Kiayanna Washington is a dynamic Brand Strategist with over five years of experience crafting data-driven strategies that create meaningful connections between businesses and their audiences. Prior to Matrix MKTG, she led brand and campaign development for industry leaders like Blanchard, Spotify, and Regions Bank, earning a reputation for delivering impactful results across diverse sectors. With a background in communications and social sciences, Kiayanna seamlessly blends actionable insights with creative storytelling to help clients elevate brand perception and drive engagement. Kiayanna holds a BA in Political Science from Georgia State University and a Masters in Communication Management from the University of Southern California.

Ryan J. Walker is a 20-year marketing professional who currently serves as President | Chief Strategist for Matrix MKTG. In this leadership role, Ryan oversees a team of innovators and executors who cultivate and craft very meaningful relationships between “culture”, brands, and consumers. As a visionary, he spearheads long-range planning and business development and is responsible for overseeing the planning, the development, and the execution of the organization’s marketing and advertising initiatives.

Rodney Waites has close to two decades of marketing and public relations experience. He is a keen professional with expertise in experiential engagement, multicultural marketing, communication strategy, social media, and brand integration. Rodney has managed award winning campaigns for Fortune ranked brands, including McDonald’s, Pepsi, Jack Daniels, and Nissan.

James Waites is a graphic designer with more than 15 years of experience supporting small to medium-sized businesses. Throughout his career, Reese has managed all aspects of the creative design process. While leading projects, Reese spends time consistently cultivating, collaborating, refining, and crafting graphics. He has developed 400+ graphic design projects (logos, brochures, advertisements, infographics, motion graphics, websites, etc.) that increased clients’ brand awareness and recognition.

Lamar is a Graphic Designer with over 7 years of experience, specializing in activations, marketing campaigns, brand development, packaging design, and illustrations. A graduate of Bowling Green State University, he has contributed to more than 30 client projects across agency and in-house roles. Lavae’s work includes campaigns for Red Bull Symphonic, BET Awards, Puma x Balmain, and Twitter CultureCon. Guided by the motto, “The best response to good work is more work,” he strives to create impactful visuals and memorable moments, currently collaborating with Matrix MKTG.

Nadia Stevens has over 10 years of event marketing and consumer engagement experience in the tobacco, alcohol, automotive, sports, and sales industries. Nadia began working in the tobacco industry in 2012 as a Brand Representative for Al Capone Cigarillos thereby gaining knowledge of the rules and regulations of the tobacco industry. Nadia has since worked with several tobacco brands including KOOL, Backwoods, Dutch Masters, and Phillies Cigars. Nadia specializes in Tobacco Licensing and Event Management.

Gayle Smith is a dynamic and results-driven professional with a strong background in project management and business development. She studied Communications at Tennessee State University and has built a reputation for successfully delivering project objectives that drive profitability and organizational growth. Gayle is known for her strategic analysis and expertise in improving security processes, risk mitigation, and stakeholder management.

Throughout her career, Gayle has excelled in client service and team leadership, building strong, transparent relationships with clients to ensure success. Her problem-solving and decision-making abilities, combined with her expertise in IT services support, have contributed to her success in creating impactful solutions. Gayle’s resourcefulness and dedication to going above and beyond in her duties ensure optimal outcomes for both clients and teams. She is always eager to connect with like-minded professionals and explore new opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Zahir is an experienced Social Media professional with nearly 15 years in digital marketing and social media. Working with a myriad of clientele on both the client and agency side from Redbull to McDonald’s, Zahir’s superpower is community building, and helping brands show up authentically in culture! As an avid traveler and infinitely curious person, Zahir brings a global approach to the social media strategy landscape, championing diverse storytelling and inclusive representation.

Caroline is a brand strategist driven by the belief that data without a story is boring, and a story without data is meaningless. This philosophy shapes her approach, enabling her to act as the connective tissue between analytics and creativity while leveraging research to inspire impactful work. Passionate about advocating for the consumer, Caroline has a knack for humanizing brands in regulated industries. She has led creative platform campaigns, developed positioning strategies and brand architectures, conducted market research, and built rich audience profiles – all while measuring brand impact. Her experience spans diverse brands, including Rivian, Regions Bank, Little Debbie, Panama City Beach, Visit Baton Rouge, the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, Southern Company, and more.

Shawneé Owens has over a decade experience in digital marketing, creative production, and content strategy. She graduated from the illustrious Howard University, where her passion and proficiency in Fine Arts led to a career in directing, marketing, and digital content production. Shawneé has operated as a key contributor for how both SMB and Fortune 500 companies have maintained and marketed their business online through content production, strategy integration, and social media management. With the proper strategy is in place, she recognizes both content and social media platforms as digital marketing tools that any business can leverage to amplify their goals.

