Lauren Busche

Account Executive

Lauren is a University of Texas Alumni with a passion for advertising. After four years in Washington DC, Lauren made her way back to her hometown of Austin, Texas and couldn’t be happier to join the Third Rail team as an Account Executive.

In her free time you can find Lauren swimming or breaking in her hiking boots, curating a playlist for every occasion or planning an elaborately themed dinner party.

Ally Wheeler

UX Designer

Ally graduated from UT Austin with a BA in Rhetoric and Creative Writing. She started her UX career as a content designer at PayPal where she created strategies, content, and design for their Checkout experience.

Outside of work, you can find Ally exploring coffee shops, seeing live music all over Austin, or playing with her English Bulldog. She also enjoys thrifting and playing pool.

Mark Scholes

Partner + Executive Creative Director

After graduating from the University of Texas, Mark started at The Richards Group working on national accounts including The Home Depot and Chick-fil-A. Moving back to Austin to be with his soon-to-be wife, he started Third Rail Creative building relationships with local clients as well as a few Fortune 500 clients.

Mark and his wife, Anissa, have 4 children, and when he’s not stepping on Legos, you can find him on the tennis court, golf course, or with Anissa at the Paramount Movie Theater watching the classics.

Abbey Dandy

Interactive Designer

We’re excited to welcome Abbey and her passion for web design and typography to our creative team as our new Interactive Designer. Drawing inspiration from contemporary and classic fashion and graphic design, she has always used art to express herself. Outside of designing, you can catch her riding her bike, collaging, and relaxing with family and friends.

Hanna Holt

Jr. Production Designer

Hanna is a graphic designer with a background in fine art and illustration. As a native Austinite, she graduated from Austin Community College and has experience working as a freelance designer for local musicians.

She enjoys trying out new crafts, hobbies, listening to local bands, and hanging out with her cat in her free time.

Dani Broadwater

Jr. Front End Developer

Dani was born and raised in Brazil, where she also received her bachelor's degree in criminal law before moving to the United States. Once in the US, she made a career transition into technology, a field she's been passionate about for more than a decade. She is currently a software engineer focusing on front-end development.

When she's not coding, you can find Dani exploring the city of Austin with her husband and two baby boys or at home cooking Brazilian and Italian food.

Chelsie Hartness

Sr. Copywriter

Chelsie’s 15+ years in the industry have shaped her as a strategic storyteller who loves the magic of bringing ideas to life. She specializes in national/global advertising, comedy, branding and video production.

Outside of 3RC, you’ll find her seeking some sort of adventure, whether that’s playing in the woods, kayaking a river or meeting/petting all the local golden retrievers (yes, that qualifies as an adventure).

Cara Clear

Group Account Director

Cara is a University of Texas at Austin alum with over 7 years of experience in advertising and public relations. She started her career as Publicist at the Frank Erwin Center, then switched gears after 2 years to advertising as an Account Executive at a local agency.

Born and raised in Austin, Cara is a fan of all things Longhorns (Hook 'em!). She also enjoys playing golf, watching movies, going to open houses, board games, and of course, playing with her adorable son, Liam.

JJ Livesley

Head of Design & Interactive

JJ joined Third Rail with over 12 years of experience in the design industry. He supervised a team of 12 designers as Art Director at the largest publishing company in Europe and since moving to Austin, has worked for countless local and national clients.

When he is not in front of his computer, you can usually find him relaxing with his lovely wife and black pug, playing video games or watching movies with a good stout or scotch.

Holden Christiansen

Lead Developer

Holden joined the Third Rail team as Sr. Developer. With more than 7 years dedicated to front end web development, he has a diverse array of experience building mobile apps and websites for Fortune 500 companies including AGCO, Cox Media Group, and Walgreens.

In his spare time, Holden enjoys traveling and being active by biking, running, or hiking. You’ll also find him at home with his husband and two adorable cats.

Mariana Rodriguez

Design Lead

Mariana graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Advertising Design and a minor in Photography. She started her career at a design shop in California where she did everything from print to social media projects. She is an amazing designer and a bright personality to add to the Third Rail team.

