Kevin works alongside big names in brands, advocacy, and politics to orchestrate strategies and assemble the right teams to help organizations shine. In 2015, he left agency life to pursue passion projects for causes and clients close to his heart. The plan was never to start a new agency, but here we are.

Kevin has earned a reputation for creatively making “the wonky” relevant to get people engaged around complex policies and issues. This skill was recognized by Mayor Rahm Emanuel who appointed Kevin to run digital communications across multiple agencies for the City of Chicago and serve as an official spokesperson on innovation. Over his career working both in-house and alongside Fortune 500 companies, advocacy organizations and elected officials, Kevin navigates new public opinion realities and leads cross-agency teams. He knows what it takes to establish strong brand personalities while keeping a clear eye on the big picture.

Having designed and taught college courses at undergraduate and graduate levels, Kevin continues to advise higher education leadership and is a regular guest lecturer. In 2019, Kevin was named as one of Crain’s Chicago Business’s Notable LGBTQ Executives, along with a lot of familiar faces and friends of H/Co. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Adler University and the Board of Directors for Equality Illinois. Kevin lives where his clients need him, but his mail is delivered to Chicago.

Venita brings 15+ years of corporate, nonprofit and multicultural communications experience to H/Co as a Managing Director overseeing advocacy campaigns, digital activations and multicultural engagement.

Venita’s past advocacy work includes leading the digital engagement and fundraising strategies for a national voter engagement campaign, a cross-movement civil rights organization, and a think tank focused on LGBT equality. She has also provided strategic counsel and digital strategy oversight for a national campaign focused on raising awareness around metastatic breast cancer, and was part of the team that worked to secure a raise for direct support professionals in a year when similar services were being cut from the Illinois budget.

Venita’s work has been honored with awards from the Association of National Advertisers (Multicultural Excellence Awards), the Association of Women in Communications, the Communicator Awards and the Publicity Club of Chicago.

In her 'spare' time, Venita advises PushBlack and its parent organization on influencer and digital growth strategies. PushBlack is a nonprofit media platform reaching over 3 million subscribers each day with inspiring black history and news stories, using the power of black history to mobilize subscribers to vote and take action.

She is a 2019 Fellow of the Chicago Foundation for Women Willie’s Warriors Leadership Initiative, which helps black women leaders from a variety of sectors develop community organizing skills, with a focus on systems change, economic empowerment, communications and strategic alliances. She is also a member of the foundation's South Side Giving Circle, which mobilizes women on Chicago's South Side and in the South Suburbs to invest in the economic, social and political power of black women and girls in Chicago.

A New Orleans native, Venita now lives in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications.

Argelia is Hauswirth/Co’s Managing Director bringing years of experience in communications planning, organizational strategy and multi-cultural engagement. At H/Co, she leads client teams, provides senior-level counsel and oversees the execution of integrated communications campaigns.

She has more than a decade of agency and in-house marketing experience from some of the biggest names in the biz, like Starcomm/Rise and Kellogg Company. Argelia and team earned the 2016/17 W.K. Kellogg Values Award for an anti-bullying initiative with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Argelia is also a recipient of the 2011 IAB MIXX Gold award for her work and that of her team members in Allstate's Integrated Latin Grammy Program for adapting the Mayhem ad campaign to a Latinx audience. Argelia is a graduate of DePaul University and earned her master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern’s Medill School of Communication. Outside of the office, she serves as a mentor at the iMentor Chicago chapter, is the business development director for Latinista, a women’s professional group, and is a member of evolveHer.

Argelia is a Chicago native (which she regularly reminds us suburbanites) and Mexican by heart (and, yes, she adds Tajin to everything). She aspires to be the "Frida Kahlo of cocktails" by teaching mixology classes, along with designing food and beverage pairings for her side hustle Vida Mia Cocktails!

