Our Thought Partners
We are fortunate to have long-standing relationships with some collaborative superheroes. As thought partners, they constantly challenge our thinking, assumptions, and paradigms.
And we love them for it.
Tamara Olson
Web Developer / Strategist / User Experience
Prior to starting Studio Simpatico, Tamara spent several years at Google, first as a design manager in Ads, then as the design lead for Google Classroom. Tamara has crafted experiences for Apple, The Paperless Post, and Conde Nast, and in 2009 led the The New York Observer redesign (Webby nomination, best newspaper design). Tamara holds a Master’s from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), and a B.A. from Macalester College, and previously served as adjunct faculty teaching interaction design at FIT. A WordPress and front-end developer, she regularly attends and speaks at Wordcamps around the world.
Katharina Plath
PR / Relationship Management
Katharina Plath got her start spearheading the expansion of Donghia’s sales as their Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing in Europe. With an MBA in Economics and Interior Design as well as a master's degree from the Royal Academy of Arts in London Katharina has lived and worked in Hamburg, London, Milan, and Paris. Katharina found Head and Hand PR with the purpose of combining business with pleasure to connect people in the art and design field on an international level. Over the course of 10 years, Katharina has successfully managed and launched luxury home brands and interior designers into the American market.
DJ Hofer
Sound Designer / Strategist
The aptly named DJ Hofer is the sultan of sound. A multi-talented music producer, composer, sound designer, instrumentalist, singer, audio brander, and all-around happy noise maker, DJ has helped clients like Coca Cola, ESPN, Shark Tank, Honda, Discover, and a host of others connect with audiences around the world. Outside of the booth, he also brings his passion for creating content that amplifies emotion to his work as a facilitator, systems and design thinker and digital marketer and content creator. DJ collaborates with world-class creative teams and brings a wealth of knowledge and a keen strategic mind. His smooth southern drawl and razor sharp wit make him our all-time favorite music man.
Katy Garton
Filmmaker
Katy-Robin Garton is a documentary filmmaker passionate about using visual storytelling as a tool to cultivate awareness and change. Katy received a Master’s in Fine Arts from Montana State University's Documentary Filmmaking Program in 2007 and founded the production studio Sprout Films soon after. Katy seeks stories that give voice to those impacting our world, whose stories transcend boundaries that divide us and unite us. Katy’s recent work gravitates toward highlighting conservation, culture, and global issues. As a director, editor, and cinematographer, Katy’s work spans global partnerships with organizations such as Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Ripple Effect Images, Microsoft, BRAC, Salomon, The Conservation Fund, Women’s Voices for the Earth, and The Bhutan Foundation. While internationally engaged, Katy is equally rooted in her local community in Montana, partnering with organizations such as The Clark Fork Coalition, The Headwaters Foundation, YWCA, The Montana Governor’s Office, The Namchak Foundation, Youth Homes of Missoula, and The Thermal Biology Institute. Please watch Katy’s work at www.sproutfilms.com.
Angie Herrera
Web Developer / Designer
Based in Portland, OR, Angie Herrera is a designer and front-end developer and loves planning, creating, and launching new websites for people that love what they do. She’s worked with a variety of clients in a variety of industries, gaining experiences in areas such as user experience, user interface design, front-end development, content management systems, SEO, and project management. She’s also experienced in traditional graphic design, including branding. When she isn’t busy pushing pixels at her design studio, Block 81, you can find Angie playing or watching soccer, taking photos and videos, or visiting various places around the world.
Rae Senarighi
Graphic Design / Illustration
Fine artist, designer and muralist, Rae Senarighi is best known for colorful abstracts, intricate typography and vivid portraiture. Rae began his studies at the University of Montana in 2000, finishing his BFA at the Art Institute of Seattle in 2009, receiving a Hall of Fame Award in 2011. Rae’s work is influenced by years of scientific illustration, studying the natural world in micro and macro, and being published in Cell, Nature and Science magazines. Rae is a transgender non-binary artist currently based in Portland, OR. His most recent portrait series, TRANSCEND, celebrates transgender / non-binary individuals throughout the world who are living their lives openly, choosing integrity over safety. This series has been featured in the San Francisco Weekly, the Missoulian, A Family Co, PM Megazine, Gertrude Press, Edge Media Network, the Philadelphia Metro, Control Forever and DNA India. Netflix and GLAAD recently invited Rae to celebrate authentic, accurate portrayals of trans characters in media through a series of paintings.
Erika Peterman
Photographer
In her work as a documentary photographer, Erika loves to capture the faces and places that tell a story. Her photos have been used by businesses and non-profits to humanize their missions in artistic, meaningful ways. Erika has also been the photographer for various political and business campaigns, photographing luminaries such as Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sheryl Sandberg. A passionate outdoor enthusiast, Erika enjoys any opportunity to take photos of beautiful landscapes and wildlife, from whale sharks in Baja to Arctic foxes in Iceland. Her photos have appeared on the covers of Big Sky Journal, the Missoula Independent, and Paddle World Magazine, among others. In 2018 her work was featured in an article in The Guardian about the impact of the Keystone pipeline on Montana’s Fort Peck Indian Reservation. A member of the Montana State Bar, she has also been paid to sing in one.
Drew Schug
Digital Marketer / Strategic Consultant
Drew Schug is a digital marketer and strategic consultant who helps clients develop the long-term vision and short-term tactics necessary to achieve their marketing and sales goals. Drew has worked with several Fortune 500/publicly traded organizations and personally founded and runs Big Storm, a successful, growing digital marketing agency. He brings over 10 years of business building, strategic goal setting, and cost-saving experience to the projects he oversees. Drew is also a seasoned technical marketer whose strength lies in implementing both new and proven technologies to streamline clients' processes and campaigns. He has worked with—and provided professional consulting for—B2B and SaaS companies, eCommerce organizations, service-based businesses, and fellow marketing agencies. His diverse experience has ingrained in him the importance of measurable results and value creation, and his passion for helping clients succeed shines through in every interaction he has. His strong work ethic and ability to collaborate with both technologists and business owners is a tremendous asset to the companies he works with.