Meet the 24 Rising Brand Stars Bringing a New Wave of Energy to Washington, D.C.

Rekha Patricio, Director of Marketing and Branding, NPR

Rekha Patricio started her career in New York at NBC News but quickly discovered that broadcast TV journalism wasn’t for her and headed to the D.C. area to find her true calling.

Once there, she joined Discovery Communications and worked her way up to manager of U.S. Hispanic Integration. More than two years later, she left to work for the place that had produced “the theme song” of her family’s life, National Public Radio.

Born and raised in Venezuela, Patricio grew up with Spanish as her first language and NPR always on in the background. Overseeing the campaign for NPR’s first Spanish-language podcast, Radio Ambulante, was something very much in her wheelhouse, Patricio says.

In her role at NPR, she has overseen the messaging as the media organization looks to broaden its programming for diverse fans and a new generation of listeners. She was also behind NPR’s largest campaign, Fully Awake, which featured ads on TV, digital and core member station markets.

“We make sure that our existing listeners know they can fall in love with NPR in many different ways, that they make it a daily habit to connect with NPR and lead them to those driveway moments that are going to make them lifelong fans,” Patricio says.

Part of that mission includes passing the joys of NPR on to her three young children.

“There are so many opportunities where we can teach younger kids to be away from screens and just listen,” Patricio says. “Doing that will really help create young minds that are smart and doing great things for the world.”
—Sara Jerde

Molly Catalano, VP of Marketing and Communications, Five Guys

Washington is home to a wide array of global businesses, but relatively few are household names. One notable exception, whose international popularity grows with each year, is Five Guys, the stripped-down burger chain known for its all-American menu and red-white checkerboard motif.

Also famed in the restaurant industry for its dramatic growth—to a sprawling current size of 1,551 locations across 12 countries—without relying on advertising, the chain's unique approach to marketing has long been driven by Molly Catalano, a 13-year veteran of the D.C.-based company.

Five Guys has long been known as a brand that "doesn't advertise," although the chain has warmed to the idea a bit over the years and now spends a relatively small amount of its marketing budget on digital advertising via YouTube, social media and programmatic.

But you still won't see a Five Guys ad on national TV anytime soon. The brand continues to invest the vast majority of its marketing dollars in employee incentives, specifically through a secret-shopper program that rewards all employees of locations that provide good service to anonymous customers hired by the company.

"My job and the direction of marketing has only changed in what's been available to us as marketers," Catalano says, looking back on her lengthy run with Five Guys. "We were against traditional media just because we didn't think we had enough money. We didn't think we could get the best return. We said, 'We think we can use this money to pay our employees more.'"
—David Griner

Vicki Poulos, Senior Global Brand Director, Moxy Hotels

Moxy Hotels are anything but ordinary. Vicki Poulos, its senior global brand director, partnered with Upright Citizens Brigade to establish new ways to educate employees on the brand’s service philosophy. Poulos led the design and development of Moxy’s distinctive culture and service training programs.

“Marriott International created Moxy for the socially extroverted, energetic consumer,” she says. “Inclusive and young at heart, Moxy challenges the status quo to show the world what ‘moxie’ really means. From our selfie elevators, check-in at the bar and communal spaces, Moxy Hotels’ various playful elements encourage play and shareable social moments for guests.”

In her role, Poulos is a member of the Distinctive Select brand portfolio’s (AC, Aloft, Element, and Moxy) executive leadership team, where she determines the global brand strategy.

Targeting “next generation” travelers—primarily millennials—in an affordable manner, the chain launched five years ago with quirky experiences unlike typical hotel amenities.

“We have brand programs that appeal to our target consumer—from Moxy Hookups (random acts of awesomeness for guests) to our Blank Canvas (bespoke art program)—that we strive to execute in every hotel and in every market,” Poulos says. “This consistency is truly critical to our success.”

As Moxy’s brand leader, Poulos is tasked with leading the strategic brand development and not only executing it on a global scale but making sure it resonates globally.

