Nick Brunker
Cincinnati Office Lead
VML

Nick Brunker is the lead of VML Cincinnati, where he is responsible for driving the growth and vitality of the agency, expanding its client portfolio, and overseeing the local operation. A Forrester customer experience (CX)-certified professional, Nick has over a decade of discipline in human-centered experience strategy, insight-based digital transformation, ecommerce, and omnichannel planning. As a leader in VML’s CX practice, he collaborates with senior leaders to drive strategic alignment and architect measurement frameworks that achieve customer and business objectives. Throughout his tenure, he has partnered with Fortune 500 clients across numerous sectors, including Ford Motor Company, Google, General Mills, Kimberly-Clark, and Conagra. Nick actively expands the agency’s industry footprint through thought leadership and IP development, including the launch of VML’s first customer experience podcast, “Human Centered” – with listeners in more than 80 countries around the globe. His contributions have been recognized numerous times, most notably being named to the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2023. He has also received multiple Cincinnati PRSA Blacksmith Awards. He resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife, Abbey, and their three children, Nolan, Emma, and Ainsley. Connect with Nick on LinkedIn.

Katie Kinnemeyer
Founder
White Paw Ventures

Katie Kinnemeyer bridges two worlds: the strategic rigor of corporate innovation consulting and the relational depth of community building, helping both Fortune 500 teams and program founders unlock every participant’s capacity for creative contribution. Katie developed her expertise facilitating cross-functional innovation workshops for Dell Technologies, Procter & Gamble, and DC Water Authority before applying these insights to help founders create new programs and membership experiences to scale their impact. As founder of White Paw Ventures, Katie designed her signature Relational Journey Design methodology by identifying universal patterns in how people connect and engage, regardless of context. Her designs have achieved remarkable results: virtual cohorts with 100% engagement and completion rates, program design adding $700,000 in projected revenue, and corporate workshops where teams breakthrough complex problems cooperatively. Her methodology gives organizations a powerful framework with one simple goal: leveraging group dynamics to achieve powerful impact—whether advancing business objectives, sparking individual transformation, or building community momentum. Connect with Katie on LinkedIn.

Bethany Smith
Director of Communications & Creative Services
SWCA Environmental Consultants

Bethany Smith is the Director of Communications and Creative Services at SWCA Environmental Consultants. Leading SWCA’s efforts to further the company’s brand and position in the industry, she manages companywide marketing communications and branding efforts by overseeing SWCA’s teams focused on internal and external communication, branding, and graphic design. Her past experience includes Energy Systems Group, Messer Construction Company, Turner Construction, and Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. Bethany excels at building and growing a high-functioning marketing team based on strong outcomes and profitability, using her superpowers of building a great team and giving them what they need to succeed. She is active in the Greater Cincinnati community, supporting growth through my involvement in both industry and non-profit organizations. Bethany graduated with a BSJ in Advertising and Marketing from Ohio University, and is a Fellow of the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Connect with Bethany on LinkedIn.