.jpg)
For Katelyn, creativity and community have always gone hand in hand.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Athens, Georgia, she grew up surrounded by music. Her parents had both marched in the University of Georgia’s Redcoat Band and later volunteered with the organization, making UGA home games a regular part of Katelyn’s childhood.
“I pretty much went to every home game from the age of 5 to 25,” she says.
When it was her turn to attend UGA, Katelyn joined the Redcoat Band herself. She credits Athens, with its vibrant music scene, creative energy, and strong sense of community, with shaping the kinds of environments she is still drawn to today.
“It’s a really cool, weird little town,” she says. “That community made a big impression on me creatively.”
That influence initially led Katelyn to study film with a focus on screenwriting and writing for digital media. After graduating, she worked on several productions and enjoyed the experience, but she eventually realized she wanted something that offered a little more consistency.
“What you want when you’re 18 shifts when you’re 25,” she jokes.
While working at a post-production house in Atlanta, Katelyn connected with the company’s marketing director and began teaching herself the fundamentals of marketing. She used that experience to move into creative services roles across several organizations, discovering along the way that marketing gave her a new way to use the skills she had been developing all along.
It may not have been the path she originally imagined, but it gave her exactly what she was looking for: the ability to be creative while doing work that helps people.
“If I can be creative and help people, I’m happy,” she says.
Nearly five years ago, Katelyn’s path took another unexpected turn when Blend found her.
Catherine Gibson discovered Katelyn’s portfolio on LinkedIn and reached out about a marketing opportunity. After connecting with Catherine and meeting her future supervisor, Katelyn immediately felt like the people and the role were a good fit.
She joined Blend as a Marketing Specialist supporting Citi, initially working with one client before expanding her responsibilities to include another client portfolio. Today, Katelyn helps guide creative materials through legal review, identify potential concerns early, and translate complex feedback into clear direction that clients can easily understand and apply.
The role has challenged her to think about creativity in a completely different way.
“I found the challenge of realizing we can’t just say whatever we want really interesting,” she says. “Learning how you can market something while working within the legal requirements has been fascinating.”
That combination of creativity, communication, and problem solving came together during one of Katelyn’s proudest recent projects. When a client updated its rewards benefits program, the change required a complete overhaul and legal review of its creative materials.
With older assets resurfacing, quick timelines, and plenty of coordination between teams, the project quickly became a major undertaking. Through it all, Katelyn remained focused on the people who would ultimately experience the result.
Because many of the client’s customers come from rural and agricultural communities like the one she grew up in, Katelyn feels a personal connection to the work. She is intentional about helping create marketing that is engaging, clear, and transparent so customers can easily understand the benefits available to them.
The campaign launched successfully and introduced new benefits for customers and card members. For Katelyn, the most rewarding part was knowing that the work was designed to create a better experience for the consumer.
“It was cool to work on something that I could tell was being built for their benefit,” she says.
Before joining Blend, Katelyn had worked with several consulting firms. From the beginning, her experience with Blend felt noticeably different.
Consulting has given Katelyn the flexibility to support different clients, take on new responsibilities, and continue building valuable experience without being limited to one narrowly defined role.
“I’m not always doing the same thing,” she says. “There’s not just one thing I can do.”
That flexibility has been matched by a consistent sense of support. Katelyn credits Catherine’s regular check-ins, positive energy, and willingness to help her navigate challenges with creating a genuine level of trust.
Their conversations may begin with work and end with travel, but they always leave Katelyn feeling like she has someone firmly in her corner.
“I feel really supported,” she says. “The flexibility, consistency, and stability Blend provides have been a big plus for me.”
That support has given Katelyn the confidence to continue growing in her role, taking on new challenges, and finding new ways to add value to the clients and teams she supports.
Katelyn’s passion for creativity and community does not end when the workday does.
While living in Atlanta, she met her partner, Thomas, who shared a longtime dream of opening a craft brewery with a friend. His drive and ambition inspired her, and in 2020, they moved to Pensacola, Florida, to help bring that dream to life.
Then, almost immediately, the world shut down.
Despite the unexpected timing, they kept moving forward. The team raised much of the funding themselves, built much of the space with their own hands, and opened Alga Beer Co., a name inspired by Alabama and Georgia, where Thomas and his co-owner are from.