Parry has over 20 years of advertising experience, beginning his career as a copywriter then working his way up to Creative Director to lead clients big and small to best-in-category campaigns. He cut his teeth at DDB in Chicago, where he led work on Safeway, JCPenney, McDonald’s, The Field Museum, the Afterschool Alliance/Ad Council, the American Cancer Society, and many other accounts. His most recent work ranges from overseeing a multi-million dollar campaign for Jewel-Osco to leading social media content creation for GNC and Citibank.

At H/co, he is the creative visionary, ringleader and cheerleader, relentlessly pushing for creative excellence that has a purpose. But don't let his many industry awards fool you. He's a true team player and loyal brand advocate who always strives for work that best serves the brands he supports.

Parry hails from St. Joseph, Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan (go blue!). When he isn't solving the world's advertising problems, you might catch him in the Indiana Dunes sledding, surfing or just goofing around with his wife, kids and dog.

Through ideas, words, visual narratives and interactive communications, Mercedes Kane crafts content that gets people to react – then act.

As a creative director, writer and documentary filmmaker, Mercedes’ unique understanding of the power of narrative helps her connect with an audience, inform communication strategy and invigorate creative content across the digital landscape, marketing, production, copywriting, and design. Over the years, she’s worked with a long list of incredible clients including McDonald’s, Portillo’s, U.S. Foods, Deborah's Place, Chicago House, Takeda, Astellas, AbbVie, Bank of America, Governors State University, and more.

A Chicago native, Mercedes studied broadcast journalism at Eastern Illinois University and got her MFA in independent film at Governors State. When she’s not hunched over her MacBook Pro or on a shoot, she’s usually planning a trip, flying by on her bike, or juggling a handmade sign and her small children at a neighborhood march.

Keith Kristinat is not only a friend of the Hauswirth crew who has seen us grow from the start, but he has stuck around to see us flourish. Keith has provided us with invaluable support over the course of the years. He specializes in editorial of broadcast and web based content. As an AICE award winning editor, Keith brings 15 years of experience working on many Fortune 500 companies such as Allstate, Nintendo, McDonald's, Samsung, just to name a few. Keith resides in Chicago with his two daughters and wife and is a proud graduate from Bradley University.

Olivia Gatti supports H/Co by developing creative solutions for our consumer brands. She is both a creative mind and straight-shooter, which makes her the perfect teammate to manage multiple accounts on any given day. If you look behind the curtain at H/Co consumer engagement campaigns, you’ll likely discover Olivia as one of our wizards delivering magic for our clients. Olivia comes to H/Co from mcgarrybowen advertising where she worked on cross-agency teams for iconic brands like Hersheys and Disney Parks. Prior to agency life, Olivia worked in creative production at Trunk Club, honing her eye for unforgettable design and legendary style to build personal brands from the ground up. Throughout her career, Olivia has always had her eye on the prize: maximum, meaningful engagement to meet her client’s bottom line. A Chicagoan born and raised, Olivia stays close to her Italian roots and her life-long love affair with travel, fashion, and tortellini in brodo. She is a proud graduate of the University of Illinois where she focused her education on her love of culture in three majors: Renaissance Studies, Classical Civilization, and Italian. As part of her degree, she spent 8 months at the Università di Bologna in Bologna, Italy, studying art history and Italian language. A woman who always has her eye on the latest trends, her studies emphasized the importance of staying true to the enduring nature of what makes people tick—from Hieronymus to Hauswirth.

Pedro Gonzalez is an H/Co Account Associate, effectively communicating day-to-day in English, Spanish, sports jargon, and memes. He was raised in Mexico City, instilling in him a global perspective and love for urban culture. Pedro’s writing skills and passions for music and sports led him to contribute frequently to national and Chicago-based publications, including Bleacher Report and TheseDays (named Chicago’s Best Blog 2017 by Chicago Reader), throughout and after college. At Do312 Media, he managed social media platforms daily with 60,000+ followers, created and executed editorial calendars, and expertly monitored fan activity for opportunities to connect online. Pedro graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. During school, he was honored with a 2017 UIC Impact Award for his work as Marketing Lead for UIC’s Spark in the Park Committee. In his spare time, you can find Pedro’s eyes glued to a TV screen playing a soccer or basketball game--or laughing through Vine compilations when the game is over. He secretly wishes his body was made of 80% horchata water, which would pair nicely with his favorite food: tacos al pastor.