Mariana enjoys being active by attending fitness classes and taking long walks with her husband and rescue dog. She likes outdoor activities like hiking, paddle boarding and landscape photography.

Bryan Branam

Partner + Head of Accounts & Strategy

Bryan made his way to Austin from Houston and never looked back. He is a proud University of Texas alum who started his advertising career at GSD&M. After working in media buying and account service on Wal-Mart and AT&T, he shifted his career to focus on the digital space with Third Rail and driving growth for our cornerstone client - Charles Schwab.

Bryan balances work with DIY projects around the house and staying active with his 8-year old son and wife - distance running and cross-training mostly.

Santiago Cubillos

Jr. Interactive Designer

Santiago graduated from the University of Houston with a BFA in Graphic Design. He was born in Colombia and currently based in Austin. For him, design is a way to inspire and leave a lasting impact on the world. Creating thoughtful concepts and generating ideas that provoke feeling are his go-to. He is always up for a challenge and the opportunity to grow.
When he is not designing, you can find him enjoying the outdoors or trying to find the best margarita in town. He also enjoys listening to his record player while expanding his vinyl collection.

Mason Posch

Front End Developer

Mason is a Developer at Third Rail Creative with a background in a variety of agency roles. Mason enjoys the chance to work on projects that use modern technologies and getting to build new user experiences from the ground up. In his spare time, he enjoys playing drums and guitar in as many musical projects as he possibly can, working on DIY projects around the house, and spending time with his wife and 3 pets.

Laurel Martin

Account Executive

Laurel joins the 3RC team as our new Account Coordinator. Hailing from the Windy City, she moved to Austin in search of warmer weather and weekend hikes. After getting her undergraduate degree in Advertising from the University of Oregon, she made her way back to Chicago and spent the beginning of her career as an Account Management Intern. Now, she’s looking forward to finding the best breakfast taco, kayaking on Lady Bird Lake, and getting comfortable saying “y’all” in conversation.

Desiray Davis

Account Executive

Desiray is our Account Service intern in her second year of grad school at the University of Texas at Austin, Stan Richards School of Advertising and PR. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Advertising focusing on Account Planning and Media Insights. When she is not discovering consumer insights, you can find her yelling "Texas! Fight!" at UT football, volleyball, and basketball games. Hook'em!

Marissa Chumbley

Account Supervisor

Marissa has been with the Third Rail team for the last two years on the account management side. She primarily focuses on managing Schwab Trading Services client marketing, Schwab Retail and optionsXpress. After receiving her MA in Advertising, she spent time at a local ad shop honing her digital marketing skills focusing on email, web, and social channels.

In her spare time, Marissa enjoys being outdoors on the trail or at the lake with her husband and two pups, Ava and Max. She loves traveling, concerts and a good cocktail. You’ll also find her cheering throughout the season for the Cowboys, Spurs and her alma mater, the Longhorns.

Kristi Helm

Account Supervisor

With over a decade of experience working on internal marketing teams brand-side, and account management teams agency-side, Kristi is our internal process guru, ensuring things stay on track and follows protocol. And will be the first to call out a typo or extra space on a menu.

Outside the office you’ll find Kristi exploring Austin’s latest restaurants and happy hours, hiking, chasing (or being chased by) her two boys, and crashing on the couch alongside her husband with an Old Fashioned and Cubs game.

Irene Monokandilos

Content Strategist

Irene is a Content Strategist from the publishing and online media worlds. She’s worked with both global and local brands to cultivate growth for companies and superior experiences for consumers. Irene is currently based in Austin, TX, where she lives with her Sterling bass guitar and a collection of leather jackets that would make Billy Idol jealous.

Jill Bailey

Account Executive

Jill's experience is diverse and unique, and she brings humor and hard work to all of her projects. Jill loves process, documentation, and over-communication, making her an asset to the team. Ask her about her expansive knowledge of one of America's favorite fast-food restaurants if you're interested.

After hours, Jill likes to bake, explore Austin, and spend time with her fiancé. She's always ready to watch a movie, especially if you don't mind her running commentary on every scene, actor, and plot.

