Creative renegadesfrom the wild west

Chad is a proud Wyoming native with 20+ years professional experience who bleeds marketing, design and technology. Chad led the strategy, creative and development of internal and client solutions in marketing and technology for over 10 years as the original founder of Warehouse Twenty One, an award winning full-service marketing and advertising firm in Cheyenne. Having directly developed, or been lead on large advertising and technology projects for Government, Healthcare, Financial, Gaming, and other industries in Wyoming, his experience is well rounded between strategy, creative, digital, production, and fulfillment services. Not only is he a unique amalgamation of client services, his ability to lead multi-million dollar projects and develop internal teams has been proven time and time again.

Jesse comes to the Collective with a Marketing degree from the University of Wyoming, where he balanced hitting the books with riding saddle broncs and roping calves on the university’s rodeo team. Although not a Wyoming native, he’s called Southeast Wyoming his home for nearly 15 years. With over 13 years of marketing experience, Jesse meets clients’ needs through a unique blend of strategies and tactics. When not contemplating new trends in the marketing world, he loves mountain biking, snowboarding, running and kicking back with a nice, frosty beverage. Jesse lives in the West Edge of Cheyenne with his wife and two young sons.

Fatos (Fa-toe-sh) a.k.a. Fatma grew up in Turkey, spent a few years living in England, and has called Cheyenne home since 2016. Throughout her professional career, she has managed projects, marketing and PR functions in various industries including higher education, management and public relations consulting, downtown revitalization, and international tourism marketing. Her enthusiasm for giving back is reflected in her volunteer efforts with Cheyenne Little Theatre Players (both on-stage and behind the scenes) as well as other local organizations and groups. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration focused on PR and Advertising, as well as a master’s in Management with Public Relations Specialization from the University of Maryland Global Campus. When she’s not applying her diverse and cross-cultural background into communicating with clients to reach their goals, Fatos (a self-proclaimed travel addict) can be found hiking, sharpening her snowboarding skills or looking where to scuba dive next!

If you’ve ordered a pay-per-view UFC or boxing event in the past 15 years, or even enjoyed watching a World Cup or the Olympic Games from the comfort of home, you (partially) have Max here to thank: From 2007 onward, Max’s role in the telecommunication and broadcast industry included managing and transmitting the signal for numerous high-dollar sporting events, including the ones named above.

As a manager/supervisor for the last 8 years, Max leaned on his leadership, communication, and management skills to create a positive, welcoming work environment for his team. While he believes in the importance of working hard, Max also places a high priority on having fun and laughing while doing so. 

A University of Wyoming graduate, Max earned his degree in broadcast communication and enjoyed a (fairly) brief stint playing college football while he was there. Having grown up in the small town of Cody, WY, Max is excited to share the experience of “living out on the land”—in rural Cheyenne—with his green-thumbed, insanely talented wife and their kids. He loves to mountain bike in the summer/fall, snowboard in the winter, and enjoy a good beer (or two) when the opportunity arises.

Aaron’s the kind of guy who dives right into doing what he loves. Case in point: He went straight from earning his degree in Marketing from the University of Wyoming to enjoying a decade-long role in digital marketing at Sierra. 

After a brief marketing breather—where he put his program management expertise to use for The Align Team’s statewide Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP)—Aaron’s excited to be back at it again. Clients benefit from his ability to build strong relationships, guide strategy and facilitate client growth.  

Outside of work, this Cheyenne native is either at the gym, cheering on the Wyoming Cowboys, working on home renovations or putting together the latest issue of “The Legend,” which highlights events and activities happening around Cheyenne. 

Basically a Cheyenne native, Michelle moved to Cheyenne from Colorado at the ripe old age of 12. After graduating from Central High School, Michelle earned her degree in Business Administration from the University of Wyoming, then began a career in banking. When kiddo #3 arrived, Michelle decided to take a nine-year sabbatical as a stay-at-home mom—during which time she also welcomed kiddo #4!  

In 2010, Michelle headed back to work for Blue Federal Credit Union, where she stayed until she was offered the opportunity to dive headfirst into the Collective. She brings the ideal balance to our team: A solid love for marketing, art and creativity, matched equally by a passion for organization, spreadsheets and pivot tables.

Outside of work, Michelle finds her greatest joy in her family, made up of her husband and six kids (three girls and three boys, ranging in age from 15 to 23). In addition to keeping track of said kids and their activities, Michelle loves golfing, fine (boxed) wine, and beach vacations.

