Meet the Launch crew.
At Launch, we’ve assembled a team of the most creative thinkers, insightful strategists, interactive gurus and experienced leaders in the business. The end result: a group of seasoned, entrepreneurial-minded professionals with the know-how to produce attention-getting, brand-building work—and the good sense to work in close partnership with clients to better assess their needs, challenges and opportunities. Click on the links below to learn more about some of our key employees.
Describe your meanest elementary teacher. Mrs. Kushner, third grade math. She caught me reading the biography of Helen Keller in class,
camouflaged (not very well, obviously) inside my math text book. Let’s just say corporal punishment was the preferred form of discipline in those days.
What was your most embarassing meeting moment?
When a client lit his cigarette with a lighter shaped like a man’s privates.
What was the worst Christmas gift you ever got? A Teflon-coated snow shovel.
Name your all-time favorite game. I’m a Scrabble freak.
Is there a food that helps you think more creatively?
My writer partner Diane and I got into the habit of eating at Chinese restaurants when we needed to get away from the agency and think.
We’ve come up with some of our best ideas during those lunches, so I associate creativity with Chinese food.
Favorite guilty pleasure.
There are a few comedians that I enjoy who have a dark sense of humor and use some pretty foul language but they make me laugh... Larry David, Chris Rock and Louis C.K., to name a few.
What’s your favorite Launch tradition? I love the Launch trivia game we play during our annual Christmas party. As principals, we don’t get to play, but we make up the questions and I love coming up with obscure questions to stump the chumps.
Why did you go into advertising? Darrin Stephens and Bewitched. What a job, what a wife, what a life!
What’s an iPhone app you couldn’t live without? ESPN ScoreCenter. It completes me.
Where did you attend college? What was your major? Texas A&M University: Aggieland. I have a BA degree in Marketing. Gig ’em!
What was the worst Christmas gift you ever got? A carbon monoxide detector.
Favorite guilty pleasure. Vodka martini and popcorn for dinner.
What’s your favorite Launch tradition? Not having a lot of long meetings!
What’s an iPhone app you couldn’t live without? Evernote. If I remember correctly, it’s like having a backup memory...
Name your three all-time favorite brands. Apple, Porsche, Omega.
Where did you grow up? Born and raised for the first 13 years of my life in Austin, Texas.
If I could take 6 months off I would: Run across the country like Forrest Gump.
Does your mother know you talk like that? Who do you think I learned it from?
What was the worst birthday gift you ever got? A Thomas Kincade night light. It was my 35th birthday. And no, I’m not afraid of the dark.
Nobody knows I:
Have every Lego video game made for the XBOX 360. They’re fun, family-friendly, and puzzle-solving, without a big time commitment.
Launch is known for practical jokes. Describe your experience as a victim. On my first day, several Launchers tried to get me to use a “bathroom pass.” I responded the next day by putting fake parking tickets on the cars of two Launch partners.
Someday I’d like to: Run with the bulls.
Name your favorite pet growing up.
We had a little dog nicknamed “Gizzard.”
Where did you attend college? What was your major? Texas A&M. Received my Bachelor’s in Environmental Design. And Master’s in Visualization Sciences, Digital Media and Animation.
No one knows: My part in a summer collaboration with Dreamworks Animation spawned Kowalski, the abacus-wielding penguin, seen in the Madagascar movies.
What did/do your parents do for a living? Both are lifelong educators (it runs in my family). I bucked the trend and went into the agency business because I wanted to make my own stuff instead of teaching about other people’s stuff.
Favorite guilty pleasure. Bacon.
What attracted you to Launch? The great rapport, the diverse mix of clients and the entrepreneurial environment—there’s always an opportunity for a motivated person to make cool things happen here.
Any beard grooming tips? You can’t go wrong with a daily moisturizing conditioner and a fine-tooth comb.
Why did you go into advertising? I wanted to have a job where I could be creative and not wear a suit and tie.
If I could do it all over again, I’d: Do it all the same way—just enjoy it more.
What was the worst Christmas gift you ever got? A file cabinet from my dad. Not the best gift for a teenager, but I still use it today.
If I could take 6 months off I would: Ride across the country by bicycle.
What’s your favorite Launch tradition? Fat Kid Lunch on Fridays.
