Chelsea Orr
Account Director
Chelsea’s rigor and warmth make the process of building a brand feel almost effortless. Whether rallying our clients or our teams, she manages the millions of moving parts expertly—and with endless enthusiasm.
Fun Fact
Chelsea’s bucket list includes climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with her sister.
Chris Kelly
Production Manager
Chris is our indispensable “maker,” working with our team to pull every creative asset together perfectly. No matter the medium—moving or static, physical or digital—he’s the master at making it all work in the real world.
Fun Fact
Chris’s favorite Halloween costume was Spiderman, hand-sewn by Mom. (Aw.)
Thinking from Chris Kelly
Thornton Tomasetti: The Importance of B2B Brand Personality
Everyone’s a Creative: Use Workshops to Engage Even the Most Skeptical B2B Employee
Dayna McAnnally
Controller
Dayna quietly keeps all things financial, legal and administrative running like clockwork. From onboarding and benefits to payables and receivables, she takes good care of everyone who works with us and for us.
Fun Fact
At the top of Dayna’s bucket list is owning a vintage Corvette convertible. (Red or yellow, standard shift, 455 V-8.)
Debbie Kim
Head of Operations
Debbie operates at the center of everything we do. She’s our go-to thinker and doer for our biggest, most complex assignments—for clients and our firm. Her spreadsheets will awe you and you’ll always want her in your corner.
Fun Fact
Debbie dreams of visiting Lyon, fixing her broken French and trying all the pastries.
Thinking from Debbie Kim
Break Out of the Bubble: Top B2B Marketing Conferences to Expand Your Perspective
When It Comes to Your Clients, Never Make Assumptions
Five Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Agency Partnership
Dru DeSantis
Co-CEO
Dru is the creative heartbeat of our firm—living where brilliant design meets operational excellence. She’s a visionary thinker who gets things done. Howard calls her “the love of his business life.” Clients call her magic.
Fun Fact
Dru loves the rush of betting on anything, anyplace and at any time–but never more than a dollar.
Thinking from Dru DeSantis
The Dangerous Myth of the Rational B2B Buyer
Technology Brand Colors: Red, Bright and Blue
B2B Branding Design: How the Millennial Aesthetic Transformed the Look of Conservative Industries
Holly Parkin
Senior Designer
With Holly, get ready for the delightfully unexpected. Her nature is whimsical, and you’ll learn to never underestimate her creativity—odds are she’s about to hit you with the best design ideas you never saw coming.
Fun Fact
As a child, Holly’s dream job was naming the colors for paint swatches or cosmetics. Who doesn’t want to spend all day coming up with “Persimmon Sunset”?
Howard Breindel
Co-CEO
Quick to connect, Howard’s made a career of building enduring relationships with business leaders to create game-changing brands. Your first call when the stakes are highest, count on impassioned thinking—great food and wine a must.
Fun Fact
A devoted foodie and home chef, Howard started a catering business in college and hopes to open a restaurant. (There’s still time!)
Thinking from Howard Breindel
Investor Communications and Your Corporate Brand: To Align or Not to Align?
From One of Many to One in a Million: Creating a Differentiated Professional Services Brand
James McCarthy
Verbal Identity Director
James, based in the UK, is the master storyteller who’s all about the words. He revels in the art of creating new names and translating strategy into poetry. His passion is infectious—and the British accent doesn’t hurt either.
Fun Fact
James starred on a UK soap opera, where he got to film a car crash with stunt crew from The Bourne Supremacy.
Thinking from James McCarthy
Jess Fantz
UX Director
Jess is the digital architect who always puts people first. You’ll find her in the weeds and the wireframes—poring over personas, journeys and content maps—craftily building the digital experiences that engage and empower.
Fun Fact
When her life isn’t being run by her children’s schedules, Jess sings lead for a classic rock cover band.
Thinking from Jess Fantz
Jess Novak
Director, Content and Audience Development
Funny and forthright, Jess wields her content strategy and audience-building skills to make brand messaging connect with real people. Think savvy content design: your new brand voice coming to life and ranking for search.
Fun Fact
Raised in both NYC and VA, Jess speaks with a soft Southern accent … until the Brooklyn comes out!
Jordan Deters
Strategy Director
Steady, curious and smart, Jordan is fearless in the face of complexity. She masterfully aligns your brand with your business—turning the most intricate research and insights into strategies as bold as your next big leap.
Fun Fact
Jordan’s never seen The Wizard of Oz. But being from Kansas, she’s done Halloween as Dorothy anyway.
Alex Angst
Senior Writer
Alex combines the mindset of an account lead with the soul of a writer. Knowing the copy on your website and digital channels has a job to do, she thoughtfully asks all the right questions—then makes your story sing.
Fun Fact
Alex loves to cook fusion food with her partner and dreams of running a food truck.
Anne DeAcetis
Brand Marketing Director
Open and curious, Anne is a persuasive writer whose only greater gift is listening. She’s known for combining perspectives into one clear point of view—a talent that fuels her work with our team.
Fun Fact
Anne is the lead singer of jazz-rock fusion band Bell Helium.
Thinking from Anne DeAcetis
B2B Taglines: The Hardest Working Words in Branding
Will Biondi
Strategy Director
Congenial, quick and more than occasionally hilarious, Will is where expertise meets ease. His brand strategies are sharp. He communicates with exacting clarity. He’ll casually blow your mind.
Fun Fact
As a child, Will wanted to be a dragon, then a cartoonist, then an inventor, then a parody musician (à la Weird Al).
