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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Matthew Brunicardi

Account Coordinator

Matthew is a Texas native and University of Texas alumnus joining Third Rail Creative as an Account Coordinator. After spending several years working in the corporate sector for luxury fashion brands, including Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors in New York City, he returned to his home state to attend grad school. He received his M.A. in Advertising and Public Relations.

In his free time, you can find Matthew traveling the world or planning his next adventure abroad. He also enjoys playing video games, attending music festivals, cheering on the Texas Longhorns and Austin FC, and cuddling with his dog, Tina, and two cats, Momo and Aslan.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Marissa Chumbley

Sr. Account Executive

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.

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.

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.

John Lee

Account Executive

John is the latest account coordinator to join the Third Rail Creative team. As a native Texan, he graduated with a marketing degree from Texas State University and interned at various agencies in Austin. Home must really be where the heart is, because he decided that he wasn’t ready to let go of his Austinite title. When he’s not working, you’ll find him sewing clothes, catching some live music shows or chomping on some local bites.

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.

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.

Jessica Hooper

Jr. Copywriter

Jess is a writer, storyteller, and creative wordsmith with nearly a decade of experience in marketing. She has a unique perspective gained from diverse backgrounds, including welding, fashion, hospitality, and advertising.

When she's not writing copy for clients, she's crafting non-fiction blogs and memoirs. Outside of the office, you can catch her riding her bicycle through the city and searching for the next winery with friends.

High-voltage creativity with purpose.

Our People

The Agency

Chris Sandoval

Mason Posch

Mariana Rodriguez

Bryan Branam

Ally Wheeler

Madison Mashewske

Mark Scholes

Lauren Busche

Jill Bailey

Santiago Cubillos

Laurel Martin

Annie Blalock

Matthew Brunicardi

Kristi Helm

Nguyen Pham

JJ Livesley

Harry Manning

Hanna Holt

Gabi Ficano

Desiray Davis

Holden Christiansen

Marissa Chumbley

Irene Monokandilos

Abbey Dandy

John Lee

Cara Clear

Dani Broadwater

Jessica Hooper

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

High-voltage creativity with purpose.

Our People

The Agency

Chris Sandoval

Mason Posch

Mariana Rodriguez

Bryan Branam

Ally Wheeler

Madison Mashewske

Mark Scholes

Lauren Busche

Jill Bailey

Santiago Cubillos

Laurel Martin

Annie Blalock

Matthew Brunicardi

Kristi Helm

Nguyen Pham

JJ Livesley

Harry Manning

Hanna Holt

Gabi Ficano

Desiray Davis

Holden Christiansen

Marissa Chumbley

Irene Monokandilos

Abbey Dandy

John Lee

Cara Clear

Dani Broadwater

Jessica Hooper

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

Chris Sandoval

Mason Posch

Mariana Rodriguez

Bryan Branam

Ally Wheeler

Madison Mashewske

Mark Scholes

Lauren Busche

Jill Bailey

Santiago Cubillos

Laurel Martin

Annie Blalock

Matthew Brunicardi

Kristi Helm

Nguyen Pham

JJ Livesley

Harry Manning

Hanna Holt

Gabi Ficano

Desiray Davis

Holden Christiansen

Marissa Chumbley

Irene Monokandilos

Abbey Dandy

John Lee

Cara Clear

Dani Broadwater

Jessica Hooper

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