The brewery recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and was recognized locally as Best Neighborhood Brewery. But for Katelyn, its greatest accomplishment is the community that has formed around it.
“We try really hard to be a third space where the community can come, hang out, and spend the entire day,” she says.
With food, non-alcoholic options, events, and plenty of room to gather, Alga has become more than a brewery. It is a welcoming place where people can connect, spend time together, and feel like they belong.
It has also become an important creative outlet for Katelyn. Whether she is lending an extra hand, finding ways to make the space better, or simply enjoying the community that has grown around it, the brewery brings together many of the things she values most.
When asked who inspires her, Katelyn’s first answer might be unexpected: Steve Irwin.
As a child, she was drawn to his enthusiasm, passion for conservation, and genuine kindness. His influence did occasionally lead her into the backyard looking for snakes.
“He made a huge impression on me,” she says. “I think about how I can be a strong, passionate, kind person.”
Her family has been an equally important source of inspiration. Katelyn comes from blue collar and farming families that worked hard to create new opportunities for each generation. Some of her grandparents grew up without electricity or running water, and her mother was the first person in her family to attend college. Katelyn and her sister later followed, earning degrees and building careers of their own.
That history helps Katelyn keep moments of self-doubt in perspective.
“When I start thinking I’m not doing enough, I look at what my family and community have accomplished in just a few generations,” she says.
Their example taught her not to be afraid of admitting when she does not know something. It also taught her to be willing to learn, get uncomfortable, and take the next step.
It is a mindset she carries into every part of her life.
Outside of work and the brewery, Katelyn stays active through powerlifting, hiking, and anything else that gets her moving. She loves attending local shows, spending time with friends and her dog, Seymour, and has recently started teaching herself how to draw.
“I’m a very kinetic person,” she says. “Even if I’m not doing something well, if I’m moving, I’m having a good time.”
From film and marketing to consulting and helping build a neighborhood brewery, Katelyn’s journey has never followed one perfectly straight path. But every chapter has been connected by the same sense of curiosity and desire to help people.
For Katelyn, success is not about having one lifelong dream or knowing exactly what comes next. It is about continuing to learn, finding meaningful ways to contribute, and creating space for community wherever she goes.
For Katelyn, creativity and community have always gone hand in hand.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Athens, Georgia, she grew up surrounded by music. Her parents had both marched in the University of Georgia’s Redcoat Band and later volunteered with the organization, making UGA home games a regular part of Katelyn’s childhood.
“I pretty much went to every home game from the age of 5 to 25,” she says.
When it was her turn to attend UGA, Katelyn joined the Redcoat Band herself. She credits Athens, with its vibrant music scene, creative energy, and strong sense of community, with shaping the kinds of environments she is still drawn to today.
“It’s a really cool, weird little town,” she says. “That community made a big impression on me creatively.”
That influence initially led Katelyn to study film with a focus on screenwriting and writing for digital media. After graduating, she worked on several productions and enjoyed the experience, but she eventually realized she wanted something that offered a little more consistency.
“What you want when you’re 18 shifts when you’re 25,” she jokes.
While working at a post-production house in Atlanta, Katelyn connected with the company’s marketing director and began teaching herself the fundamentals of marketing. She used that experience to move into creative services roles across several organizations, discovering along the way that marketing gave her a new way to use the skills she had been developing all along.
It may not have been the path she originally imagined, but it gave her exactly what she was looking for: the ability to be creative while doing work that helps people.
“If I can be creative and help people, I’m happy,” she says.
Nearly five years ago, Katelyn’s path took another unexpected turn when Blend found her.
Catherine Gibson discovered Katelyn’s portfolio on LinkedIn and reached out about a marketing opportunity. After connecting with Catherine and meeting her future supervisor, Katelyn immediately felt like the people and the role were a good fit.
She joined Blend as a Marketing Specialist supporting Citi, initially working with one client before expanding her responsibilities to include another client portfolio. Today, Katelyn helps guide creative materials through legal review, identify potential concerns early, and translate complex feedback into clear direction that clients can easily understand and apply.
The role has challenged her to think about creativity in a completely different way.
“I found the challenge of realizing we can’t just say whatever we want really interesting,” she says. “Learning how you can market something while working within the legal requirements has been fascinating.”
