2023 finalists
Freelancer of the Year Finalists
Lakecia Hammond
Lakecia has broken the boundaries of copywriting, as she plays a valuable role in branding, conceptualizing, storyboarding, and leading copy for events, installations, commercials, and much more. Her clients come back time and again for her ability to bring them bold ideas that set them apart. Lakecia’s portfolio showcases the heart behind the words people see, and she deserves to be honored for her creative passion—one that she’s consistently nurtured from the start of her career.
Rebekah Grmela
Rebekah’s work through her mission-driven organization, Right + Good Consulting, exemplifies the essence of freelancing excellence. She consistently demonstrates a unique blend of skills, dedication, and creativity that has not only propelled her own career but has also significantly benefited her organization. Rebekah’s work ethic is unparalleled and her commitment to excellence sets a benchmark for the freelance community. Her positive attitude and willingness to share knowledge with others makes her a valuable mentor and role model. She actively contributes to the growth and development of the freelance industry!
Survivor Award Finalist
Prissly Mena
Three years ago, Prissly was living paycheck to paycheck and had to embark on a journey marked by grit and unwavering determination, all in the pursuit of a brighter future for her Autistic daughter and her family. Prissly dove headfirst into the intricacies of B2B marketing, soaking up every morsel of knowledge as she tirelessly refined her skills during late nights and early mornings. She became an unstoppable force, swinging open doors that she had thought were immovable and leading her to start her now-thriving business. Prissly’s daughter’s resilience and unique perspective has remained her guiding star as she continues to build a life teeming with opportunity, understanding, and unwavering support for her family. Her story isn’t just one of survival—it’s a testament to the boundless potential of the human spirit.
Jen Brevick
After a successful 12 years at a Fortune 500 company, Jen took a leap into a new role in a different industry. She brought her A game, creating a strategic plan, changing processes, hiring new associates, and building team morale—but she knew it wasn’t right for her. She couldn’t shake the sense of failure no matter how many hours she worked. She got a wake-up call when her daughter told her that she “seemed sad all the time” and eventually resigned. Thanks to her great network of friends and mentors (and some therapy thrown in), Jen was reminded that she had plenty to offer. In May 2023, she launched her own business, 2 Rye Consulting, officially turning the negative situation into a positive. “Life’s too short to stay in a position that isn’t a good fit. It was painful, but I rediscovered my own value.”
Liberation Award Finalists
Heather Wilson
In a world that often glorifies hustle and the pursuit of high-paying careers, Heather felt trapped. Days blurred into one another as she dedicated endless hours to a job that delivered financial success but left her spiritually bankrupt. In a declaration of self-worth, Heather left behind the lucrative, high-paying job that had her constantly racing against the clock. She took time off to reflect, heal, and rediscover the joy of living and working on her own terms. During this hiatus, Heather poured her heart into creating a small business that aligned with her values and resonated with her true self. As she nurtured herself, her business grew, proving success can be built on a foundation of well-being and authenticity, a realization that has brought her true liberation.
Corean Canty
When 20+ years of corporate life led to corporate burnout, Corean knew it was time to make a change. She took her learnings and started her own business, The Life Is Project, “to help human-centered organizations shift from a burnout culture to a thriving culture.” She is now thriving herself, as she checks things off her bucket list like doing a TEDx talk on the importance of play for adults. Corean is a career coach, speaker, and consultant and has liberated herself from the 9-to-5. As she declares on LinkedIn, “[her] focus during this season is helping others liberate their lives so they can live fully, lead with impact and build businesses where everyone can thrive.”
Renaissance Award Finalists
Travis Scott
Travis recognizes that life is wide and wonderful, and people shouldn’t be so quick to put themselves in a box. Everything about him is eclectic, from his education (environmental studies to an MBA to maybe law school) to his work experience (from sales to recruitment to consulting), as well as his volunteerism (from Team Jack to The Union) and even his hobbies (master gardening and sports). Travis loves the human element and psychology of marketing, and he enjoys offering workshops so that his clients can grow and better support themselves—even if that means outgrowing his services. In a true Renaissance Man spirit, Travis has also written a book about Recruitment Marketing, fought for democracy, organized local marketer meetups, and hosted a career coaching podcast called The Winding Road.
Meg Burrell
Meg has a deep belief that the future of marketing will be free of silos; that there simply isn’t room for binary thinking or doing. As the definition of “Renaissance” states, Meg has made it her mission to gain proficiencies in the wide range of specialties in the MarComm world, from her beginnings in design school to working her way across agency verticals, where she now leads strategy teams. The word “multi-hyphenate” gets tossed around a lot in the marketing zeitgeist now, but that’s where Meg’s strengths lie—as a dot connector in ways that are completely new. Solving problems in new ways. Creating sense and structure and delivering results when ecosystems have fallen into chaos, which is exactly what a modern Renaissance marketer embodies.
Dynamic Duo Finalists
Vanessa Louis-Woolley + Allie Robino
Allie is a comms strategist with experience in audience development, go-to-market, and media planning. She has deep brand strategy knowledge and an impressive book of success with high-profile clients as the founder of Allie Robino Communications in Austin, TX. Vanessa is on the brand/creative strategy side of things, having worked at some of the most notable agencies and as a creative driver for highly visible brands before founding her consulting organization, STAND, in her city of Denver, Co. Together, they collaborate across state lines for the benefit of campaigns nationwide—to function as the right and left brains working together in synchronized motion with a proven history of producing both creative AND data-driven results. “Combined, we are most definitely the most magical of all unicorns,” says the spirited duo.
Barika Phillips Bell + Altimese Curry
Barika and Altimese first connected through projects at We Are Rosie. It didn’t take long for them to cultivate a beautiful friendship despite living on opposite sides of the country. From day one of their first project together, each recognized how knowledgeable the other was and knew she had found a capable partner to learn from. Since then, they’ve continued to team up on important projects, pass along business referrals, and even share mom advice, as they both have young daughters. Barika and Altimese are always uplifting each other and trading insights, and are grateful to have been introduced through their work. The two are a force to reckoned with and are a dynamic duo in every sense of the word.
Greater Good Award Finalists
Kaelyn Banks
Giving back is just part of who Kaelyn is—thanks to her mom, who taught her from a young age that small gestures of kindness really do make a difference. As a college student, Kaelyn volunteered with many local organizations on and off campus, including the Boys and Girls Clubs. Now as a young professional, she’s still stretching that humanitarian arm. Kaelyn sits on the board of the Washington, DC chapter of the American Marketing Association, volunteers with the Tigerlily Foundation, and offers her services to small businesses and entrepreneurs through the Greater Washington Urban League, which works to strengthen the economic and political power of the region’s Black population. Kaelyn is determined to continue to combine her love of marketing with her desire to give back by supporting nonprofits that serve historically marginalized and unprivileged communities.
Sara Bristoll
When Sara leapt into the freelance lifestyle several years ago, her goal was to spend more time with her children. Her flexible career also made it possible for her to give back to her community as a member of the PTO at her eldest child’s school. Although PTOs can get a bad rap, Sara says that most of these nonprofits are working hard to support their students and staff. In her case, it’s a Title I (high poverty) school in a state where education funding isn’t great. Since joining the PTO last year, Sara has leveraged her marketing know-how and helped them streamline communications with a branded newsletter, social media, flyers, and more. Her work has inspired more donations and greater participation from parent volunteers.
2023 The Rosie Awards Voting
Voting for Rosie Awards 2023 is now closed!