Bill Oberlander (he/him) is Co-Founder and Creative Chairman of OBERLAND, where his creative vision has a singular focus: creating bold ideas to drive meaningful change for brands and society at large. Bill has led OBERLAND for over a decade, recently recognized as Ad Age’s Purpose-Led Agency of the Year; two years running in 2024 and 2025. At OBERLAND, Bill has championed work for organizations like the ACLU, The Nature Conservancy, and Brady United Against Gun Violence along with major brands like Strong Roots Vegan, e.l.f Beauty, Thinx Underwear, Blue Man Group, Michaels Stores and Children’s Place. Under his leadership, OBERLAND won a Silver Lion at Cannes 2025 for e.l.f. Beauty’s viral “So Many Dicks” campaign. Bill brings a rare blend of Madison Avenue expertise and social advocacy, with over 30 years of experience creating award-winning creative at agencies J. Walter Thompson, McCann, Ogilvy and Kirshenbaum & Bond. Before founding OBERLAND, Bill served as Director of Communications, Marketing, and Events at the Robin Hood Foundation, where he helped raise $51M Hurricane Sandy Relief at the 12.12.12 Concert. He also holds leadership roles with the Ad Council, the AICP Next Awards, and the Art Directors Club.

As Co-Founder and CEO of OBERLAND, Drew Train (he/him) leads the agency’s purpose-driven mission and growth, ensuring the agency delivers work that not only performs but also pushes society forward. Drew’s leadership has earned OBERLAND top honors, including #1 in Teamwork and #4 in North America on Fast Company’s 2025 Most Innovative List. At OBERLAND, Drew built out OBERLAND’s purpose handbook and brand guidelines. In 2025, he spearheaded e.l.f. Beauty’s Change the Board Game initiative and data research, which earned awards at the Effie’s, ANDY’s, CLIO’s, One Show and Cannes Lions. A recognized force in branding, Drew has shaped campaigns for Verizon FiOS in the US, and PUMA’s retail business in China and more. He also helped steward brands like UPS, HSBC, Lufthansa, and Tiffany & Co. in both the U.S. and China. Drew previously founded JWT Ethos, the purpose driven practice at J. Walter Thompson. Beyond agency work, Drew actively supports mental health advocacy as a longtime board member and campaign co-chair for NAMI NYC, where he helped launch the influential #IWillListen campaign. He also served 5 years on the Board of Directors for Summer Infant, Inc.

Lisa Topol (she/her) is Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner at OBERLAND, where she leads creative for all clients and drives the agency’s bold, purpose-led campaigns. With over 20 years of experience as a copywriter and creative leader, Lisa is known for blending insight with imagination—crafting work that connects, performs, and earns accolades. In 2025, Lisa’s creative leadership secured new accounts including Beazer Homes and The Children’s Place/Gymboree. Since joining OBERLAND, Lisa has helped grow revenue by over 47% and launched award-winning campaigns, including the headline-making “So Many Dicks” for e.l.f. Beauty. The campaign has won honors across the industry, from Cannes and The One Show to The ANDY Awards and OBIEs, and earned her a place on Adweek’s Creative 100. Lisa previously held creative leadership roles at DDB New York, Grey, TBWA\Chiat\Day, JWT, and Wieden+Kennedy. Outside the office, Lisa is a two-time Westminster Agility Champion and represents Team USA in international dog agility competitions. She also serves on the board of Time’s Up Advertising and mentors rising women creatives across the industry.

Kate Charles (she/her) is Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Partner, where she leads brand strategy across clients focusing on cultural relevance, generational insight, and positive impact. At OBERLAND, Kate uses over two decades of experience turning human truths and behavioral trends into powerful campaigns. In 2025, Kate’s strategy for e.l.f. Beauty’s “So Many Dicks” won an Effie for Social Good and Positive Brand Change, recognized for marketing effectiveness. Kate’s data research for “So Many Dicks” was also awarded a Silver Lion at Cannes. Kate is driven by a deep commitment to helping brands meet the rising demand for authenticity and purpose. She has previously crafted strategy for brands like Oreo, Toyota, and American Express. Kate allows brands to stay ahead of the curve with her ability to connect with younger audiences, through emerging tech, digital behavior, and sharp consumer insight.

