About Us

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“Embodying casual intensity with an empathetic smile, a well-told story and embracing music.”

Tether was born in 2008 with the dream of creating brand visions for visionary brands. We set upon our future in a creative playground where we sold products we made, showed art we curated, held community events and concerts and created multidiscipline solutions for brands we love, from corporate giants to passionate start-ups to launching our own brands. We’ve grown and moved a few times since those early days, adding studios in New York while remaining steadfastly independent and wholly committed to being a place where strategies are elucidated, stories are crafted, concepts are germinated, and brands—big and small—are born, reborn and sent out to conquer the world.

Our Tetherites

Stanley Hainsworth

Chief Creative Officer

Left-brained† revolutionary embarks on madcap mission‡ to redefine how design gets done.

^† Left-brainers are known for extricating astounding creative solutions from chaotic office environments.
^‡ Most lucrative madcap missions involve a memorable logo, a proven hydration beverage, and a clairvoyant gnome

More about Stanley

Nancy Urner

Operations Director

Efflorescent^† executor magically manages the machinations of an emerging empire.^‡

^† Efflorescent individuals are often enamored by punctuation’s potential for self-expression!!!!!
^‡ All empires have lifecycles. We’re looking forward to the decadent decline, when it’s all champagne and supermodels.

Steve Barrett

Executive Creative Director

Masterful mentor^† enlightens with poetic perceptions and big-picture bravura.^‡

^† Effective mentorship requires the ability to provide advice that can be construed as both sagacious and cryptic.
^‡ In certain contexts, “bravura” may be misinterpreted as “adult ADD.”

Dodi Monahan

Director of Client Experience

Peripatetic, polyaptitudinal^† Viking casts off Old World^‡ to captain accounts close to home.

^† Design? Yep. Print production. Uh-huh. Account management? Bien sûr. Molding clay and carving moguls? Check and double check.
^‡ See also: My Hobbit Home, A Middle-Earth Memoir.

Neil Webster

Executive Creative Director

Tactical jargonaut† summons verbalistic prowess to craft new legends, new worlds, new rituals.‡

^† Jargonauts differ from liars in that they enjoy gainful compensation and a generous 401k plan.
^‡ Rituals include, but are not limited to, falcon husbandry, competitive gurning and Kirkpinar oil wrestling.

Mike Tiedy

Executive Creative Director

Well-rounded† roamer finds his place as Gotham’s‡ newest hero, fearlessly leading creatives to uncharted conceptual heights. (Sans cape.)

^† This modern-day disciple of design majored in marine biology.
^‡ From Amsterdam to Seattle, he now spends his 9-to-5 in NYC.

Gregory Kaufman

Creative

Unflappable graphic gumshoe† employs agile observation to solve all genre‡ of compositional quandaries.

^† Two words: silent type.
^‡ This classic movie connoisseur takes his coffee black and his film noir.

Jen Garcia

Studio/HR Coordinator

Erstwhile prof† swaps academia for studio tenure, collaging affairs with affable snark‡ and inimitable grace.

^† When art history’s the topic, you want her on your trivia team. Trust us.
^‡ If sarcasm and mimicry were superpowers, she’d be a real-life Marvel.

Joanna Mathews

Senior Creative Strategist

Dallas-born strategy star boots Texas (but not the Cowboys^†) to boost brand fandom in the Emerald City. Again^‡.

^† She still has her Cowboys Starter jacket from their ’90s heyday. That’s love.
^‡ This is Joanna’s third stint in Seattle. Clearly, we’re a hard habit to break.

Keith Slawson

Senior Production Designer

Disparately shod dungeon master† crosses the T’s, dots the I’s,‡ and transmogrifies RGBs to CMYKs.

^† Ask nicely and he may grant you +3 Charisma.
^‡ Proper use of apostrophes, yes or no? Discuss. Somewhere else.

Kewi Bedoyan

Associate Creative

Cartoon-binging, comics-flipping design disrupter finds inspiration in choo choos, fuzzy fruit† and inflatable attractors‡.

^† Not just a homonym for her handle, kiwi also ranks high on her list of favorite foods.
^‡ She considers arm-flailing tube men essential brand elements. And makes a good case for it.

Dan Smith

Creative Director

Jazz-jonesing design diplomat cruises^† the planet^‡ crafting revolutionary creative concepts.

^† You should see his hovercraft–a Mingus 3000 with custom Coltranian injectors. It’s one hip chick magnet, Daddy-O.
^‡ Havana. Tehran. Moscow. His passport reads like an espionage novel.

