OUR PEOPLE
LIFE’S SHORT. WE WANT TO LOOK FORWARD TO OUR WORK EACH AND EVERY DAY.
And by focusing on giving our clients the best experiences, we can do just that. After we’ve worked hard, we want to play hard, too, and celebrate wins together — as a team. Because we’re all in this together.
Here’s who makes up ours:
JESSICA EMMETT
Partner & Account Director
GREG KNOLL
Partner & Creative Director
DILLON McELWAINE
Partner, Account Director & Director of Operations
KRISTEN ALMGREN
Digital Account Supervisor
SARAH DIAMOND
Marketing Operations Specialist
EMILY BEDENKOP
Digital Account Manager
CHRISTY MALTBY
Account Manager
JORDAN TREVOR
Account Coordinator
EMILY SPENSER-WEISS
Senior Writer
ERIK SCHMIDT
Writer
CAITLIN NICHOLS
Writer
KATHRYN SMITH
Writer
RACHEL McCLURE
Content Specialist
KATE HOMME
Art Director
JUSTIN COATS
Graphic Designer
JAKE COLLINS
Graphic Designer
GIOVANNA VARTULI
Graphic Designer
MADISON BICKLER
Marketing Operations Specialist
RYANNE WALLENCHECK
Account Manager
JESSICA EMMETT
As co-founder, Jessica loves strategically having fewer clients so we have the time and ability to truly dive in and learn all about them. The most rewarding part? “Our clients feel more like co-workers, like we’re all part of one big team, making great marketing work happen.”
Random facts: Jessica can blow you out of the water at a game of Connect Four. And she’ll never ever get sick of the Avett Brothers. Best. Band. Ever.
What others say about Jessica:
“She always has a great attitude and a smile on. No matter what happens.”
“Her marketing strategy acumen is impressive and always on-point. I’m never not learning from Jessica.”
“I love Jessica’s working style. She always communicates and collaborates first, but then fully trusts you to get the job done – how you want. It’s the best of both worlds.”
GREG KNOLL
As co-founder of Actualize Marketing, Greg’s main goal for the agency is to focus on doing great work for a small number of clients. He says, “What’s not to like about drawing pictures for a living and working with fun people who know what they’re doing?” (Answer: nothing.)
Random facts: Greg can juggle, yo-yo, and karaoke a mean version of Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” – and we really want to hear it.
What others say about Greg:
“The man is a machine. He sits and cranks out amazing creative, and then he sits and does it some more. Occasionally he stands.”
“He will always take the time to do it right the first time – even if we don’t have the time.”
“Greg is fast, efficient, and it shows that he’s truly passionate about what he does. And his music taste can go from Snoop to Shania without skipping a beat.”
DILLON McELWAINE
After more than a decade at a previous agency, Dillon is excited to do things differently at Actualize. His favorite thing about the agency is that the team is always willing to go the extra mile, and because of that, everyone can relish in our clients’ successes.
Random facts: He loves Mountain Dew, can dominate a game of Ping-Pong, and is pretty pumped for summer boat rides with the Actualize crew on Horsetooth Reservoir.
What others say about Dillon:
“Failure is never an option with him. There is always a way.”
“Dillon is probably the most naturally business-savvy person I’ve ever met. Getting stuff done quickly and accurately is all he knows.”
“He appreciates hard work. And he’ll never let it go unnoticed.”
EMILY McCAFFREY
The folks at Actualize are the real deal — they put in 100% with every client, on every project. Emily is thrilled to create awesome work with such a talented and thoughtful team.
Random facts: Emily is a rock climber, hikes or runs on a trail daily, and really wishes someone would buy her a build-your-own dinosaur toy for Christmas one of these years. Seriously.
What others say about Emily:
“She’s like one of those people you see in rom-coms — intriguingly genius and life-experience rich.”
“Emily applies a delicate blend of art and science to produce high-value deliverables across a diverse swath of categories.”
“Emily is the kind of talent you can depend on to deliver. She is original, enthusiastic, optimistic, and on-point.”
KRISTEN SIMS
At Actualize, Kristen is excited to finally do marketing the way it should be done — with small, nimble teams that act as an extension of our clients’ marketing department, bringing more value to the table with better work.
Random facts: She can’t go a day without her pup, Louie, loves jammin’ out to some Dr. Dog, and will likely crush you in a game of Catch Phrase.
What others say about Kristen:
“Clients love her — as they should. She never misses a beat.”