As a client leader with over 15 years of experience (or a lifetime if you count being raised in the industry), Caitlin (she/her) has worked at some of the most recognizable agencies in the business such as VMLY&R, Wunderman Thompson (formerly J. Walter Thompson), Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann Erickson and Ogilvy & Mather delivering transformative work on clients like Walgreens Boots Alliance, Colgate-Palmolive, Samsung, Newell Rubbermaid, Jockey International, Novartis, Weight Watchers, Black & Decker, and Kraft as well as the Ad Council. Caitlin is skilled in the development of truly integrated brand experiences, forging unique teams and paths to achieve success for her clients, and is production and process obsessed. She currently resides in Brooklyn, when she isn't headed for the coast of Maine with her dog, Miles.

With over two decades of leadership experience at top global agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi and Ogilvy, Lisa Miller (she/her) is a seasoned results-driven marketer. She has spearheaded award-winning campaigns for iconic companies such as General Mills and P&G, earning industry honors including Effies, Cannes Lions, and Clios. Known for her grace under pressure and highly collaborative, hands-on approach, Lisa excels at navigating complex teams and bringing iconic ideas to market for large and small companies. She lives in New Jersey with her two teenagers and their overly-attached pandemic pup, Lucy, who is always just slightly off camera during Zoom meetings.

Amanda Lee (she/her) is a purpose-driven leader with 20 years of experience in account management and creative strategy. She began her career in New York City, spending a decade in account management at top global agencies including DraftFCB, Digitas, Ogilvy, JWT, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Havas. During that time, she led work for major brands including Pepsi, Tropicana, Verizon, IBM, HSBC, Humira, and Diageo. Amanda then brought her expertise in-house to Nike, where she spent 10 years shaping creative strategy across Nike Women, Tennis, Golf, Sportswear, and Kids. Her work has earned recognition from Cannes Lions, Clio, Webby, The One Club, Obie, and Andy Awards—with three campaigns now part of the permanent collection at the Rafael Nadal Museum in Manacor, Spain. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two kids—and on weekends, you'll likely find her on the sidelines, proudly living the glorified soccer mom life.

Kyra Bank (she/her) is an experienced account professional with over seven years in the industry, most recently at Droga5, where she contributed to a wide range of campaigns for brands like Bosch, Chase, and Essentia Water. Known for being process-driven and solutions-oriented, Kyra brings a thoughtful and strategic approach to every project. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, exploring her new neighborhood (the Upper East Side) or getting lost in a new book.

Natalia Brache (she/her) is an Account Supervisor skilled and focused on 360 campaign management, excellent client services and authentic consumer experiences. She began her career in advertising at top creative agencies like Saatchi & Saatchi and Ogilvy, working on bold and distinct campaigns for brands such as Verizon, Citizens Bank, and Oral-B. Outside of work, Natalia enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants around the city, working out and watching Carolina basketball (Go heels!).

Meredith Weber (she/her), also known as Merrie, is a detailed and empathetic Account Supervisor. With 4 years under her belt, she’s more than proud of her contributions while at award-winning agencies like McCann and Madwell. Now, she’s excited to put her dedication to work on the purpose-focused creative of OBERLAND. She has experience managing multiple campaigns at once and completing strategic research for major brands like Chick-fil-A & e.l.f. Beauty to name a few. Currently residing “on” Long Island with her dog Daisy, Merrie is a cinephile always trying to grow her repertoire, while simultaneously working on too many hobbies at once such as knitting, drawing, reading, and playing video games.

Hannah (she/her) is a versatile Senior Project Manager having worked at several agencies on different global brands such as Google, Amazon, General Electric, and more. She prides herself in bringing a fresh perspective at every company through her passion for efficiency and implementing new solutions. She believes in building effective cross-functional teams by uniting people with different expertise. When she's not working, Hannah can be found applying for several cooking shows on national television, using her AMC stubs a-list monthly pass, or going on long walks with her boglen terrier.

Rossana (she/her) is an Italian Senior Project Manager based in New York, with a unique perspective due to her international background. Before moving to the Big Apple, she lived and worked in Turin, London, and Berlin, enriching her career path with diverse cultures and work experiences. She is passionate about advertising and creativity and she is committed to creating and supporting meaningful work, ensuring the smooth execution of all projects from start to finish. She is an excellent communicator and a creative problem solver, able to speak the language of the creatives and get everyone moving in the right direction. Rossana comes to OBERLAND with prior experience at Razorfish, where she worked with notable clients like Church and Dwight on Arm and Hammer, Rephresh, Replens, First Response and Flawless. She loves to travel but is scared to fly. She likes taking pictures, especially of her french bulldog Lea. She is a dance teacher. She bakes delicious cakes.