Longtime Cheyenne resident Allen has followed a path that’s kept him knee-deep in the evolution of analog to today’s digital creative management, supporting teams and improving processes along the way. With more than 18 years of experience in online retail creative production for companies like Cabelas, Sierra and HSN, building and supporting digital asset creation is simply in his blood. He balances life away from work in the company of family and friends, working on old-school rides, fishing, camping, cooking, fixing stuff, and working in the yard (especially if it includes a backhoe).

Maddie is a graduate of Colorado State University (CSU) with a degree in Equine Science and minor in Business Administration. While attending CSU, Maddie worked at a local dairy farm, where—of all the interesting and unique places to do it—she developed an interest in sales and marketing. At the heart of that interest is the drive to be creative and create positive experiences for people, which makes Maddie a great fit for her role in the Collective. 

In Maddie’s free time, she enjoys cooking, playing with her camera, and exploring Wyoming’s wide open spaces. Also, thanks to her time at the dairy farm, Maddie has an endless supply of baby cow pictures, and yes: She is absolutely happy to share.

An East Coast transplant to Wyoming by way of Vermont, Barbara first fell in love with Wyoming when she came to visit family—and made it official by moving here in January of 2000. She comes from 20+ years of customer service and finance in the restaurant industry, banking mortgage industry and small businesses, as well as an Associate Degree in Business Administration.  (Oh, and she also helped her husband Chad—yes, that one—start his first business in their basement back in the day.)

When she’s not wearing the many hats (admin, finance, human resources, executive assistant) at the Collective, she is taking care of her two children (three, if you count Chad….and usually, she does) and two adorable dogs. She’s also known for her other passion of putting together some pretty sweet events and making way too much delicious food for them.

Born in Denver but raised right here in Cheyenne, Jalen joins the Collective with a bachelor’s in Business Administration and a love for crunching numbers. In addition to pursuing his Master’s in Finance, Jalen enjoys going to the gym, playing soccer, snowboarding, and spending time with his beagle Echo.

Wyoming native Hilary received her degree in Communications with a minor in Marketing from the University of Wyoming. Following graduation, she put her passion for public relations and digital marketing to work as a Digital Marketing Specialist for a Colorado content and eCommerce company—and now she’s bringing her skills and passion to the Collective team! Outside of work, Hilary enjoys spending time with her friends, golfing, and traveling.

As someone who loves music, art, and design in all types of mediums, Byron is forever exploring, learning, and creating—then infusing what he’s learned into building fun, interactive, and creative web applications and user experiences. 

When he’s not experimenting and programming using the latest technologies, Byron’s either working on creative projects or staying active and exploring with his family. Pending on the season, you’ll find them out on the trails with their dog Tabbe; enjoying backyard hang-outs, paddleboarding, and tennis; and snowboarding or snowshoeing together. Here at the Collective, he’s excited to be part of a team that wants to grow and learn together.

Bright, engaging and memorable copy is Ashley’s signature, sparked by an early love of words and stoked by a steady stream of copywriting, editing and adjective-collecting ever since. Having spent more than a decade writing copy at Sierra, Ashley’s not only refined her ability to write catchy, benefit-oriented copy that motivates; she’s also amassed more knowledge about fabrics and performance technology than any one human should ever need. (Consequently, she is super fun to take shopping.)

She and her husband are raising up their rad little dude right here in the Capital City, teaching him about the finer things in life—good books, good music, good food, and good vibes—along the way.

As a designer, creative-mind master, and brand builder, Mycena strives to create thoughtful and uniquely designed solutions that stand out and ignite real results for her clients. Given her lifelong passion for creativity and art, she always knew the world of graphic design would be where she’d make her career. Mycena’s 15 years of professional experience includes managing, designing, and art directing the branding and packaging of Sports Authority’s 15 private brands (including Alpine Design, Aspire, Bloom, and Tommy Armour). She also designed projects with The Via Group for Safe Passage, Arrow International Medical, DuPont, and Backyard Farms. Additionally, she had the privilege of developing branded designs for The Kempe Foundation at the Children’s Hospital in Denver. Away from the Adobe design suite, you’ll find Mycena soaking up nature and fresh air by hiking, biking, paddle boarding… pretty much anything active.

Sara is a visual problem solver whose true passion is to help businesses find their identity and achieve their goals far beyond their expectations. Her design adventures have given her experience in a wide variety of media and styles, as well as a better understanding of the marketing world as a whole. She’s spent most of her career working with financial institutions, higher education and non-profit organizations. When Sara isn’t eagerly working on design projects, you can catch her playing video games, D&D, making greeting cards, baking cupcakes, or spending time with her husband and three puppies.