Madeleine Waite

Account Manager

Green Mountain mama follows family tradition† granting client wishes with poise & precision. ‡

^† With a dad in ads, is it a coincidence that “Madeleine” sounds a lot like “Mad Men”?
^‡ Two qualities she honed in lacrosse, effortlessly connecting balls to defender’s noses nets.

Summer Karaskova

Associate Creative Director

Die-hard^† Francophile finds story craft in the cards,^‡ conjuring brand tales with a rare je ne sais quoi.

^† Conan, Cobra, American Ninja—if there’s a villain to be eviscerated, this Action Jackson is in.
^‡ You turn up the tarot cards, she’ll turn up your fortunes.

Julia Neumann

Account Manager

Sassy Saxon^† with a knack for tackling complexity steers projects to first position.^‡

^† Wenn ich das übersetzen muss, du schuldest mir ein Bier.
^‡ Be warned, should she volunteer to drive: this former Autocrosser still chases the checkered flag.

Colin Day

Creative Director

Rollicking† raconteur of moving‡ manifestos turns abstract notions into narrative potions.

^† Beware of Quiet Colin. It’s not a good sign. Fortunately, he’s rarely seen.
^‡ Our Susan Lucci, Colin’s never won an Emmy, but he’s been nominated countless times. (Assuming you can’t count to two.)

Andrew Eastgate

Senior Developer

Southern-hemisphere^† web wizard translates brand initiatives into clickable pixel pulchritude.^‡

^† Which means he knows the difference between an esky and a chilly bin.
^‡ Pulchritude noun | \\ˈpəl-krə-ˌtüd : an ugly word for a beautiful thing.

Ollie

Dog

Hur… Hur…

Alexis Smith

Senior Video/Integrated Producer

Bibliophiliac† video visionary‡ turns ideas into execution, and chaos into kick-ass.

^† So great is her book-love, she’d bring a pup tent to Powell’s.
^‡ One vision led Alexis to eat gold in Amsterdam, which is not the worst thing you can do there.

Alex Warren

Senior Account Manager

Dapper lumberjack† with a knack for details‡ manages the master plan like The Man.

^† Alas, he lacks a knack for raccoon repellant—his yard is practically a refuge for the nasty buggers.
^‡ Though he swings an axe like Julia Child swings a cleaver, he’s more metro- than lumber sexual.

Tina Fahnbulleh

Accounting Coordinator

Gallivanting gastronome fine tunes† fiscal faculties, always keeping a composed comportment. ‡

^† Favorites for this melomaniac range from Migos to Lady Gaga.
^‡ Zen is her zeitgeist.

Becky Van Wieringen

Senior Recruiter

Ommetaphobic people-picker,† triumphant in global gauntlet,‡ levels an eye for untouchable talent.

^† Her first job was packing widgets on an assembly line. Now it’s placing wizards in an open office.
^‡ Pausing her lifelong tour of Washington with a trip to 13 countries in 3 weeks. Plus layovers.

Jay Ostby

Associate Creative Director Industrial Design

Archeologist of action engineers aggressive feats^† of multi-dimensional delight.^‡

^† Also known to engineer aggressive feats of backflippery. Just ask him.
^‡ Certain multidimensional delights may require a two-week waiting period.

Nicole Ryan

Production Manager

Martial artist† of getting isht done, this world wanderer shows her strength‡ in all things production and design.

^† A Systema specialist, she's also known to marshal a mess or nine.
^‡ Strongman Dwayne Johnson is her hypothetical bestie.

Ramon Vasquez

Senior Creative

Jovial jack-of-all-trades^† whips pixels into pictorial paradise and finds inspiration in the belters of a bygone era.^‡

^† This embroidery tyro professes that hobbies are his hobby.
^‡ The unmistakable snarls of Bessie Smith and James Brown oft underscore a brainstorm sesh.

Christy Allcock

Account Manager

Adventurous† account ace dives headlong into project details, shark-soaked waters and dizzying downhill descents‡.

^† From cavorting with elephant calves to cage-diving with great whites, she goes big on vacation.
^‡ You think you ski fast? This one burns up the powder every time she straps on her boots.

Dave Schlesinger

Senior Creative Industrial Design

Spatial savant† formulates 3D serendipity in an unkempt and off-kilter‡ world.

^† It requires first-hand experience and a trained eye to distinguish between a spatial savant and your average felon.
^‡ A term that originated with the rampant deskirting of Scotsmen during the 1513 Battle of Flodden Field.