“Her phenomenal attitude can get you motivated, excited, and take you to the finish line. She really believes we’re all in this together.”
“Kristen doesn’t just act like she’d drop everything for her clients; she lives it, and truly does if needed.”
KATE HOMME
At Actualize, Kate loves that she’s always encouraged to learn and better her design knowledge. She joined the team for their philosophy: create great work and do our best rather than simply calculating hours. Biking to work and the local breweries doesn’t hurt either.
Random facts: Kate dominates “geek trivia” — especially when prizes are involved, can’t get enough of Neil Gaiman, and is undeniably the best at picking the longest lines… anywhere.
What others say about Kate:
“Kate’s the ultimate figurer-outer. Give it to her and it will be done — like magic.”
“Her ability to jump into projects and create something awesome quickly isn’t something you see in every designer.”
“She’s an incredibly fast learner, has a great eye for design, and is crazy detail-oriented.”
JUSTIN COATS
These days, Justin is supporting the Actualize team in producing great work — and enjoying all that Colorado has to offer.
Random facts: Justin is a total sports nerd who loves Jesus and relentlessly seeks adventure and creativity.
CHRISTY MALTBY
Christy has worked in industries that ranged from retail to telephony and in numerous capacities such as customer service and project management. Actualize is unlike any place else that she has ever worked; the atmosphere of collaboration and “doing it the right way” is obvious and the good of the client is truly a priority.
Random facts: She is a self-defined veloci-reader, averaging 200 books read per year, and has a bucket-list goal of filling a car with blown-up balloons.
JAKE COLLINS
A master of many design skills, Jake creates work across the spectrum of clients and deliverables. For him, even modest social media graphics represent chances to push himself and grow.
Random facts: You can catch Jake playing adult church league softball in the summertime, and he’s a self-proclaimed coffee snob.
What others say about Jake:
“It’s very rare to get someone of Jake’s talent level. He has advanced a plethora of marketing materials [for our team].”
“One of Jake’s best qualities is his attention to detail.”
JORDAN TREVOR
Today, she loves the variety of projects and clients at Actualize, and she was drawn here in part because she wanted a close, personal team environment. She enjoys applying marketing tactics across industries and audiences, always with an eye toward optimizing their performance.
Random facts: Jordan still has a passion for equine sports medicine, and she loves riding and caring for her horse Chance.
What others say about Jordan:
“Jordan brings a great deal of passion and light-heartedness to the job, with a true desire to meet goals set out in front of her.”
“Jordan brings new and creative energy to the social media team with fun and inclusive ideas.”
SARAH DIAMOND
Her favorite part of the day-to-day is solving problems. She says even something as simple as a blurred image on a website can impact a campaign’s performance, and she’s got an eye for all the little things that can have big effects.
Random facts: Sarah basically lives off of Diet Coke and coffee. But good coffee.
What others say about Sarah:
“Sarah’s attention to detail sets her apart. She always seems to see what others have missed, and any campaign she touches is better off for it.”
“Sarah masters new skills quickly — and eagerly.”
ERIK SCHMIDT
At Actualize, he loves applying his research background to projects in technology, healthcare, and aviation. What he loves most about this work, he says, is that every assignment gives him a chance to learn.
Random facts: In February 2020, Erik’s first book, “Black Tulip: The Life and Myth of Erich Hartmann, the World’s Top Fighter Ace,” was released by Casemate. He’s working on book #2 now. He also grew up on a baseball diamond and was a pitcher in college.
What others say about Erik:
“Erik is the Swiss army knife of writers. He can do anything you put in front of him.”
“Erik is the kind of person you always want to have in the room. He is an ideas person with a practical way of thinking.”
RACHEL McCLURE
Her copyediting and writing experience spans many fields, and she loves marketing because it gives her access to different types of clients and deliverables. At home under tight deadlines and strange requests, she appreciates being at Actualize because of the variety and pace of jobs that come her way.
Random facts: Rachel has been skydiving three times (all prior to having kids, she notes). She and her husband also quit their jobs, hopped in a fifth wheel camper with two young boys, and traveled the country for seven months.
What others say about Rachel:
“Rachel’s job demanded an extremely high level of accuracy and attention to detail. She performed with excellence and never once dropped a ball.”
“She brings an uncommon amount of grace and poise to everything she does.”
EMILY BEDENKOP
She also enjoys being the advocate for the customer, which is fitting, since so much of Actualize’s work involves optimizing the customer experience.