Deborah (she/her) is a seasoned Senior Project Manager and Integrated Producer with a passion for bringing creative ideas to life. Based in Boston, she has spent over a decade managing large-scale advertising campaigns and content production for world-class brands like Rolex, Delta, Maserati, Harry Winston, and Revlon. Deborah’s career spans top ad agencies and design studios, where her calm leadership, sharp attention to detail, and strategic mindset have made her a trusted problem solver for even the most complex projects. She believes in the power of collaboration and thrives on keeping teams aligned and moving forward with clarity and purpose. Outside of work, Deborah is a devoted dog mom to Bentley (and a proud pitbull advocate), an avid tennis player, and an enthusiastic traveler who has explored 48+ countries—always preferring trains to planes. She also enjoys puzzles, photography, and fostering financial empowerment through Womxn Building Wealth, a community she founded to support women on their journey to financial freedom.

Alexis King Wilson (She/Her) is an impact strategist and cultural connector who has spent over 15 years designing philanthropic programs and building social innovation frameworks that bridge power with purpose. A proud Spelman College alumna, Alexis has shaped impact, giving and storytelling strategies for global brands like Spotify, Chief, and Endeavor (WME, IMG, and others)—bringing an approach that is data-informed, heart-forward, and rooted in community stewardship. Alexis is a seasoned advisor to executives, artists, and foundations alike, having led initiatives with The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Open Society Foundations, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Living Cities. Her work lives at the intersection of equity, sustainability, and narrative change. Whether she’s building energy justice pipelines for young Black students, guiding C-suite leaders through their first climate commitments, or reimagining corporate giving to support creators of color, Alexis brings sharp analysis, soft power, and a deep belief in possibility to every table she joins. Montclair-born, Alexis splits her time between building impact and cultivating joy offline—usually with her husband, their two sons, and their small dog Dru—playing as much tennis as she can or BBQing with a good playlist in the background.

Guy Reason (he/him) is a multi-award winning strategist shaped by close mentorship from some true heavyweights of British advertising. He believes in making brands low-effort and high-reward for people to engage with. Guy calls it Vibe Engineering — harnessing culture, design, and emotional connection to reach increasingly distracted audiences. Guy graduated from Oxford University with a first class honors degree in Physiology, Psychology, & Philosophy. He spent the first four-and-a-half years of his career using that knowledge to build Condiment Junkie, a multi-sensory experience design startup, developing fruitful working relationships with Heineken, Unilever and Aston Martin. From there he moved into advertising and has spent the last six years practicing strategy at Droga5 London, M&C Saatchi and most recently, Saatchi & Saatchi. Guy wrote the strategy for Brewdog’s D&AD Graphite Pencil-winning ‘World F*Cup’ punk protest campaign, won the UK’s ‘pitch of the decade’ for John Lewis Partnership, revolutionized the National Health Service’s smoking cessation comms and and was awarded gold and silver British Arrows for Rustlers microwave burgers’ brand platform — the first project on which he served as strategic lead. Guy has also been a guest lecturer at the Brixton Finishing School. Over three summers he taught brand strategy and mentored talent from underrepresented backgrounds and had the pleasure of welcoming several BFS graduates to Saatchi & Saatchi via the Saatchi Open program. He's always wanted to experience the personal growth that comes with living and working abroad, and being married to an American posed the perfect opportunity to do so. With Guy working in advertising and his husband working in fashion, New York was the obvious choice to take our careers to the next level. Oberland’s been doing purpose since way back before it was cool. He looks forward to defining what purpose looks like in this ‘post-purpose’ era, now that our industry (and the world at large) seems to have decided it’s not cool again. He wants to prove through our work that purpose is so much more than just frivolous ornamentation, it’s integral to the structure of not just campaigns but entire organizations. Purpose isn’t the icing on the cake, it’s the eggs in the batter.

Jasmine Farooq (she/her) is a Senior Strategist dedicated to advancing DEI and shaping compelling brand stories. Starting with an internship at Deutsch LA through 4A’s MAIP, she progressed in her career to working on campaigns for Publix, Baskin Robbins, and AdventHealth, and has led strategic development on projects for Advil, Coca Cola, and AstraZeneca. Her latest role involved leading Multicultural strategy for Nissan. Hailing from South Florida with Jamaican roots, she comes from a family full of cooks, singers, artists, and ultimately the best turn up crew. When her laptop is closed, you can find her thrift shopping or finding new dessert spots to indulge her sweet tooth.

