Daren Bascome is Proverb’s founder and the creative vision behind its unique approach to brand building. Under Daren’s leadership, Proverb has become a sought-after partner for brands seeking to apply design thinking to their businesses, products and communications. A native Bermudian who cut his teeth in exhibit design, Daren set out to create the type of agency that the industry tends to lack—dynamic, international and culturally relevant. Daren’s work has won numerous awards and drawn the attention of international media outlets, including Fortune, Fast Company, The New York Times, and The Boston Globe. He has served in various capacities on the boards of the Museum of Fine Arts, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Youth Design, among others.

Chris Needham is Proverb’s Director of Client Services, resident yoga instructor and the fabric that holds the firm together. With her holistic, hands-on leadership style, Chris has cultivated some of Proverb’s most productive and long-term client relationships. Prior to coming onboard as Managing Partner in 2008, Chris ran her own independent design shop whose work on over sixty accounts was featured in Graphis, Print, and Communication Arts. Since joining Proverb, she has been instrumental in transforming the agency’s operations, landing dozens of high-profile accounts, and helping win the recognition of BostInno’s 50 on Fire, Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing Inner City Businesses, and the IVY Innovator Awards. Chris is a graduate of Boston University, the Austro-American Institute of Vienna, and Parsons School of Design.

JB is our trusted Account Manager, resident Cleveland Indians fan, and office MVP. A devoted account man from Northeast Ohio, he studied business administration at THE Ohio State University. Justin believes that determination and tenacity are the keys to successful client relationships, and he’s honed his people skills at an assortment of agencies. Here at Proverb, Justin manages a diverse range of accounts, including Atrius Health, Bozzuto Management, and Wood Partners. Justin is passionate about sci-fi and fantasy TV, classic rock, and his mom’s butter scotchie cookies. You can often find him shooting billiards with his pool league or dressing to the nines at local comic conventions. And don’t even ask—he’s Marvel over DC, any day.

A seasoned designer with experience in everything from advertising and branding to publishing and product development, Alisa’s philosophy on design is that practice and discipline produce the best work. After studying graphic design at The Massachusetts College of Art, she went on to have a varied design career that culminated in an Art Director role at Nickelodeon. Now at Proverb, Alisa generates endless type studies and uses her sharp eye to passionately lead our design team. Once an intern for Proverb founder Daren Bascome, Alisa is now a teacher herself. When she’s not sharing her expertise with Proverb’s designers or her students at MassArt, she enjoys listening to podcasts, indulging in bougie pizzas, and baking with her daughter.

Shoki is a senior copywriter from Tokyo and Boston. Before discovering that people will pay good money for good ideas, he sold designer boots and custom window blinds in Boston. He’s written advertising, social media, web content, and collateral for clients like the Society of Grownups, McAlister’s Deli, and a bunch of national real estate developers. Shoki studied English at UMass Amherst and advertising at Boston University. He’s a Patriots admirer and a die-hard Herman Melville fanatic. Or maybe it’s the other way around.

As a child, Charlie was published in a how-to-write book for children, but has since graduated to penning airtight strategy decks and building compelling campaigns. An avid reader with an endlessly curious mind, he likes to learn a little bit about everything — historic literature, puns, woodworking — and uses his zeal for knowledge to discover and develop essential brand truths. He got his start in the branding world working on Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but moved to the real estate industry when he realized the tangible impact a compelling narrative can have on the built environment. Charlie drives to classic rock and 90s R+B and writes to the sound of film scores, and loves cooking, boating, and any sport you can do in snow.

Kat knows agency life is for her— translating creativity into tangible results is her superpower. At Proverb, she manages internal projects, owns the proposal process, and keeps our office on track. She loves playing with her dog, Mr. Bingley, whose name is a nod to one of Kat’s favorite books: Pride and Prejudice. In fact, she’s obsessed with anything related to Victorian England. A queen in her own right, she’s unwaveringly positive, incredibly organized, and a super supportive team player.