Random facts: Emily’s first foray into the West came via a three-month road trip, in which she and her partner lived out of their car and got to know Colorado through hiking its wild spaces. She’s also a podcast junkie, always searching for fun facts and intriguing stories.
What others say about Emily:
“Emily is super organized, and we never have to worry once a project is handed off.”
“She gets involved with passion projects beyond the day-to-day to help make the company a better place.”
RYANNE WALLENCHECK
“I love being able to help clients look like rock stars,” she says. This sometimes includes helping clients perceive what they really need, not just what they assume they need. Most clients value this skill highly.
When not at work, RyAnne thrives on dog snuggles, baking, and hiking around her native Colorado.
Random facts: RyAnne’s reputation as a baker is widely known. She also grew up in small-town New Mexico, where she learned to drive a tractor before she learned how to drive a car.
What others say about RyAnne:
“She has never met a stranger; she could probably talk to a wall, and in a good way.”
“No matter how big or small the task, RyAnne will roll up her sleeves and get it done.”
MADISON BICKLER
She is also a master of many skills. What started as studies in journalism and business led to intern-ships or roles in content creation, digital marketing, media management, and more. Today, Madison manages social media, web content, emails and landing pages, data analysis, and marketing auto-mation. She loves variety and the day-to-day problem-solving that comes with this work.
Random facts: Madison has a “strange fascination” with Canada, eh. She also likes photographing other people’s animals, even though she has none of her own.
What others say about Madison:
“We call Madison ‘Radar’ [like the character from ‘MASH’]. She catches things that we miss and is always a step ahead.”
“Madison is a solid mix of concrete and creative.”
KATHRYN SMITH
Kathryn got into writing in the way many writers do: Someone was desperate for a helper who could string a good sentence together, so Kathryn stepped in — and found that she had a knack for it. She stuck with it, and here she is.
She had an interesting path getting here, first working as a nurse at a city emergency department and aboard a Japanese cruise ship. “One night,” she remembers, “I had to accompany two ailing patients to shore on a Japanese Coast Guard boat. My ship couldn’t wait for me to come back, and I couldn’t legally carry the ship’s oxygen tanks back on public transportation, so I had to take a $2,800 cab ride to meet my ship at the next port.”
As you can imagine by now, Kathryn’s superpowers include staying cool under pressure and helping others stay focused on what matters. Always important traits in a writer. And a nurse. And everything else.
Random facts: Kathryn adores ‘90s hip hop and is currently scheming about how to move to a Greek isle. She also soaks up random facts and trivia — and she might even audition for “Jeopardy” someday.
What others say about Kathryn:
“Kathryn is a true team player. She’ll bend over backward to make sure the job gets done, and she’ll somehow make it fun and easy along the way.”
“When everything goes off the rails and gets really chaotic, Kathryn gets calmer.”
CAITLIN NICHOLS
Caitlin found marketing by accident. Following her love of language and writing led from the class-room to copyediting, to federal grants, and finally, the agency world. She thinks of her approach to marketing writing as a lot like writing traditional poetry: deliver a clear and powerful central message following strict structural rules. It’s not simple — that’s why it’s fun.
Her favorite part of the job is seeing her copy out in the wild on the internet. She said she feels super satisfied to know the client is happy and the words she strung together are out there doing their job.
Random facts: Caitlin is a big fan of the Blue Ridge Mountains, feels most comfortable at work with three beverages around (coffee, water, and a wild card), and has to desperately fight the urge to pick up snakes by the tail like Steve Irwin every time she sees one in the woods.
What others say about Caitlin:
“Caitlin has a natural understanding and ability to apply marketing strategy to increasingly complex clients. She has an incredible eye for detail but does not lose sight of overarching goals or objectives.”
“[Caitlin’s writing] makes people want to listen … working with her is easy, productive, and a great learning experience!”
GIOVANNA VARTULI
As a lover of learning, Giovanna especially enjoys the variety of the work that comes her way, from bigger projects to tiny ones, from digital to print. This opportunity to constantly learn and try new things is one of the highlights of her role in the Actualize team.
Random facts:
• Giovanna is an avid theatregoer
• She is obsessed with her family’s Italian food
• Making lists is one of her favorite activities
What others say about Giovanna:
“Giovanna’s friendly, upbeat personality makes her a delight to work with.”
“One of Giovanna’s strongest qualities is her ability to look at something — be it a situation, a concept, or a design — from multiple perspectives to bring a fresh approach.”