BIOGRAPHIES
Valorie Luther
Founder and CEO
Ms. Valorie Luther began her public relations and marketing career in New York City by assisting Mr. Roger Martin, a veteran of the trade, with several successful campaigns that led to increased exposure and more business for his clients.
Later, Valorie became a national sales leader in a well-known consumer company where understanding and responding to the customer’s requirements was the key to her success. In addition to her sales role, Valorie was asked to sit on various committees which concentrated on communications and marketing issues.
After moving to Westchester County, Valorie became Director of F.E.M.A.L.E. where, in addition to her Director’s responsibilities, she ran a public relations campaign which brought some much needed attention to the nationally based not-for-profit.
Later as a resident of Fairfield, Connecticut, Valorie was the founder and facilitator of Women@Work which required branding work, numerous public relations campaigns, and the management of varied marketing events in order to get the community based organization off the ground.
Once Valorie found her replacement for running Women@Work, she formed Creative Concepts Consultants which specializes in her passions: public relations, marketing and social media.
In addition to Creative Concepts Consultants, Valorie, with her vision of bridging the gap between the business and internet communities, has organized, with her team, the Business Smart Tools Conference.
“Through Education, Exposure and Networking,” says Valorie “we are able to provide a much needed service and opportunity for both the corporate and social media sectors by inviting prominent speakers who share information about effective marketing and communcations online tools. In addition to listening and learning, you can also interact with innovative tech startups who demo their products and services. These are companies whose vision is in line with that of any business from Fortune 500 to startups, from corporate to not-for-profit to healthcare.
This is an exciting time to do business. Between the services that Creative Concepts offers and the power of the Business Smart Tools Confernece, we can fully support the social media needs of our clients!”
To contact Valorie Luther, please call 866.475.5191 x709
BIOGRAPHIES
Nicoline Deen
Director, Business Services
After attaining a degree in Business Administration, Nicoline worked as a Senior Management Assistant at the International Division of Philips Consumer Electronics in the Netherlands, her native country. While working at Philips was a great business experience, Nicoline wanted to round out her career by pursuing her creative side, so she left the corporate world to study design full time at “St. Joost,” the renowned Dutch Academy of Arts. Soon after, Nicoline combined her business and creative experience and founded her own design company “AQUI” which focused on interior design for businesses and private homes along with custom designing events for the corporate sector.
Later, Nicoline became a mother of two and and closed AQUI to start working for BCO, a K-12 support and training organization servicing over 350 schools. Here she oversaw business administration and event management for the organization.
In 2006 Nicoline moved with her family from the Netherlands to the United States and in 2007 started working for Creative Concepts.
As Director of Business Services for Creative Concepts, Nicoline is responsible for several broad areas. Her main focus is to develop and oversee internal business processes, to streamline customer related services, and to contribute to event planning and other special projects. Versatile, creative, multi-lingual, organized and team player best describe Nicoline Deen who has been a welcome addition to the Creative Concepts lineup.
To contact Nicoline Deen, please call 866.475.5191 x707
BIOGRAPHIES
David Borzo
Director, Content Production
David, always on board for new challenges, has worked with Creative Concepts since 2008. As Director, Content Production, David gets to bridge the complimentary tasks of learning and writing about a wide range of subject matter. David also currently keeps busy as Editor, designer and public relations for Storied Gifts.com.
An award-winning artist, David graduated from Drake University with a Degree in Fine arts, and has taken part in many shows and been associated with many national publications over the last 25 years.
Along with his love of writing and history, David is passionate about wine collecting, Tea, music, and his large extended family.
BIOGRAPHIES
Bevin Gove
Director of Public Relations
Bevin Gove has extensive business experience working as a public relations and marketing communications executive for several corporations and agencies. Over the years, her clients have included the Waterkeeper Alliance (environmental charity founded by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.), Double Cross Luxury Vodka, Cognac Ferrand, Shadow Beverages & Snacks, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Saks Fifth Avenue, the Avon Foundation, The Boston Beer Company, Hit or Miss, Cartier, the Lindt Chocolate Company, The Peninsula Hotel and Cellular One.
On the corporate side, Bevin served as the Director of Public Relations & Events at Jose Cuervo International (JCI), the world’s leading Tequila company, for six years. At JCI, she developed and oversaw public relations strategies and programs for the company’s portfolio of award-winning Tequila brands including Jose Cuervo, Gran Centenario and 1800. From 1994 to 1999, Bevin served as a senior PR executive at Seagram Spirits & Wine Group where she conceived and directed lifestyle campaigns for Patron Tequila, Crown Royal, The Glenlivet, Martell Cognac, Chivas Regal, Bulleit Bourbon, Seagram’s Gin and Captain Morgan Rum.
Bevin received her BA from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and Women @ Work.
BIOGRAPHIES
Justin Kownacki
Social Media Strategist
Justin Kownacki is a graduate of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. In 2000, he joined the staff of Multimedia Training Systems, Inc., as a video editor / producer. There, he filmed and produced video for corporate and industrial clients including U. S. Steel and Allegheny Technologies. He departed in 2005 to pursue independent opportunities, and has been working with Creative Concepts since 2007.
Justin is also the creator / producer of Something to Be Desired, one of the web’s longest-running sitcoms, which has been online since 2003. (As he notes, “We’ve been podcasting before there were pods to cast on.”) In addition, Justin is the co-founder of PodCamp Pittsburgh, an annual social media “un-conference” in the Boston-originated PodCamp style that unites social media creators, small business owners, educators and journalists for peer learning and social networking.
Justin has worked with Creative Concepts for over three years. From videos, to twitter, to online campaigns for all channels, Justin has helped to build successful communities for Creative Concepts’ clients.