“Moxy is either currently growing or has plans to grow in nearly every corner of the world," continues Poulos. “With that in mind, everything we have done—from design, to food and beverage, and finally to talent and training—has been built with both scale and global adaptability in mind. We ask the question of how something will resonate in Tokyo or Chicago in every brainstorm or debate.”

A Chicago native—“but first-generation Greek”—Poulus continues to play an active role in growing the brand internationally, whether it’s beefing up Moxy’s presence in 13 countries across three continents or working on a global marketing strategy that seamlessly transitions from location to location. 
—Amy Corr

Jeremy Gilbert, Director of Strategic Initiatives, The Washington Post 

Jeremy Gilbert describes his career path as “an interesting mix of sometimes journalism, sometimes technology and in the lucky occurrences, both.”

His path has included being the managing editor for innovation at The Poynter Institute, teaching at Northwestern University and serving as deputy editor of digital at the National Geographic Society before joining The Washington Post more than four years ago.

As the media industry changes, Gilbert spearheads initiatives to constantly innovate new techniques and mediums for storytelling. That has included everything from creating a VR tour of Mars to machine-generated storytelling.

One of the keys to Gilbert’s innovative work, regardless of one’s industry, is to “look outside of the competition,” he says.

“If you spend all of your time saying, ‘if I can do just slightly better than what other people around me are doing,’ you’re already lost,” he said.

Gilbert has at least half a dozen projects in the works at any given time using talent from throughout the newsroom and sometimes freelancing out work, depending on the skill sets necessary for the task.

His wish list of projects is admittedly long, but that doesn’t hold Gilbert back from constantly thinking of what to take on next and how the industry could further transform.

“I feel pretty lucky," he says. "The Post is big enough to have the resources around development and data science, but is small enough that you can do the experimentation that is so important”
—Sara Jerde

Ashley Dellavalle Jung, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Stella Valle 

Army service isn’t standard training for designers starting a global jewelry brand, but the sisters behind Stella Valle provide a compelling case study for the value of military experience in the fashion world.

Ashley Dellavalle Jung is co-founder and CCO for the brand, which she started with her sister, Paige Dellavalle Walker, when they concluded their service in the Army. Both graduated from West Point, and Jung spent 15 months in Afghanistan before the two launched their own business.

The realities of starting a business meant Jung moved to D.C. to work as a Department of Defense consultant as they ramped up the company. The region is still home and she now works remotely for the New Jersey-based company, which has come a long way since the sisters appeared on, and won, Shark Tank in 2013.

They’ve streamlined Stella Valle’s aesthetic and offerings, adjusted their price points and refined their branding and retail locations with the help of ‘sharks’ Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner who invested in the company. Jung said the changes came when, “we realized that our customer is any woman and tailored [the line] to be for any woman. Simple and easy to wear, casual, but you can still wear it going out.”

Jung knows that Stella Valle is about more than the jewelry, it’s about an ethos and attitude of empowerment and inspiration for women. Since that may mean something different to everyone, Stella Valle provides building blocks for a collection that make it meaningful to each customer.

And they’ve learned that a customer’s ability to identify the brand wherever and however they interact with it is crucial. “In branding it all has to come together and be so unified,” Jung notes. “So what people see in our retail partners has to match what you see on our social media and what you’re seeing at Nordstrom in our merchandising. One thing we’ve focused on that we’ve just hit our stride on in the last year is ‘What is that unified message?’ How do we pull it all together across different platforms wherever people run into the brand?’”

The message is one that really resonates with and is inspired by women the founders encounter daily. “Our brand is very focused on women and making them feel confident and strong. We’re at a point where that’s at the forefront in news and media and it’s obviously a big topic in D.C. as well.” 
—Tayla Burney 

Jeff Rave, Senior Creative Director, TLC Marketing, Discovery Communications

If you plunk down on your sofa only to emerge hours later after being sucked in to a marathon of 90 Day Fiancee or OutDaughtered on TLC, you’ve seen Jeff Rave’s handiwork. As senior creative director of marketing for TLC, Jeff manages the in-house team responsible for network graphics, social campaigns and a variety of other media initiatives for the station that pioneered many of the reality show concepts prevalent on TV today.

