Julia brings 25 years of brand strategy experience, making human connections for some of the world’s biggest brands. She has tackled challenges and challengers, building rapport and trust with her client partners to take brands to unexpected levels.

Determined to work on projects she was passionate about, Julia founded Beardwood&Co in 2004. Starting out with strategy and research projects, the company evolved as clients asked for help executing through the entire brand experience from naming to logos, packaging, print, web sites and ad campaigns.

Julia has created a unique work place founded on the idea that the journey of a project is as important as the final destination – making sure each project is exciting and eye-opening, so that clients feel they learn something valuable every time. She’s earned the title of “Brand Therapist” because she is so good at listening to client’s problems and staying ahead of their needs.

Julia started her career in brand management for P&G in Europe. When she moved to New York, she transitioned to advertising and worked with leading healthcare, household and food brands for P&G and Kraft for a decade.  She went on to lead the Brand Identity practice for Landor New York, where she spent seven years creating strategies and design solutions for over 100 iconic brands including Smirnoff, Gatorade, Pizza Hut, Motorola, Lipitor, Florida, LG, Pepperidge Farm and Clairol

Outside of work, Julia can be found gardening in her Brooklyn backyard, at the theater, running in Prospect Park (and in two Brooklyn Half-marathons!), traveling, or spending time with her husband and sons.

An adventurous problem solver with 15 years experience in innovation and branding, Ryan is known for his breakthrough ideas balanced with commercial reality. He has uncovered insights and developed innovative branding solutions for a broad sweep of clients spanning categories and continents, from consumer goods and new technologies to service brands, pharmaceuticals and multi-million dollar private jets.

Described alternatively as “human caffeine” and a “wise old monk,” Ryan moved to New York City by driving cross-country with two suitcases and a tent to pursue a career in branding. He became recognized as a fearless strategist inspired by juicy problems that frighten most people. As an innovation consultant at ?What If!, Ryan helped Astra Zeneca understand the needs of their schizophrenic patients and patented two new packaging solutions; envisioned the future of retail banking for Citi; developed candy ideas with kids for Hershey in India; and partnered with eBay to increase top buyer loyalty.

Bringing passion with purpose to each project, Ryan spent 10 years leading branding and innovation projects at Landor where he developed global brands and new products for clients including Diageo, Blackberry, HBO, Pfizer and American Express.

In his down time, Ryan puzzles over crosswords, watches cartoons, and gardens.

Named to Graphic Design USA’s People to Watch 2011 list, Sarah has been a “design explorer” for over a decade. Sarah is always scouting out new inspiration from the tip of Patagonia to Tokyo’s Design Week to Zanzibar.

As Creative Director at Beardwood&Co. her adventures span from telling the punk rock story of legendary CBGB's, to delivering girly glamour for Bath & Body Works, and channeling her inner scientist with Pfizer’s next blockbuster brand. Not bad for a small town girl from Michigan, who set off for New York City with a one-way ticket and $50 in her pocket.

Sarah began her career in branding at Landor developing a new national airline brand, Song, and repositioning Blackberry for a mass market. Sarah also conducted major branding projects for the NYC Olympic Bid, Burger King and Clairol. She joined Beardwood&Co as Creative Director to build an energized studio environment where designers could thrive on cross-pollination of ideas and diverse projects.

Sarah fuels her creativity by blogging for The Scout and makes every weekend into a design safari.

With a natural curiosity and enthusiastic passion for making things, Kelly brings a hands-on approach to all of her work. At Beardwood&Co, Kelly has developed new brands and revamped older ones for clients including Real Simple, Pfizer, Bath & Body Works, Colgate-Palmolive, and the American Museum of Natural History. Her work has been featured on the influential packaging blog, The Dieline, and recognized in the graphic design publication, GD USA.

Outside of the studio, Kelly is a maker, baker and blogger. She's gathered an international following with her food blog, Eat Make Read, where she shares her experiments in the kitchen. She's also the co-founder and designer of the independent food magazine, Remedy Quarterly, established in 2009.

Kelly is a regular contributor to publications including Serious Eats, ReadyMade, BUST, and Gojee, as a food writer and recipe developer.

Sadie brings a flexible, yet highly organized, approach to research and analysis in brand strategy. Blending the empirical and emotive in equal parts, Sadie has collaborated with clients large and small to hone their positioning and communication frameworks. Sadie focuses on shaping and refining strategy programs and products for brands as diverse as Skiff, Mike's Hard Lemonade, and La Senza. 



Beginning her career in politics and government, Sadie moved to New York to assist the lower Manhattan community in their rebuilding efforts. Her interest in social systems, communication, and how design mediates a dialogue between the two, spurred her to jump into the world of branding. Prior to joining Beardwood, Sadie developed and maintained a sophisticated brand loyalty program with True Value Hardware, re-positioned New York Life Retirement Plan Services through a series of brand workshops, and created mouth-watering campaigns for Balducci’s.