That combination of creativity, communication, and problem solving came together during one of Katelyn’s proudest recent projects. When a client updated its rewards benefits program, the change required a complete overhaul and legal review of its creative materials.
With older assets resurfacing, quick timelines, and plenty of coordination between teams, the project quickly became a major undertaking. Through it all, Katelyn remained focused on the people who would ultimately experience the result.
Because many of the client’s customers come from rural and agricultural communities like the one she grew up in, Katelyn feels a personal connection to the work. She is intentional about helping create marketing that is engaging, clear, and transparent so customers can easily understand the benefits available to them.
The campaign launched successfully and introduced new benefits for customers and card members. For Katelyn, the most rewarding part was knowing that the work was designed to create a better experience for the consumer.
“It was cool to work on something that I could tell was being built for their benefit,” she says.
Before joining Blend, Katelyn had worked with several consulting firms. From the beginning, her experience with Blend felt noticeably different.
Consulting has given Katelyn the flexibility to support different clients, take on new responsibilities, and continue building valuable experience without being limited to one narrowly defined role.
“I’m not always doing the same thing,” she says. “There’s not just one thing I can do.”
That flexibility has been matched by a consistent sense of support. Katelyn credits Catherine’s regular check-ins, positive energy, and willingness to help her navigate challenges with creating a genuine level of trust.
Their conversations may begin with work and end with travel, but they always leave Katelyn feeling like she has someone firmly in her corner.
“I feel really supported,” she says. “The flexibility, consistency, and stability Blend provides have been a big plus for me.”
That support has given Katelyn the confidence to continue growing in her role, taking on new challenges, and finding new ways to add value to the clients and teams she supports.
Katelyn’s passion for creativity and community does not end when the workday does.
While living in Atlanta, she met her partner, Thomas, who shared a longtime dream of opening a craft brewery with a friend. His drive and ambition inspired her, and in 2020, they moved to Pensacola, Florida, to help bring that dream to life.
Then, almost immediately, the world shut down.
Despite the unexpected timing, they kept moving forward. The team raised much of the funding themselves, built much of the space with their own hands, and opened Alga Beer Co., a name inspired by Alabama and Georgia, where Thomas and his co-owner are from.
The brewery recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and was recognized locally as Best Neighborhood Brewery. But for Katelyn, its greatest accomplishment is the community that has formed around it.
“We try really hard to be a third space where the community can come, hang out, and spend the entire day,” she says.
With food, non-alcoholic options, events, and plenty of room to gather, Alga has become more than a brewery. It is a welcoming place where people can connect, spend time together, and feel like they belong.
It has also become an important creative outlet for Katelyn. Whether she is lending an extra hand, finding ways to make the space better, or simply enjoying the community that has grown around it, the brewery brings together many of the things she values most.
When asked who inspires her, Katelyn’s first answer might be unexpected: Steve Irwin.
As a child, she was drawn to his enthusiasm, passion for conservation, and genuine kindness. His influence did occasionally lead her into the backyard looking for snakes.
“He made a huge impression on me,” she says. “I think about how I can be a strong, passionate, kind person.”
Her family has been an equally important source of inspiration. Katelyn comes from blue collar and farming families that worked hard to create new opportunities for each generation. Some of her grandparents grew up without electricity or running water, and her mother was the first person in her family to attend college. Katelyn and her sister later followed, earning degrees and building careers of their own.
That history helps Katelyn keep moments of self-doubt in perspective.
“When I start thinking I’m not doing enough, I look at what my family and community have accomplished in just a few generations,” she says.
Their example taught her not to be afraid of admitting when she does not know something. It also taught her to be willing to learn, get uncomfortable, and take the next step.
It is a mindset she carries into every part of her life.
Outside of work and the brewery, Katelyn stays active through powerlifting, hiking, and anything else that gets her moving. She loves attending local shows, spending time with friends and her dog, Seymour, and has recently started teaching herself how to draw.
“I’m a very kinetic person,” she says. “Even if I’m not doing something well, if I’m moving, I’m having a good time.”
From film and marketing to consulting and helping build a neighborhood brewery, Katelyn’s journey has never followed one perfectly straight path. But every chapter has been connected by the same sense of curiosity and desire to help people.
For Katelyn, success is not about having one lifelong dream or knowing exactly what comes next. It is about continuing to learn, finding meaningful ways to contribute, and creating space for community wherever she goes.