Born in Northern California to Ghanaian immigrants, Kofi's journey into advertising has been shaped by a diverse range of experiences, through his religious upbringing and cultural background. By navigating various social circles during his formative years, Kofi developed a unique 'outsider' perspective, which he now values for its ability to foster openness and understanding. Kofi’s acceptances into Multicultural Advertising Internship Program and the Most Promising Multicultural Students Program jump started his career into strategy after graduating from BYU’s Advertising Program Kofi started his career at Johannes Leonardo and at The Martin Agency, where leveraged his unique perspective to drive cultural innovation with global and national brands such as Instagram, AXE, Hanes, OREO and RITZ. Outside of work, Kofi is a passionate soccer fan of Arsenal Football Club, a recent cinephile, and enjoys exploring NYC's vibrant culture.

Monica (she/her) believes empathy is a human and marketing superpower. Advertising is connection, and connection is essential. An award-winning Creative Director with over 20 years experience, she has been a leader in agencies big and small, and collaborated with clients in every category. A multi-faceted strategic thinker, accounts and people working under Monica tend to grow. Her ability to listen to clients, foster creatives and build brands has led to transformative work for Nike, Old Spice, Target, Google, and many others. Her work has garnered all the major industry awards - D&AD, the One Show, Addy’s, Cannes, including the Grand Prix for Nike. Amongst her many accolades, Monica’s spot for Monster.com regularly appears in “Top Ten SuperBowl Spots of All Time “ lists, and her Nike work for women is on permanent collection in the MOMA. An illustrator, a pattern designer, and a script doctor in her spare time, she can be found living at the foot of a volcano with her partner Mark.

For 25 years, Derek Barnes (he/him) has been a writer, creative leader, client whisperer, team builder, brand-truth-seeker, sci-fi reader, sports lover and weekend kayak/paddleboard paddler. He’s helped create and elevate some of the world’s biggest brands including Nike, Google, Dick's Sporting Goods, Budweiser, Kroger, the NFL, ESPN, Pure Leaf, Best Buy, Bose and more. All that has resulted in strings of high-profile new business wins and some pretty nice bling for the mantlepiece–multiple Cannes Lions, Effies, awards from the One Show, CA, D&AD, AICP, CLIO’s, Kelly Award grand prize and Admeter’s #1 ranked Super Bowl spot."

Molly (she/her) is a creative director who consistently wears big earrings. She got her start as an art director working on the agency side, but enjoyed a few years as an in-house design lead at VICE and Disney+. Her years at Vaynermedia earned her awards for her Planters Superbowl work and even a mention on The Colbert Show for her Casper Sleepers campaign. Before that, her awards mostly came in the form of "Best Team Player" or "Best Team Spirit" in youth sports programs. To this day, she is a great collaborator and gets excited very easily.

Stephanie (she/her) is a Brooklyn based Associate Creative Director, Art as well as a recovering Florida girl, Taco Bell enthusiast, and overall fun-loving menace. Working at agencies like Crispin, McCann, and FCB has given her an appreciation for quick thinking and tight turnarounds, managing creative teams, and endless Diet Cokes. She has worked on brands from Velveeta to Ulta to Mastercard. When she’s not busy competing with Midjourney or concepting with her partner Meredith, you can find her dancing in NYC parades with her Mermaid Dance Troupe, knitting sweaters with a one-year turnaround time, or pushing her blind, elderly pug around the neighborhood in a stroller.

Meredith (she/her) is an Associate Creative Director and writer with 10+ years of experience working at agencies from McCann to VML to WIP_ and more. Her work on Wendy’s has won at Cannes, The One Show, LIA, and more award shows. When asked where she’s from, she responds with, “everywhere,” having lived in Fort Worth, New York, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, and more. She now lives in Kansas City, MO, having fallen in love with the city and its people during her stint working on Wendy’s. She’s a proud dog mom of a Corgi named Moxie and a Golden Retriever named Moose. She loves dance workouts, karaoke, horror movies, and a good post-horror movie cleanse with a classic show like The Golden Girls.

Carina (She/They) is a Senior Copywriter who comes to OBERLAND from freelance, where she spent two years working on a number of brands at award-winning New York-based agencies Walrus and Terri & Sandy. She is passionate about addressing the social and environmental issues of today through purposeful storytelling, and will probably ask you if you’re wearing SPF 30+ on a sunny day.