Nicole is a Maryland native and life-long creative who fell in love with the west and all it has to offer. She has a degree in Graphic Design from Liberty University and experience working with publishers, start-ups, and property management. She loves bringing brands to life through thoughtful, deliberate design and by experimenting with new styles and ideas.

When she’s not behind her computer, Nicole enjoys trying new Pinterest recipes, garedning, hiking, snuggling her dog Denali and cat Harlow, and riding her horse Josie.

One time, while he was living in Los Angeles, Ben built an IED simulator to train military troops; another time, back home in Cheyenne, he played an integral part in managing both inaugurations for Gov. Matt Mead and the other elected officials during Gov. Mead’s terms. In between, Ben earned his degree in Film and Video Production from the University of Denver; picked up a decade’s worth of experience in video production and editing; and headed back to DU for his MBA. Outside of work, you’ll find Ben skiing, snowboarding, playing hockey and soccer, nerding out on board games, and proudly serving as “Wolf Pack Leader” for dominating the 9th annual wolf shirt contest he holds with his friends every summer.

Matt is a video production gear aficionado, driven by mastering these tools and technology for storytelling. His strong videography skill set includes cameras, drones, audio, lighting, and editing. After serving 24 years in the Air Force—and deploying five times to the Arabian Peninsula and Afghanistan—Matt settled with his family here in Cheyenne, where he turned his longtime hobbies into a job as a freelance videographer and drone operator. (That’s actually how we met him.)

To say Al has an adventurous, thrill-seeking spirit is putting it mildly. 

Picture this: 16-year-old Al, solo climbing Mt. Whitney. At the top, he went right on over and spent the next 3 weeks on the John Muir Trail, alone, heading toward Yosemite. 

That’s just for starters. 

In the years that followed, Al went on to become a medic, National Park Ranger, wild-land firefighter, member of the Helicopter Initial Attack Team and Crew Medic. He was also a member of the High Angle Rescue Team, a hang-glider pilot , and an Aircraft Distributor and Flight Instructor who built (then flew) 3 ultralight aircraft. 

Like we said: “Adventurous and thrill-seeking” is just a start. 

Today, Al is an accomplished airbrush artist, fine/commercial artist, craftsman, and fabricator. 

Prior to joining the Collective, Al built his sign fabrication chops working for several signage companies, including spending time as a Senior Project Manager for a specialized custom sign fabrication company, and running a company of his own. 

Al and his wife moved to Cheyenne in 2013 and haven’t regretted a moment since. 

In those rare moments Al has space or time to fill, he enjoys playing his guitar and keyboard, creating audio video productions in his sound studio, or heading out to his workshop to spend time creating with his 3-axis CNC Router.

The 2D world has limits; the 3D world does not. That freedom to explore and create without bounds is what initially drew Braydan to 3D modeling and design, and what’s inspired him to continue exploring it ever since. Since 2019, he’s used Blender (an open-source 3D work space) to refine his skills in creating skins, models, desktop wallpapers, and even a model of his own car. In addition to working on the real-life version of said car (a BMW E90), Braydan likes to play motocross games with friends. 

Sure, you could call it “project management,” but after 15 years in the industry, David prefers to call it “being a champion of progress”—and he’s honed his experience doing exactly that for agencies of all types and sizes, including working on global brands for Johnson & Johnson, Unilever and Church and Dwight. 

When he’s not elbow-deep in budgets and timelines, David’s out enjoying Wyoming’s wide-open spaces and snow-capped mountains by backpacking and fly fishing with his two sons. He’s also a self-proclaimed foodie in constant search of the perfect burger, so shoot him a message if you think you know where he can put his search to rest.

Mike Phillip is a dedicated Media Manager with a wealth of experience in OTT advertising, sports sponsorship sales, and—here’s a plot twist you didn’t see coming—various facets of the automotive industry, including wholesale auction sales, software, and financial services. 

An excellent communicator, Mike thrives on collaborating with businesses to help them grow and achieve their objectives. His commitment to innovation and client success results in well-crafted media strategies that both resonate and drive results.

A proud Wyoming native, Mike brings a local perspective to his professional endeavors. His deep-rooted passion for sports and the outdoors is reflected in both his personal and professional life. When he’s not working, you can find him hiking, fishing, or golfing, embracing the beauty of the great outdoors.