BIOGRAPHIES
Rick Lavoie
Social Marketing and Digital Strategist
Rick is a unique strategic/business and creative design hybrid with a 360 Marketing Communications background. He focuses on human needs as drivers in emerging channels to deliver very effective and impactful social and digital programs to promote consumer engagement, trial, retention and revenue for his clients. He has served in Senior Account Service and Creative Director roles and has 14 years digital experience with 20 years total integrated marketing communications experience.
Rick has led large teams for online and traditional communication delivery on the client side at MasterCard and Starwood Hotels as well as at agencies such as Critical Mass/Omnicom, Ryan Partnership, Saatchi & Saatchi, Clarion Marketing/Publicis, and R/GA. Clients and brands include Citi, Chase, Unilever, MARS, Walmart, Nestle, Kraft, Viacom, GE, Heineken, Novartis, IBM, Cadbury Schweppes, and AT&T.
Deliverables sold in and developed include B2C and B2B acquisition, retention, and direct marketing programs from strategy to execution for eCommerce, social media, emerging digital applications, mobile, long-term digital strategies, large-scale site builds, rich media campaigns, print advertising and collateral programs.
Rick is driven to innovate and build brands online and off so that the Creative Concepts clients can truly expand and grow!
BIOGRAPHIES
Stephanie Schwab
Social Marketing and Digital Strategist
Stephanie brings nearly 20 years of experience in social media, e-commerce, retail and technology to Creative Concepts with the past six years working exclusively in social media. She has advised leading B2C and B2B companies in navigating emerging communications technologies and connecting with consumers in new ways. Stephanie’s teams have been honored with social media industry awards including a WOMMIE award, a PRNews Platinum award, and an OMMA award.
Stephanie writes about social media at StephanieSchwab.com, writes a houseblog, Twitters @socialologist, connects with other knitters at www.ravelry.com (stephanies), and engages on Facebook and other social networks. She holds an MBA in Marketing and Strategic Planning from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a BA from the University of Washington.
BIOGRAPHIES
Radiah Nunez
Social Media Strategist
Radiah Nunez is founder, and host of “The H20 Network” on BlogTalkRadio.com, and also serves as co-host on BTR’s “Infinite Waters” radio show. She earned her undergraduate degree from New York University in Humanities, and Media Studies.
She is actively involved with many different forms of social media from Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, and is also an active participant with virtual technology, such as “Second Life.”
Radiah has consulted in the social media space for over 5 years, and has worked with multimedia organizations such as BET.com, TVGuide.com, and VZones.com, a virtual interactive gaming company.
BIOGRAPHIES
Ann Karrick
Client Development Manager
Ann has an extensive business background and has worked as a marketing, public relations, and organizational & efficiency consultant. Her clients and employers have included IBM, AT&T, and Golf Digest as well as sports marketing companies, public relations agencies and a dot.com company. Ann has also done pro-bono media and public relations work for a local non-profit group. In her pro-bono position, the non-profit group was featured on a Travel Channel show as well as local television programs out of Hartford, and numerous local newspapers. Adding to this experience, Ann has also been a talk show host and news anchor in television and radio in both Connecticut and New York.
Ann is very involved with local business and community organizations including the Westport Chamber of Commerce as an Ambassador, Westport Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Congressional District Advisory Council for the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), and is a former director/leader of both the Women in Sports Careers (WISC) Network and the Fairfield Network of Executive Women (FNEW).
Ann now comes to Creative Concepts as a Client Development Manager where she will help to support each clients’ needs both with public relations and social media projects.
To contact Ann Karrick, please call 866.475.5191 x 713
BIOGRAPHIES
Deb Karazin Owens
Social Media Coordinator
Writing has been an important part of Deb’s world since the age of eight, when she began writing, editing and publishing a monthly family newspaper. As she continued her education, she kept a hand in journalism, becoming the Editor in Chief of both her high school newspaper and, later, The Dartmouth, America’s oldest daily college newspaper. She worked briefly at The New York Times during college and eventually found herself writing legal briefs after graduating from Harvard Law School. While taking a break from the law to raise two young children, Deb wrote for several local publications and soon became the editor of Fairfield Magazine.
Born and raised in Westport, Connecticut, Deb has lived in Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. She now makes her home in Fairfield, CT.
Deb joined Creative Concepts in 2009 and now actively blogs for several clients while also working to expand their social networking presence.
BIOGRAPHIES
Katie Skow
Social Media Coordinator
Katie was born in Florida, lived in Washington, and returned to Florida for sunshine and college. She graduated from Eckerd College with a double major in International Relations & Global Affairs and Spanish.
Both living and working abroad has given her perspective of global business and the power of social media as a communications tool. Katie has experience working in international event planning as well as public relations.
These days, social media is an everyday part of her life and she enjoys staying active in the online community for both business and pleasure. As a social media coordinator for Creative Concepts, Katie not only reaches out to diverse communities but she also builds long term connections for the clients of Creative Concepts.
Katie is passionate about travel, languages, interesting wines, bike riding, and the beautiful Southern California sunshine. She speaks fluent French and Spanish.
BIOGRAPHIES
Brandhi Williamson
Social Media Writer
Brandhi Williamson is a writer and certified personal trainer. She has had the pleasure of working with Creative Concepts as a blog writer since the summer of 2008. Brandhi also writes for SPORT!NG, her healthy lifestyle blog, and lives in New York City.
BIOGRAPHIES
Ben Gwin
Technical Administrator
Ben grew up in Titusville, NJ. In 2006, he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s in English Writing, and is currently enrolled in Chatham University where he is pursuing his MFA in Fiction Writing. He enjoys playing amateur baseball in the Pittsburgh NABA, literature, and spending time with his daughter Rosalie and of course working with all of the clients of Creative Concepts as the technical administrator on the blogs.