DO NOT JUDGE ME BY MY SUCCESS, JUDGE ME BY HOW MANY TIMES I FELL DOWN AND GOT BACK UP AGAIN. 

— Nelson Mandela

WHO WE ARE

Still I Rise is a husband and wife team living in the East Bay of California. We’re a couple of creative directors, experience experts, art teachers, creativity coaches, and struggling parents working globally to celebrate resiliency and instill a sense of connection in the world. As parents of two young children, we are inspired to build a better world within which they can thrive and create a life they love. We believe raising them to be strong, empathetic, joyful, independent thinkers, and kind world citizens is our greatest act of love and we encourage them to find their voices even when it’s messy. Each of us was once that little kid with big dreams and a lot to say. We are holding space for you to get back to that and find your courage, reclaim your voice, see your worth, and live out loud. When you rise, we all rise. 

KRISTI

Kristi is a strategic thinker with a creative edge. She loves big picture thinking as much as dwelling in the details. How else can a story fully thrive? As a long-time creative director with a vast knowledge in developing experiences and brands that move and transform people, her primary interests are creativity coaching, branding and positioning, copywriting and content development, storytelling, creating environments, events and interiors and helping people find their inner creative… even if they swear they don’t have one. Kristi believes that our future hinges on the power of empathy and connection and strives to create compelling products and experiences large and small that strike a chord, resonate deeply and serve others in a profound way.

Prior to launching her own consultancy in NY and the East Bay, she was the Creative Director at the international architecture firm The Rockwell Group, heading up their branding arm in Studio Red. She led a talented and close knit team at the innovation think-tank and worked closely with companies such as Coca-cola, CoverGirl, Nobu, many Las Vegas Casinos and Imagination Playground. Her work there added a level of sophistication and connection that helped ground each of these in their unique story and core values.

Prior to that, Kristi was an Art Director at Landor NY where she led an interdisciplinary team of writers, designers and researchers on a wide array of projects. She worked with companies such as Diageo, Proctor and Gamble, Embraer and Gatorade to differentiate, innovate and drive compelling stories while winning hearts and minds time and time again.

Originally from Kansas, Kristi has spent most of her adult life on the East Coast. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and lived in Brooklyn, NY for many years. She and her family recently moved to California where she is expanding her network and helping organizations, schools, and businesses rediscover the importance of play, reconnect to creativity, reclaim joy, collaborate, think strategically, and expand their reach in this confusing climate. She loves the maker movement and spends countless hours being inspired by her children to co-create amazing new contraptions, jewelry and art… some of which have become RiotGear products!!  

RAVI

Ravi loves the emotionally charged problem of building highly differentiated brands based in the art of storytelling. Strong relatable narratives are what connect people and for brands they are what will ultimately win hearts and minds. 

Ravi is currently the Chief Experience Officer at Lyric™. In this role, he oversees a cross functional team of writers, designers and architects building the next experience-rich hospitality company.

Before moving to San Francisco from New York, Ravi was the VP of Brand and. Design for the Global Brand Design Group at Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Ravi and his team oversaw the positioning as well as the visual and verbal language of Starwood's ten distinct lifestyle brands. Over the course of his 20-year career, Ravi has worked with a wide range of clients spanning the fashion, tech, hospitality, retail, music and electronics industries including Cole Haan, HMS Host, IAC Interactive Corp, IMO, Polaroid, Puma, Salomon Sports, Shure, Virgin and Web.com.

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Ravi holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA and a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Yale University in New Haven, CT. He is currently based in San Francisco.