Lacey Medina is a high-impact HR Director with over 12 years of experience driving transformative results across diverse industries. She possesses a unique blend of strategic vision and operational excellence, with a proven track record of success in strategy, engagement, and leadership development across diverse demographics and dispersed workforces. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and a Certified Professional in Human Resources (SHRM-CP).

Lacey thrives in fast-paced, innovative environments and is deeply passionate about fostering high-performing, inclusive cultures. She is known for championing a people-first approach, empowering talented individuals to reach their full potential and deliver exceptional results.

Porcherria Huff is a powerhouse Project Manager blending over 12 years of experience in operations, film and television, and event management. With a Master’s in Professional Communication and Digital Media from Texas Southern University, she has contributed her expertise to industry giants like CBS Radio, Tyler Perry Studios, and Revolt Multimedia Company where she’s mastered the art of building seamless workflows and systems for teams of all sizes. Guided by the legendary words of a beloved professor, “What we do, we do well. What we don’t do well, we don’t do at all,” Porcherria delivers excellence with precision and passion. Her unmatched versatility and creative energy make her a driving force in any project she touches.

Creativity runs through her bloodline, as a third-generation seamstress and designer. After receiving a degree in Fashion Merchandising, Tijuana ran the halls of Glamour and InStyle magazines in NYC before planting her roots in Event Marketing. She enjoyed 8 successful years as a Marketing Manager in luxury retail marrying her two passions, fashion and experiential marketing, before stepping away to globetrot. She enriched and immersed herself in other cultures, cuisines, textiles, and architecture. Her motto is, “the experience is everything” and she lives by that when creating engaging visual experiences for our clients.

Cari Favole, a University of Georgia graduate with a Bachelor’s in Theatre: Performing Arts, is a certified Project Management Professional with expertise in client relations, cross-functional team management, and marketing communications. She excels in streamlining workflows, optimizing resources, and driving results for diverse industries, including IT, entertainment, and digital marketing. Cari’s project management skills are enriched by over a decade of experience as a freelance Voice Over Artist, where she honed her storytelling and creative abilities. With a passion for collaboration and innovation, she thrives in dynamic environments, delivering impactful solutions and fostering strong client and team relationships.

Stephanie Eason is a bilingual marketing strategist with 16 years of experience in marketing, sales, and public relations for Fortune 500 firms in the sports, entertainment, retail, automotive, non-profit, and tobacco industries. Stephanie’s expertise includes developing and executing consumer strategy, with a big emphasis on experiential marketing and positive relationship cultivation.

Cassi Davis is an experienced Account Manager with a proven record of success in marketing, specializing in experiential activations and end-to-end strategy development. Skilled in both leadership and teamwork, Cassi thrives in collaborative and cross-functional environments. Throughout her career, she has honed her expertise in interpersonal communication, client negotiations, scope of work and budget management, and event planning and execution.

Cassi believes her communication, time-management, and problem-solving abilities will support and drive her clients’ continued organizational success.

Shereda is a seasoned leader who has played a pivotal role in the success of creating and improving workflow in her past experiences.  She is passionate about creating strong professional relationships with her peers and clients to achieve results.  

Shereda holds a double degree in both Communications and PR from Hampton University. She began honing her skills interning for WWD, W Magazine, and Suede Magazine in New York City, then as fashion editor for Juice Magazine and a freelance stylist.  She continued to grow her skillset as Media Negotiator with OMD/BBDO and Advertising and Media Manager at Comcast Spotlight where she supervised all corporate-related content for the Southern division for many years. She eventually went on to start her own holistic management and organizational business, Fresh + Detailed. Her most memorable experiences earned her the trust and business of clients like R&B legend, Whitney Houston, long term clients like pop superstar, Jason Derulo and where she established and managed business for BET, WB, A&E, LG, and more.

John is a hands-on marketing and operations executive with more than 20 years of experience in Strategy, Experiential Marketing, Operations, and Program Management. Having led multiple integrated marketing agencies as an operational leader, he guides and aligns cross-functional teams in the areas of Brand Strategy, Client Services, Digital Marketing, Creative Designs, Video Production, and Operations for client programming across various sectors.

John specializes in leading, developing, and executing complex, strategic programs, and marketing initiatives with a focus on brand growth for businesses of all sizes from startups and Fortune 500 organizations. As a dedicated leader, he is committed to customer-centric strategy and operational excellence.