Colleen brings to H/Co excellent perspective and lightning speed as a motion graphics designer. She joined the team in Spring 2019 with designs blazing, ready to work on accounts across the board.

Colleen’s career started at a post-production company at 20 years-old, where she found her love for animation, and since has worked across industries as a designer for pharmaceutical companies, consumer brands, financial institutions, and everything in between. The large scope of her work has helped her narrow where her passions really lie and, luckily for H/Co, those passions happen to be in food/consumer brands and advocacy. Colleen taps into her experience in post-production chops whether she’s working as a one-woman-show, taking a project from concept to creative, or managing integrated teams.

When Colleen isn’t flexing her design muscles at H/Co, you can find her out to eat. Her passions include her dog Lou, restaurants, food of all kinds, and Bravo’s “Top Chef.” She is currently on a mission to find the greatest diner burger in Chicago (please send recommendations!).

Jack Ladd has been with Hauswirth/Co since its inception, proving himself over and over again to be the consummate "jack" of all trades. He specializes in managing creative advocacy campaigns for causes and consumer clients ranging from statewide efforts to pass historic healthcare legislation to managing real-time social media strategy on a national taco truck tour.

Prior to joining H/Co, Jack worked at Purple Strategies where he got a master class in blending political-style strategy with top-notch brand expertise. While serving as the in-house digital communications specialist at Equality Illinois, Jack managed media relations and led the digital implementation of the organization's first comprehensive re-branding campaign. His background in journalism working at the Chicago Reader during the 2016 elections solidified his passion for media and storytelling.

Jack graduated from DePaul University, where he studied Intercultural Communication and Journalism, helping to get DePaul’s first multimedia magazine, 14 East Magazine, off the ground. In 2019, Jack was ranked among Chicago’s annual list of LGBTQ 30 Under 30 Chicagoans, awarded by the Windy City Times, for his work passing some of the most inclusive laws the state has seen. Jack hails from the Washington, D.C. metro area and currently sits on the Advocate Board of Chicago House, a Chicago-area social services non-profit organization serving families and individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ marginalization.

Elena Saunders is a communications strategist who was trained in politics and has quickly learned to love applying political speed and agility to consumer brand management. She always has her thumb on the pulse of cultural conversations, driving successful digital engagement strategies for both Fortune 100 clients and lean non-profit organizations.

Elena’s years of experience in mobilizing voters and activating donors has honed her sense of what motivates people to take action.  While working on numerous local, state, and national-level campaigns, Elena found her passion for connecting with Illinoisans face-to-face to continue conversations about injustice, progressive policy, and real-world solutions. Her background in grassroots organizing inspires her digital engagement with consumers, always aiming to spark dialogue and create community with eye-catching creative and grade A copy.

Elena has degrees in both Political Science and Women's and Gender Studies from DePaul University and brings a focused, personal direction to dealing with progressive political issues and social strategy. She is a proud Ohioan and Scorpio.

The Olivia Pope of brand management, Aleya Washington is a digital strategist, social media insider, and professional dancer. As a Business and Entrepreneurship student at Columbia College Chicago, Aleya developed the marketing strategy for several live events, including the Manifest Urban Arts Festival. As a consultant, she helped local businesses find their voice on social. When she’s not in the office, this Chicago native can be found helping businesses with their social strategies, dancing, and exploring her curiosity. Recently her interest in physical fitness and fashion has led her to study yoga and become an advocate for sustainable fashion.