We’re More Than Your Marketing Firm. We Are Your Marketing Partner.
We are a team of creative professionals who have deep experience in the financial services industry.
Our team is aligned on the promise we make to our clients to provide proactive, creative and innovative solutions, bringing each firm’s unique vision to life.
Our experience in the financial services industry and our familiarity with the regulations allow us to build compliant and innovative marketing strategies that help our clients reach their marketing objectives.
We understand how competitive the industry is and what is required to stand out. And we know how to do it. That’s our edge.
What Guides Us
Our key tenets are our light posts, ensuring we remain in alignment with our values as our business, our clients and the industry evolve.
We foster an environment of continuous learning and constantly challenge what we know.
We are transparent with each other and our clients to ensure we’re consistently aligned.
We are respectful of our time and the time we seek from others.
We have a sense of purpose and strive to bring humor and joy to the people we interact with.
We believe by sharing our values, we attract the kind of people who will provide the quality of work and level of service our clients deserve. And on the flip side, attract clients who have respect for the services we provide.
Our Founder: Kristin Steele
In order to produce results and see the ROI benefits of implementing a strategic brand marketing strategy, there has to be a visionary creator at the helm. For the past twenty-two years, Kristin has been leading and implementing brand marketing and business development strategies for financial services companies. Through active listening to understand each client’s unique goals and objectives coupled with detailed analysis, she has successfully spearheaded the creation of brand strategies that increased deal flow, generated strong pipelines of new business opportunities and increased profitability for each organization she worked with.
Kristin began her career in marketing at Tudor Investment Corporation as an Investor Relations Specialist. This position was pivotal in Kristin’s career as it sparked her interest in both marketing and the financial services industry. From there, Kristin assumed increasingly senior roles at investment management firms, services providers to those firms and marketing agencies including Citco Fund Services, HSBC, Global Endowment Management, IKONIC Fund Services and MiddleM Creative.
Creativity, drive and relationships are Kristin’s greatest strengths. She thrives on all kinds of challenges, especially those where her clients see measurable growth as a result of the strategy they implement together. This passion is what prompted Kristin to launch her own strategic marketing firm - LaunchPad Creative. Here, Kristin’s goal is to design creative and measurable marketing and business development strategies to facilitate the successful launch of brands in the financial services industry.
Kristin holds a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University and an MBA from Pace University.
Marketing Operations + CRM Manager
Dakota Brawley
Meet Dakota, our Marketing Operations + CRM Manager. Dakota specializes in HubSpot implementations and optimization, helping financial services and fintech firms build scalable systems that support growth and improve day-to-day operations.
Dakota leads end-to-end CRM execution, from data migration and system implementation to building repeatable processes, sales workflows, and automation and reporting frameworks. She brings a process-driven approach to every engagement, translating complex business needs into streamlined, user-friendly solutions that drive measurable results across client and prospect lifecycles.
Dakota has a bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Communications from Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Marketing Account Manager: Caila Rentz
Meet Caila, our Marketing Account Manager. Caila is driven by a passion for lifecycle marketing and the art of turning performance insights into clear, actionable strategies that deliver results for her clients. She loves blending both audience and creative insights with data-driven decision-making, allowing her to read both the performance data and the narrative behind them. This balanced approach helps her refine testing strategies and continuously optimize campaign performance.
Before joining LPC, she gained extensive experience on both the client side and within large network agencies, leading growth, and paid media teams across B2B and B2C environments with an emphasis on lead generation.
Caila holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Visual Studies from LIM College (NYC).
Marketing Coordinator: Ella Lewis
Meet Ella, our Marketing Coordinator. Ella brings a strong passion for marketing and a creative mindset focused on developing ideas that strengthen brand presence and deepen audience engagement. She thrives on blending strategy with creativity to deliver campaigns that are both engaging and results-driven.
Before joining LPC, Ella built a solid foundation in marketing within the legal industry. In this role, she supported and executed a wide range of initiatives, including content creation, billboard design, sponsorships, social media management, and broader brand visibility efforts. Her hands-on experience across multiple channels has given her a well-rounded skill set in crafting impactful marketing strategies.
Ella has a strength in brand development, with a particular interest in storytelling and audience engagement. She’s known for her attention to detail, collaborative approach, and ability to turn ideas into actionable marketing initiatives.
Ella holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Relations & Marketing from Appalachian State University.
Public Relations Associate: Scott Braswell
Scott is a Public Relations Associate who brings a storyteller’s mindset and a strategist’s discipline to every client engagement. With an award-winning journalism background and deep experience in SaaS marketing, he excels at turning complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives that resonate with the right audiences.
Before joining LaunchPad Creative, Scott built and executed successful PR campaigns across the nonprofit and fintech sectors, consistently driving increased brand visibility and media credibility. His expertise spans campaign execution, media training, and journalist relationship-building, ensuring thoughtful coverage in an ever-evolving media landscape. He has also supported product storytelling and brand growth for emerging SaaS companies, blending journalism, marketing, and PR to deliver smart strategy and seamless execution.
Scott holds a degree in Telecommunication and Film from the University of Alabama and has been an active member of the Public Relations Society of America for more than five years.