Sadie was valedictorian at the University of Maryland's R. H. Smith School of Business, where she received her B.A. in Marketing, Summa Cum Laude. Her weekends are spent buffing her credentials as a history buff, creating knitwear available in some of Brooklyn's finer boutiques, and wearing out the edge of her seat watching NASCAR.

Fresh out of college Loren dove into branding at Landor associates, learning the ropes from some of the best in the business. Over the past 5 years he has worked with the big guys and the little ones, finding an appreciation for the complexities of both. He’s Developed spirits and beverage brands such as Don Julio Tequila, Mikes Hard Lemonade, and Gatorade and consulted with Camelbak, Whole Foods, and independent filmmakers. Loren brings a wide range of experience and approaches every design challenge with a fresh vision, seeking the best voice for the brand, not just pursuing his personal taste. Always striving for a handcrafted timeless look, a touch of humor and designs that make people jealous.

Feeling at home in the outdoors, he would just assume work from his laptop while rafting down a river if possible. We’re working to make this happen, but in the meantime he is happily finding inspiration in the glass and steel canyons of the big city.

When not experimenting with type and color you might spot him roaming around the globe, riding too fast on his motorcycle or stuffing his face full of sushi.

Always shooting for the moon and stars, Alexandra brings a fearless attitude to design.

She joined B&Co. after graduating with a BFA in graphic design from Rhode Island School of Design. There she rocketed into unfamiliar territory as the first RISD student to intern at Kennedy Space Center. During her internship, she launched her own design projects that provide a new perspective on advertising for NASA.

At Beardwood, Alexandra strives to make the world a more beautiful place with packaging and branding in beauty and fashion. Some of her clients include La Senza, Lounge, Bath & Body Works, Colgate and Somabella. At free reign, Alexandra doodles her work away with a loose illustration style. She enjoys telling a story through illustration and adding unique charm to each design.

In December 2009, Alexandra was invited to speak on a panel at the Art Institute of New York. She showcased a range of creative work from educational to professional that focused on the importance of illustration in graphic design.

In her down time she is dancing ballet, gardening in Brooklyn, hiking outdoors and practicing Yoga (preferably in the sun).

Anthony has over 15 years of experience as a print and packaging designer, a production manager and a branded environments designer. His multifaceted background allows him to join the Beardwood team in dual roles, as both Production Manager and Director of Environments.
 
Anthony looks at each project with a designer's passion, while grounding it with a production sensibility. He believes that good design is always the accumulation of good details and he is relentless in the pursuit of production excellence. In his experience as a print designer, he has taken a lead role in developing graphic systems for well-known luxury brands such as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Loews Hotels.
 
Anthony also looks at built environments as more than just a graphic skin on a wall or a sign over a door. He relishes the journey through a space and looks at environments experientially, believing that the more senses you affect, the more engaging the spatial connection. He spearheaded design for the American Girl Place Flagships in New York and Chicago. He then took his talents offshore to develop on-board retail spaces for the World's Largest Cruise Ship, the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's "Oasis of the Seas."
 
In his free time Anthony is the director of a nationally competitive high school color guard program. He choreographs routines and designs costumes, sets and props. Additionally, he is active member of the American Institute of Graphic Designers and the Society for Environmental Graphic Designers.

As Project Manager at Beardwood & Co., Katie is always looking at the glass half full. Katie’s real passion is building relationships and entertaining those around her. She developed this talent at the very young age of  2 when she would sing to strangers and make them laugh. These traits make her an excellent cultivator of client relationships, as well as making her a master at turning objectives into results when it comes to maintaining budgets and advocating for work to be creative and effective. She dives into brand strategy, always looking for the next big idea.

Katie graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2008 with a degree in Communications and English.  She kicked off her career at Sterling Brands as a project manager, where she worked on the strategy behind developing and rebranding major national brands such as Stop & Shop, Dreyer's & Edy's Ice Cream and Kozy Shack.

Katie loves spending her free time exploring new places in New York City, taking dance classes, Italian food (pizza, pizza, pizza) and breaking it down on the dance floor whenever possible.

"Imperfection is beauty; madness is genius. And its better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." - Marilyn Monroe

Aimee is an upbeat and colorful designer. She finds inspiration through New York City's fashion trends, museums, restaurants and music. As the industry evolves, so does she. Aimee is fearless, pursuing transformation through design while charging herself to exceed expectations.

Aimee graduated with a BFA in Communications Design from the college of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University. She began her career as an Art Director at Saatchi & Saatchi X, developing experiential campaigns for brands like Wendy's, Elizabeth Arden and Smirnoff. She continues to flex her entrepreneurial muscles partnering with small start up companies like sneaker boutique Extra Butter in the New York area.

When Aimee isn't designing she's out exploring: skiing in the adirondaks, fishing the shores of Long Island, capturing nature through her Canon lens and taking dance classes. She aspires to move people with her lively personality and colorful creativity. See what inspires Aimee at aimeeloduca.tumblr.com.