And television audiences are a moving target, with a proliferation of streaming services changing people’s viewing habits and expectations. Rave sees those shifts as opportunities. “Our region has exploded with creative ways to work through shrinking budgets, a dynamic audience and a crowded landscape. I’m surprised every day by the fact that this brings even more energy and positivity to our work than ever before.”

TLC is part of Discovery Communications, which has deep roots in Maryland and has been headquartered in Silver Spring since 2003. Though a big move to New York is scheduled for next year for most of the staff, Rave will stay on in Maryland, which suits him just fine.

“I love the fact that we work in a city that isn’t known for being a television or marketing mecca like a New York or L.A.," he says. "We may fly under the radar at times, but I’ve worked with some of the most talented folks I’ll ever meet in the industry right in my backyard. The D.C. area is such an incredible place of different cultures, backgrounds, and industries—inspiration is always one conversation away.”

A key factor in success for Rave has been understanding not just what he does, but also what people working with and for him do.

“Production, editing, graphics, operations—understanding how these other functions operate is key to making sure you’re all working hand-in-hand," he says. "When I got my start, it was at the bottom of the proverbial totem pole, answering phones and working a reception desk. But it was the best opportunity I could have asked for because it was a position that gave me exposure to everything and everyone, and was maybe the most invaluable learning experience of my career.” 
—Tayla Burney 

Mari Rodela, Chief Community and Culture Officer, DC Brau 

When you open the first brewery to package beer in the District of Columbia in more than 50 years, you want to make an impression with locals and outsiders alike.

DC Brau, which served its first beer in 2011, has done just that, thanks to the efforts of chief community and culture officer Mari Rodela. Rodela has found success in a potent mix of style and substance reflected in DC Brau’s beer, its branding and her drive to ensure the brewery is actively engaged in the brewing and business communities in a rapidly changing city.

Before joining her husband, brewmaster Jeff Hancock, and co-founder Brandon Skall full-time at the brewery, Rodela worked in public health, but she says the switch wasn’t as big a leap as you might think.

"The skills are very translatable. I was doing a lot of capacity building, community engagement and work with partners to develop strategy," she says. "All things that are relevant in any business because you really need to be able to strategize and work with people.”

Rodela is busy at the brewery and beyond, serving as president of the District of Columbia Brewers’ Guild and sitting on the board of directors for Think Local First D.C., a group dedicated to supporting local independent businesses in the capital.

Collaboration is big in the craft beer business, which has grown tremendously over the last decade. Rodela says it’s a crucial element because “it allows us to build community and have mutual support. We’re local, but in such a small industry we have friends all over the country we want to work with.” She’s also excited about the beer they’re brewing up as part of Jameson Irish Whiskey’s Caskmates program and predicts we’ll see more collaborations across beverage categories in the years ahead.

The brewery’s logo, which features prominently on cans of their flagship beers, combines an outline of the U.S. Capitol’s dome with the three stars and two bars that make up D.C.’s flag.

“When we launched, it was important for us to have something representative of our town," she says. "We’ll champion representation until we ideally have the opportunity to be a state and we have a way of communicating that to people. When people are drinking a beer, they’re not ignoring the can, so we started with fun tidbits [about voting rights, among other things] on the beer as a way to educate people.”

Those facts are spreading farther and farther afield as the brewery grows and distribution expands beyond the region’s borders, with beer drinkers as far away as Sweden now able to pick up a cold can of DC Brau. 
—Tayla Burney 

Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis Berman, Co-founders, Georgetown Cupcake

Georgetown Cupcake bakes more than 25,000 cupcakes a day, employs more than 300 workers, has 597,000 Instagram followers—and its co-owners Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne have no formal culinary training.