Adriene (They/Them) is a non-binary designer from NYC. With a background in TV and film development, Adriene always considers story in their approach to design. As an alumni of SCAD and Shillington School of Graphic Design, Adriene loves illustration, performance art and art history. Adriene most recently completed a certificate program at NYU Tandon for User Experience and Emerging Technologies Design.

Anika (she/her) is an India raised and New York based graphic designer, illustrator, and animator. They earned their BFA in graphic design from the School of Visual Arts, New York with the Rhodes Family Award for Outstanding Achievement in Design. Their determination to create intentional and purpose-driven work expresses itself through work that is personal in lieu of performative. When they aren’t working, they can be found taking 1000+ pictures of their cat, Mango, dancing at their favorite concert or binge reading their 7th romance novel in a row.

Emily Hentschel (she/her) is a New York-based copywriter, originally from Texas y’all. She joins OBERLAND from Merkley + Partners where she wrote for Mercedes-Benz Vans and Florida’s Natural. A former theater kid, she fell in love with writing while earning her BFA in Theater Arts from Boston University. She’s passionate about channeling her performance background into copy that’s exciting and impactful. Other passions include all things comedy, eating really good food, and convincing people to watch Vanderpump Rules.

David Orton (he/him) specializes in creating authentic work that elevates brands across all media platforms. He has led the development of global marketing and brand identities for Accenture, LG, European Wax Center, and BNY Mellon. With 15 years of experience as a Design Director, David has managed design teams both internally and with partner agencies. His work has been recognized at major industry award shows, including winning the One Show Bronze & Gold Pencil, Cannes Bronze Lion, and Creativity Annual Awards Gold. Outside of work, David is constantly digging through obscure 70’s and 80’s disco records and he is the co-author of Category Is: Cocktails! Mixed drinks inspired by legendary drag performers published by Prestel.

Laura (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary designer and educator hailing from the West Coast. Her dedication to effecting lasting social change through design is communicated through her branding, creative strategy, UX/UI, and interaction design work. Before joining Oberland, Laura devoted her creative energy to non-profits, small businesses, start-ups, and health & fitness brands throughout California and NYC. She holds a BS in biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and completed her design education at Shillington, NYC.

Kyle Sims (he/him) is a film director and commercial editor from Buffalo, NY. He graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2018 with a BFA in Film/TV. His short film Our Boy premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in January 2020, and was awarded the Wasserman Directing Award at the 2019 First Run Film Festival. His latest film Galapagos stars Catherine Curtin and premiered at the Aspen Shortsfest in April, 2023. In the commercial realm, Kyle has edited broadcast and digital content for major brands such as Kohl’s, PetSmart, Pandora Jewelry, and Just For Men. As an analog photography loyalist, Kyle develops his own film and carries a fleet of vintage cameras everywhere he goes. He is also a collage artist and loose-leaf tea fanatic, with a growing collection of original foreign film posters.

Frank (he/him) comes to OBERLAND with a wealth of financial services experience spanning nearly 25 years. His most recent role was the Chief Operating Officer of the Wealth Management Group at Jefferies. As Chief Operating Officer, Frank’s role is to ensure that all our agency runs smoothly and our internal operations are as good as our client operations.

As a Operations Director, Liz (She/Her) brings a decade of media and advertising experience to OBERLAND from a broad range of production and project management roles. She started her career at Time Inc., where she worked on photo production for Real Simple and post-production for their full suite of brands. At Munn Rabôt, Grey, and StrawberryFrog, she managed integrated advertising campaigns for a long list of clients, such as NYU Langone, Bessemer Trust, Taltz, Northwell Health, Prudential, Truist, Afterpay, and more. Liz is also a founding member of Aperture Connect, a photography non-profit in NYC.

Sallie (she/her) is a legend in advertising agency circles. She managed creative departments at huge advertising agencies like McCann and JWT before coming to Oberland in 2023. Her ability to find talented people and manage agency resources has led to new business and creative award wins alike. A lifelong passion and dedication to DE+I led to the launch of many successful ad agency initiatives and training programs resulting in a much more diverse workplace. She was awarded the ADCOLOR Change Agent award as well as the 4A's Pantheon award for her efforts. Sallie lives in Manhattan with her partner and keeps close tabs on their 4 children who are becoming successful in their own right.