Lizzy is our bright, focused, and charming project manager, who keeps our accounts running on-schedule and on-brand. Raised outside Washington, DC, Lizzy studied advertising and arts management at Columbia College, before planning events and branded experiences for Agency Off Record and Havas Global Chicago. Outside of work? Not sure where to start. She plays jazz piano, follows IndyCar racing, travels around the world, shovels down what she calls “hot carbs,” and might be actively stalking Diane Keaton. Oh yeah, and she moonlights as an on-screen correspondent for the X Games.

A start-up superhero with a knack for blending art and business, Shannon is a photographer, artist, AND strategist. She graduated from MassArt and completed an artist residency program in Iceland before joining the world of start-ups and non-profits, where she learned that her starving artist skillset is extremely transferrable— from building brands and leading creative teams to finding key insights and advising clients, she skillfully handles any project that comes her way. Here at Proverb, Shannon uses her creative eye to elevate her strategy and exercises solution-oriented thinking to inspire our team. If you want to win her over, strike up a conversation about plant care, cults, sustainable fashion, or Björk.

Hannah is a graphic designer, self-proclaimed coffee snob, and recovering barista whose hand-lettered menu boards and award-winning latte art displayed her keen eye for detail long before she decided to pursue a career in design. After gaining several years of multi-disciplinary studio experience (and even freelancing at Proverb!), Hannah joined our team full-time to put those wicked typography skills to use. A graduate of Oberlin College and MassArt, she believes in the power of design to fuel positive change in the world. When she’s not wrestling bezier curves, Hannah loves biking, rock climbing, and retelling the same funny anecdotes to the same audience.

Ksenia is an adventurous designer who loves creating meaningful experiences. On the hunt for artistic inspiration, she left her hometown in Siberia for a two-week trip to Boston. Eleven years later, she’s still here—and she still finds inspiration everywhere she goes. She graduated from MassArt, where she used graphic design to share her voice without language barriers. Now at Proverb, she brings her infectious energy to each project she touches, thinking up big ideas and designing stunning layouts. On top of that, she’s an excellent bartender* with exceptional taste; her guilty pleasures include the smell of freshly printed bank notes, sea urchin, mezcal, and Tom Ford.

*Ksenia made Dark n’ Stormies during her interview for this bio.

Lauren is a former rude New Yorker who studied advertising at St. John’s University in Queens. Admittedly, she uses copywriting as an excuse to never stop talking – though her loud mouth used to make her an excellent barista, office supply saleswoman, tour guide, and writing consultant. Now, though, Lauren flexes her love of language and ice pick level wit by hammering out content. If you have a few free hours (days) on your hands, ask her about Frank Ocean’s musical artistry or how she possesses all the traits of a stereotypical Scorpio.

Tyler Smith is a graphic designer from Enfield, Connecticut, who builds killer layouts and helps craft cohesive brand systems for Proverb. A music lover eager to get out of his sleepy hometown, Tyler spent his youth following artists across the East Coast. Nowadays, though, he’s only willing to wait in 12-hour-plus-lines to see the almighty Queen Bey. Still, you can usually find him grooving to some new artist no one’s heard of while cranking out flawless visuals. Tyler studied graphic design at Mass Art, and held internships at Stoltze Design and Education First before joining Proverb.

Molly has been developing engaging content for clients for over 20 years. Her clients include corporations (PxC, Boston Stock Exchange), nonprofit organizations (Massachusetts Audubon, Greenrock.org), museums (National Constitution Center, Louisiana State Museum, New England Aquarium), and academic institutions (Boston College). Molly comes from a background in exhibit design and media production, so her focus has always been on marrying words and images to create a memorable experience for the audience. She has developed both web-based and kiosk-based interactives, and understands the importance of clearly organizing information, making it interesting, and crystallizing the key ideas.