“Katherine and I did not go to culinary school, nor do we have any formal culinary training,” says Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne. “We learned to bake and developed our passion for baking from our grandmother when we were young. She was a profound influence on us, and we always dreamed of opening a bakery together ever since we were little.”

The duo quit their day jobs in 2007 and opened their first shop in Georgetown on Valentine’s Day 2008.

The flagship bakery moved to a larger space in 2009 and added locations in Bethesda, Maryland; New York City; Boston; Los Angeles; and Atlanta.

Later that year, the pair began shipping cupcakes nationwide via an ecommerce site and UPS, and in 2015 added the Georgetown Cupcake app to the mix. They also have drop-ship partnerships with Saks Fifth Avenue and Williams Sonoma.

The sisters filmed D.C. Cupcakes, a reality program on TLC, for three seasons but didn’t give up reality programming entirely when the show ended in 2013.

A 24/7 livestream—CupcakeCam Live—debuted in 2016 and brings users inside the Georgetown Cupcake flagship bakery with help from six cameras.

The bakers also have two cookbooks under their aprons: The Cupcake Diaries and Sweet Celebrations.

In 2016, they also launched a line of cupcake, layer cake and frosting dry mixes that are available at Williams-Sonoma stores nationwide and internationally at Harrods. The latest offering, Maple cupcake mix, launched last week.

“We just thought it was going to be a small neighborhood bakery and never intended for Georgetown Cupcake to explode in the way it did," says Kallinis LaMontagne. "But we have loved growing our company every step of the way.”
—Amy Corr

Sarah Koch, VP of Social Innovation, the Case Foundation 

Founded by Jean Case and her husband, AOL co-founder Steve Case, the Case Foundation is known for “investing in people and ideas that can change the world.” But there’s one team within Case that is focused on changing the world of investing, specifically.

Sarah Koch is the vp of social innovation at the Case Foundation, and her work centers on the inclusive entrepreneurship movement—defined at Case as “creating the opportunity for women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color to grow and scale their businesses.” Koch worked “in and around the nonprofit sector” before joining Case, and across her career two related themes have emerged: connecting people with resources, and helping those who are striving to get stronger footing.

In Koch’s work today that means asking, “How do we ensure that all entrepreneurs regardless of their race, place, or gender have the opportunity to access the resources they need to grow and scale their businesses?”

To address this, Koch says Case does far more than investing, it operates as “movement catalyzers.”

“What we want to do is look at movements that are just getting started, that need someone like the Case Foundation—that is focused on collaborations and partnerships and the communications that need to happen when you’re raising awareness—and use us as that connecting tissue in the movement to make sure it moves forward faster.”

To date, inclusive entrepreneurship is a movement Case has invested in deeply, in many senses. Koch spends her days assessing all the ways Case can contribute: “Partner development, grant management, [researching] who else is in this space doing interesting things, how can we support them? Who needs more than just money? Who needs a partner, advice, guidance, comms support?”

The payoff, Koch says, will come when this movement is someday sustainable on its own, when an equitable spread of networks and resources is self-sustaining. 
—Naomi Shavin

Lauren Danker, Business Intelligence Analyst, Motley Fool

As a child, Lauren Danker always asked questions. As a business intelligence analyst at The Motley Fool for the past three years, Danker asks “Why?” on a daily basis.

“I find and interpret a person’s data story,” says Danker. “If someone visits our site and leaves immediately after, I figure out why. I work with the marketing team to test out hypotheses. We analyze, test and see what works. It’s interesting when we’re wrong. I learn something new every day.”

Danker studied Computer Information Systems (CIS) at James Madison University, but began college as a marketing major.

“I was always interested in business. I started in marketing and a professor recommended CIS, so I took some classes and I loved it.”

“With coding, there’s always a right and wrong answer,” she says. “With the execution of code, there’s a mix of hard and soft skills. It’s cut and dry and very exploratory.”

Danker’s position at The Motley Fool perceives her curiosity as an asset rather than a nuisance.

“I help the company make better data-driven business decisions, much like The Motley Fool helps members make informed business decisions.” 
—Amy Corr