionate people doing what they love.
Next Adventure:
I'm excited to start exploring my city solo and dive deeper into surface design.
Michelle Wagner
Controller
Michelle Wagner
Expert In:
Capturing data for analytics, Streamlining repeatable processes, Creative problem-solver, Bean-counter.
Freak Flag:
“Craft Supply Junkie.” Mapping efficient workflows (repeatedly), “I can make that” (unless it requires sewing).
Inspired By:
Tell me "it can't be done."
Next Adventure:
My (not-so-) littles’ life events: wedding, first house and college. I’m learning to be an empty nester, spending more time crafting and attempting to improve my golf game.
Rob Warnick
Lead Designer
Rob Warnick
Expert In:
Control Z-ing.
Freak Flag:
I am unable to get rid of any T-shirts. Doesn't matter if it’s from an 8th grade basketball camp or some 90s band I no longer listen to. I still have them all.
Inspired By:
Nature, outdoors, my family, chocolate pudding pie.
Next Adventure:
Teaching our oldest to drive… and to not rip off the bumper when trying to park.
Mark Westbrook
Senior Creative Director
Mark Westbrook
Expert In:
Obsessive organization and thoroughness. I think through every scenario.
Freak Flag:
Equal parts DIY enthusiast, world traveler and hippie jam-band lover.
Inspired By:
To-do lists, friendly competition, experiences outside my comfort zone.
Next Adventure:
Baby boy Gordon. 🙂
Mickenzie Willars
Senior Digital Designer
Mickenzie Willars
Expert In:
Having incredibly goblin-esque posture when working.
Freak Flag:
Having funky hair is what gives me my creative juice. If I let my roots grow out, I'll forget how to design.
Inspired By:
I think there's inspiration to be found in anything and everything if you look long enough.
Next Adventure:
Completing one of my hundreds of unfinished crafts/projects/hobbies.
Susanne Wright
Client Engagement Manager + Group Director
Susanne Wright
Expert In:
Foresight master and dot connecter.
Freak Flag:
A wannabe chocolatier.
Inspired By:
My children, music, mixed-media art and gardening.
Next Adventure:
I am intrigued by the Metaverse and AI.
*This represents a large portion of our organization, but not everyone, such as our extensive freelance network and other partners.
*Furriest Employees of the Month
*A hike in the Indiana woods, 2022 Fall Retreat
*An afternoon at the museum, 2023 Spring Retreat
*LPK lore in the stairwells of 19 Garfield
*LPK red, aka 6330 Cherry

From 1983 /
To Tomorrow

Because our story is never finished.

At LPK, we often start our work in search of a business’s “Founder’s Insanity,” the grit and vision that propelled a business into existence. Maybe it’s because our story starts with some insanity of our own: five founders who risked it all to protect their independence and build brands better.

Forty-some years later, many of those brand relationships endure, and those five founders—Howard McIlvain, Jim Gabel, Mort Libby, Ray Perszyk and Jerry Kathman—still inspire us. To zig where others zag. Greet the future with realism and optimism. And to hold onto our values like hell.

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FIND YOURSELF HERE.

We are a coveted brand and innovation consultancy. A collective of curious minds and creative souls. But this is not simply a place. It’s a direction; a movement pointed ever forward. Here, each of us leads by doing. We inspire our fellow specialists, but also our clients and industry colleagues. The work we create means something and makes something: makes minds change. Makes needles move. Makes watershed moments.

You are different here, and you’ll keep on changing. You will grow here. You will be smart, brave, closer to the truth.

And your transformation will also be ours—a progression paved by following your deepest passions and wildest ideas.

Because here, you own a piece of what happens next. Here, we’re united in the belief that LPK is never finished. We are ravenous for the new, the emerging, the uncharted. We know what we hold sacred. And clinging to that, we charge ahead.

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Have a challenge? We’re all ears.
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Have a challenge? We’re all ears.
Let’s talk about how we can partner.

 

Have a challenge? We’re all ears.
Let’s talk about how we can partner.

 

Have a challenge? We’re all ears.
Let’s talk about how we can partner.