Björn Soneson

Associate Creative Director

Globetrotting graphics hit man executes^† deliverables with a Swiss-army skillset.^‡

^† Let’s be clear, all this talk of execution is purely metaphorical … or is it?
^‡ Skillset includes print, web, and slow jams.

Hart Boyd

Creative

Globe-trotting photog and amateur musicologist returns from a life On the Narrow Road^† to spin^‡ ideas for the digital frontier.

^† Vagabonding around Japan in the venerable tradition of Bashō.
^‡ This DJ-for-hire once jettisoned his bed to make room for (even) more vinyl.

James Halada

Creative Director

Alphabetic alchemist^† transmutes lexical mettle into marketing gold.^‡

^† Early alchemists attempted to transmute strips of leather into bacon, thus accidentally inventing beef jerky.
^‡ You should see this guy on the drums, pounding out the hits from the golden age of hair metal. That’s pure gold.

Julia Ondich

Senior Creative

Straight-shootin’,^† folk-singin’ Rust Belt transplant drives^‡ brand stories with definitive design.

^† Directness, in communication and creative styles, is a hallmark of this no-muss Midwesterner.
^‡ Julia’s kind of joyriding spans everything from 4x4s to bikes and trains.

Karina Zack

Creative

Hyperactive† hummus devotee inducts brands into the Cult‡ of the Pen.

^† Banishing boredom is her top priority. For herself and target audiences everywhere.
^‡ Can you blame a former psych major for a mini-obsession with micro-religions? You can’t.

Bronson Folz-Edwards

Creative

Graphite-wielding† graphic designer finds beauty in abecedarian forms, alley-oops and fiery food.‡

^† 2H to 6B, his penchant for pencils is downright Escher-esque.
^‡ Whether cooking up concepts or chowing down, he brings the heat.

Sandra Mitchell

Accounting Manager

Captain of Accounting† puts her back‡ into the balance sheet, bringing order to computational chaos.

^† And Queen of Calisthenics.
^‡ You wanna talk backbone? This one’s backed up with steel.

James LaFuente

Senior Creative

Pixel wiz reigns as king of the hill† when it comes to inky‡ scripts, creating comps wild enough to rival his Yeezy Boost 700s.

^† This former flamethrower traded fastballs for even faster design chops.
^‡ His passion for pigment led him straight to the hard stuff—13 tats in one year.

Greg Smith

Senior Developer

Modern-day Man in Black^† turns blank domains into digital wonderlands and follows his khwam hiw^‡ to Bangkok whenever possible.

^† This tech tinkerer deviates from his monochrome mode only for white hat hacking.
^‡ The Thai word for “hunger,” which guides him on every insatiable quest.

Leslie Wang

Senior Creative

Implacably curious^† voyager manipulates pixels into interactive castles^‡ of creativity.

^† Just one of her feline traits—the other being the 9 lives thing, as proven by a lifelong lack of broken bones.
^‡ Such fortifications ably defend against both barbarians and user error.

Daniel Petrzelka

Creative Director

Curious concoctor^† nimbly shifts gears and focus, inspiring a propitious panoply^‡ of profferings.

^† Should anyone tempt you with a “brand-new concoction”, insist they take the first sip.
^‡ When confronted by a propitious panoply, we advise that you assume a fetal position and yodel until it retreats.

Tina Ou

Account Manager

Operationally OCD organizer^† greases the lanes, helping projects strike the pocket^‡ with perfect precision.

^† Tina’s juvie rap sheet includes several counts of aggravated calendaring.
^‡ Ever the tweener, Tina delivers with equal parts power and finesse.

Saedi Hitner

Senior Creative

Epic-walking^† wordsmith goes beyond big when it comes to concepts,^‡ waffles, jazz records and Tomb Raider.

^† Six-milers are just a Sunday stroll for this peripatetic powerhouse.
^‡ Her first name is “ideas” backwards. Think about that for a minute.

Paul Huggett

Creative Director

Image-crafting iconoclast† converts abstract observations into hypnotic visual mnemonics.‡

^† Iconoclasts are driven by the innate conviction that sacred cows make the tastiest hamburgers.
^‡ A mnemonic device is a visual, kinesthetic or auditory technique designed to improve… uh, I forget what.

Jordan Steranka

Creative Industrial Design

Altitudinous^† artifact architect concocts^‡ objects of obsession for the consumer cosmos.

^† It’s easier to spot new trends on the horizon when you can see the curvature of the earth.
^‡ Sometimes with the help of fully-charged calipers.