Gabi Ficano

Jr. Interactive Designer

Gabi is a New York native who studied graphic design at The College of Saint Rose. Upon graduating, she worked with startup companies and local creative agencies in Albany, New York.

Gabi now joins the 3RC team as a UX/UI designer. When she's not creating for clients, you can find Gabi swimming or planning her next hiking adventure.

Harry Manning

Sr. Motion Designer

Joining the Third Rail Creative team as our Senior Motion Designer, Harry is an all-around creative who specializes in video and motion graphics. Originally an East Coast native, he’s living life frame by frame in the sunny mountains of Boulder, Colorado where you’ll find him skiing, playing guitar, and illustrating.

Nguyen Pham

Design Lead

Nguyen is a multi-disciplinary designer with a focus in print design and production. Her experience working with various print and design software enables her to work behind-the-scenes to ensure all files are ready for the next stage.

Outside of the office, Nguyen enjoys finding the best karaoke places to belt out some classics, going to local breweries and shows, and embroidering on a quiet evening.

Madison Mashewske

Account Coordinator

Maddie is an East Coast native who studied Public Relations and Marketing at Radford University in Virginia. Upon graduating she took her creative mind to Austin and worked with a startup company and an engineering firm.
In her free time, you can find Maddie at local record stores, attending concerts, reading the latest romcom book or spending time with her dog, Milo.

Annie Blalock

Account Coordinator

Annie joins the Third Rail Creative team as one of our new Account Coordinators. Born and Raised in Nashville, TN, she moved to Austin, TX from Oxford, MS where she attended The University of Mississippi (Hotty Toddy!) While in Oxford, Annie earned her B.B.A. in Marketing and is currently finishing up her M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications. In her free time, you can find Annie adding to her garden, paddle boarding on Lady Bird, trying out new restaurants, and going on walks with her dog, Bella.

High-voltage creativity with purpose.

Our People

The Agency

Jessica Hooper

Chris Sandoval

Matthew Brunicardi

Lauren Busche

Ally Wheeler

Mark Scholes

Abbey Dandy

Hanna Holt

Dani Broadwater

Chelsie Hartness

Cara Clear

JJ Livesley

Holden Christiansen

Mariana Rodriguez

Bryan Branam

Santiago Cubillos

Mason Posch

Laurel Martin

Desiray Davis

Marissa Chumbley

Kristi Helm

Irene Monokandilos

Jill Bailey

Gabi Ficano

Harry Manning

Nguyen Pham

Madison Mashewske

Annie Blalock

We’re looking to add to our growing team.
Check out our open positions.

High-voltage creativity with purpose.

Our People

The Agency

Jessica Hooper

Chris Sandoval

Matthew Brunicardi

Lauren Busche

Ally Wheeler

Mark Scholes

Abbey Dandy

Hanna Holt

Dani Broadwater

Chelsie Hartness

Cara Clear

JJ Livesley

Holden Christiansen

Mariana Rodriguez

Bryan Branam

Santiago Cubillos

Mason Posch

Laurel Martin

Desiray Davis

Marissa Chumbley

Kristi Helm

Irene Monokandilos

Jill Bailey

Gabi Ficano

Harry Manning

Nguyen Pham

Madison Mashewske

Annie Blalock

We’re looking to add to our growing team. Check out our open positions.

Jessica Hooper

Chris Sandoval

Matthew Brunicardi

Lauren Busche

Ally Wheeler

Mark Scholes

Abbey Dandy

Hanna Holt

Dani Broadwater

Chelsie Hartness

Cara Clear

JJ Livesley

Holden Christiansen

Mariana Rodriguez

Bryan Branam

Santiago Cubillos

Mason Posch

Laurel Martin

Desiray Davis

Marissa Chumbley

Kristi Helm

Irene Monokandilos

Jill Bailey

Gabi Ficano

Harry Manning

Nguyen Pham

Madison Mashewske

Annie Blalock

We’re looking to add to our growing team.
Check out our open positions.