Whitney Dow
Filmmaker
Whitney is an engaging director with a methodical approach. He digs deep to find the essence of your story—one interview at a time—then crafts it with just the right mix of intellect and heart. Think cerebral meets charming.
Fun Fact
One of the cheerleaders in the film Bring it On was named after him.
Xan Parker
Filmmaker
Xan is a force. A creative film producer with big broadcast creds, she’s quick to spot your story and even quicker to bring it to life. Captivating and resourceful, she’ll get the job done on time and on budget—every time.
Fun Fact
For the documentary Tigerland, Xan tromped through far eastern Russian forests in sub-zero temperatures with a crew of wildlife conservationists searching for an abandoned tiger cub.
Junpei Taguchi
Senior Strategist
Junpei brings a fresh spin and his own spark to everything he touches. Versatile, curious and sharp, he’s known for creative research, compelling writing and unexpected strategies. Think surprise and delight—with substance.
Fun Fact
Junpei finds biking through traffic exhilarating! But he also loves the peace of practicing ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement.
Kris Newgren
Executive Creative Director
Kris is our creative beacon, always busy bringing out the best in us and elevating all we do. He’s a true design thinker who works seamlessly with our strategists and writers—designing brands that connect in the real world.
Fun Fact
Kris won a drawing contest in kindergarten. The grand prize? Appearing in a circus as part of the clown parade.
Lauren Daukaus
Strategist
A brainiac with a funny bone, Lauren brings depth and serious detail to every assignment while never taking herself too seriously. No one can communicate what matters more clearly and make us laugh as she does.
Fun Fact
Lauren has dressed up as Waldo (of Where’s Waldo?) for three consecutive Halloweens. The photobombs are just too good.
Matthew Clark
Director of Business Development
Driven, outgoing and in charge of outbound: Matthew is all about spotting opportunity to take leaps further. With a background in capital markets, he knows the ins and outs of deals in motion—and wants to talk about yours.
Fun Fact
Matt once spent a month traveling Costa Rica and learning from the Maleku, an indigenous tribe.
Mike Last
Associate Creative Director
Mike is the creative powerhouse who brings sharp design thinking to everything he touches. Thoughtful and inventive, he turns great ideas into brilliant design systems—building brands that turn heads and win hearts.
Fun Fact
Mike was once a competitive sprinter.
Patrick Obando
Senior Interaction Designer
Warm and collaborative, Patrick is one versatile designer—and strategic mind. He’s a question-asker, persona-builder, journey-mapper and in the end, experience creator. Think of him as your bridge from What if? > To Wow.
Fun Fact
Growing up, Patrick wanted to be George Clooney on ER. Not the actor. A guy who always puts people first.
Thinking from Patrick Obando
Ryann Price
Account Director
Ryann brings pure joy and her signature California chill to every project. She expertly marshalls resources, manages timelines and keeps engagements on track. Her weekly status meetings will be the highlight of your day.
Fun Fact
Ryann’s bucket list includes visiting every Caribbean island at least once.
Scott Blumenfeld
Director, Business Devt and Partnerships
Your journey with us begins with Scott—buckle up! Smart about business and brands, he asks all (and we mean all) the right Q’s to understand your ambition and shape your path forward as we prepare for your next big leap.
Fun Fact
At the top of Scott’s bucket list is attending all four Grand Slam Tennis tournaments. (Looking at you, French Open.)
Seth Margolis
Senior Strategy Director
Clients just love Seth! For his always-insightful thinking and remarkable way with words. For his spot-on strategy and self-deprecating wit. He gets you, he gets your business, and he gets you where you want to go.
Fun Fact
Seth is a published novelist seven times over.
Thinking from Seth Margolis
Prospiant: Unifying Six Companies to Create One Powerful Agtech Brand
BrightWay: We Know Just How You Feel
The Brand Supplement: When Hospitals Invest in Branding, ROI Gets Healthier
Shannon Gallagher
Head of Strategy
Shannon is the strategic visionary our clients and team turn to every day. She’s a poised, versatile practitioner and deep systems thinker—forever championing whatever it takes to do great work and find the joy in doing it.
Fun Fact
Shannon is always cold but lives for winter surfing.
Tiffany Hsiao
Senior Designer
Tiffany is the digital design diva without an ounce of attitude—revered on our team for her UX and UI skills. Quietly brilliant, she’s all about interfaces that make navigating digital spaces immersive and friction-free.
Fun Fact
Tiffany loves her side hustle: dog-sitting and walkies.
Creative Challenge Fanatics
We relentlessly push for big ideas. Ideas with that perfect mix of magic and practicality.
Expert Dot Connectors
We learn at deal speed, getting smart on where you are so we can take you where you want to go.
Empathetic Equals
We take time to build great relationships with our clients and one another, working hard to understand and unite different perspectives.
Humble High-Achievers
We’re all about big ideas, not big egos. We’re hard on the work, but not on each other. Best idea wins, always.
I can come to work as the most honest version of myself. A lot of businesses make that claim but at DB, it’s genuinely true.
As a smaller private firm, it’s easy to get things started. You’re just a conversation away from your ideas happening.
We work with all different kinds of clients. It’s exciting to know that there’s always something new coming our way.
This is a place where you have the freedom to grow. There’s no hierarchy. Everybody has a seat at the table.
Howard and Dru are so engaged with everyone and generous with their time. It really feels like they care about us and our development.
You’d be hard pressed to go somewhere where there are people this talented but also this kind.
Everyone is a team player. People have your back and step in when you need it.
We have so many talented people across every discipline. As a team, we punch above our weight everyday.
Want to join our team?
Do you like to explore beyond the obvious? Embrace all perspectives?
Test the limits? If so, we’d love to hear from you.