As 1/3 of the kick-ass, co-CEO partner team, Ashley has been growing and leading the brand strategy practice at Baldwin& since 2016 — when she came to us after years of cutting her teeth at agencies in the Bay Area, working on global brands like Apple, Audi, AAA and Callaway Golf. Since joining B&, she’s tackled all things brand and strategy for brands across all industries; from established companies like, Krispy Kreme, Gaia Herbs, Lansinoh, and KIOTI tractors, to start-up brands like Circ, Pivotal, Shibumi Shade, and Ithaca Hummus.

Ashley has dedicated her career to helping companies extricate and articulate their inherent goodness, so they can live into their most interesting, most real-ist parts. Her belief is that, if you can find the humanity in things, the rest of the problems seem to work themselves out. And that, being yourself (brand-self or human-self), is the best sales tool you can ever uncover.

When she’s not geeking out here at B&, she’s either shredding mountains, at home in Durham putting up with her goofy-but-adorable sheepadoodle, or loving/negotiating every moment with her husband and two boys. LinkedIn

Jerry is the managing director which means he runs operations as well as working on accounts. He’s hands-on and mechanical, meaning he likes to know how things work and he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty. That’s as true for guitars and motorcycles as it is for brands and their business.

He has worked on BMW, Audi, Jeep, GMC, Polaris, Victory Motorcycles, Bridgestone Tires, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Videri Chocolate Factory, just to name a few. LinkedIn Instagram

With over 20 years in project management, Tonya likes to run — both literally and metaphorically (she has six half-marathons under her belt so far). She knows how to get great ideas turned into reality, on time and on budget.

Other than running her department, she also has worked on Burt’s Bees, Bridgestone Tires, BMW Golf, Long John Silver’s and, oh, let’s face it, she pretty much runs the agency. She is a force of nature.

Bob can do anything. He’s one of those guys. He’s an amazing illustrator, photographer, art director, designer, and now a fearless entrepreneur. Over the course of his career he has worked with a variety of brands, including Audi of America, Cree LED Lighting, Red Hat, BMW Golf, Long John Silver’s, Krispy Kreme, and Burt’s Bees. Bob’s work has earned awards from The One Show, the Clios, D&AD, Cannes, Communication Arts, and The Art Directors Club.

In his spare time, Bob builds motorcycles under the name Redeemed Cycles, recognized as one of the top 50 custom motorcycle builders in the world by MOTO HEROES. Instagram

Jen Matthews can literally make anything beautiful. But what we love most about our director of design is that she’s as strategic as she is creative. She can internalize any brand, from lipstick to tractors, and then, as if by magic, bring out its natural beauty. Jen has more than a decade’s worth of experience directing the design, development and, at times, resurrection of killer brands like Krispy Kreme, Burt’s Bees, Long John Silver’s, KIOTI Tractors, Lansinoh, Audi, and more.

She’s also masterful at branding and package design – and, as if she didn’t have enough to do, Jen is represented by several art galleries across the southeast and commissions original works of art for little-known brands like Anthropologie, HGTV, HBO/Max and Magnolia Network. Instagram

Emily’s mom describes her as “smart,” but that’s usually followed by a word that starts with “a.” Emily leads creative for KIOTI, Long John Silver’s, and NCSBA. Since joining the agency in 2019, she’s played an integral role in new business and has worked on initiatives like TAKE YOUR SEAT and The Lieutenant Governor’s Fund for the Fabulous.

Apart from work, she’s your basic everyday wannabe cookbook author, barking-hound-dog owner, tomato grower, pictures-of-her-kid taker, yoga doer, race runner, trail hiker, tree hugger, and yes, smart aleck. LinkedIn

One-half creative spirit with an endless curiosity. One-half critical thinker with a passion to analyze. One whole lot of fun (her Instagram handle is @ihavewineandwifi, if that tells you anything). Renée fell in love with psychology first and then developed a crush on all things digital. In a whirlwind romance, she found herself totally in love with social media strategy. She knows how important it is to build strong relationships with the right audience, and how to capture people’s attention in an emotionally engaging way — no matter the platform, and no matter whether it’s about compact tractors or sustainable fashion. LinkedIn

Overseeing our media department, David brings equal parts analysis and inspiration to planning and buying. After launching his career in the Big Apple, he returned to his southern roots to be closer to ACC basketball – oh, and to supervise media strategy for brands like Lands’ End, Audi, and Polaris. His next move was to the sports marketing world, where he negotiated with the likes of the PGA Tour, NFL, and the NBA.

In 2013, David joined us to launch Baldwin&’s media practice. His diverse background allows him to wear multiple hats within the agency, not the least of which is seamlessly integrating media with Baldwin&’s strategy, account, and creative teams. LinkedIn

Dedicated account manager by day and a fierce volleyball player and coach after hours, Jen knows how to lead her team to success. She loves seeing brands brought to life in meaningful ways and thrives on uncovering creative solutions to difficult problems.

In her 15 years of experience, she has led long-term relationships with brands including Travelocity, Lands’ End, Meijer Supermarkets, Burt’s Bees, Zulily, and Long John Silver’s. LinkedIn

Kat is one of those people who become central to a client’s business — she’s so good at getting to know their business that she becomes grafted onto their team as an essential colleague. She’s managed businesses like Burt’s Bees, Shibumi, Wolfspeed, Volvo, and Pivotal, and is also highly involved in the community serving many charitable organizations, including being on the Board of Directors of The Boys and Girls Club of Wake County. LinkedIn

Kelly is a creative director with a producer’s diligence, a strategist’s curiosity, and a copywriting habit she just can’t kick. In her role at B&, she helps clients articulate who they really, truly are. Then, she helps bring their brands to life in creative and impactful ways.

With over 10 years of in-house and agency experience, she’s something of a creative generalist – adept at producing ideas in any medium, so long as it's meaningful and effective. What else is there to say? She once hosted a very misguided podcast about sports, and her grasp of reality is entirely informed by reality television. Oh, she's also a musician and has a very scruffy dog. Instagram