Shannon Gabor is the Founder, CCO, and entrepreneurial spirit behind Clever Creative.
With over two decades of experience, Shannon got her start in entertainment promotions for Burger King and 7-Eleven with Equity Marketing. She then went on to work at Mattel on global packaging design and licensing while living in Hong Kong for a year.
Driven by curiosity and a desire to make work that matters, Shannon oversees the new business strategy as well as the direction and growth of Clever Creative, capitalizing on her understanding of what compels a brand to hire an agency and what an agency needs to do to make that brand a success.
Shannon is utilizing her experience and strength as a female entrepreneur to mentor the next generation of creative thinkers through the Step Up Women’s Network and has served on the Advisory Board of Peace First. Currently, she’s serving on the Los Angeles Boards of Directors for AIGA as an advocate of design.
She received her BFA from the University of Southern California where she honed her passion for both sides of the creative coin by majoring in Fine Arts and minoring in Public Relations and Communications. Shannon taught Creative Brainstorming and Concepting at Otis College of Art and Design, sharing her experience and enthusiasm for left-brain versus right-brain thinking.
Emily brings high value experience in design, specifically in digital and identity systems, in addition to print and mobile app design.
Her top-rate creative leadership at Clever make her an effective client liaison as she pushes our team daily to deliver compelling work to each of our clients. Emily’s creative vision behind the camera lens has provided effective photography solutions for a host of our client’s brands. Her brand experience includes time spent in-house as well as at agencies like Steelhouse, and Lunchbox where she worked on global brands such as Kraft Foods, Walmart, Purina, and Johnson & Johnson.
Meredith Godwin-Kresge
Art Director
Meredith creatively leads ideas and designs from concept to execution. With an eye for detail and a blend of creative and technical production skills, Meredith is a communicator and problem solver who collaborates with others to deliver high value creative solutions that meet client objectives. She works closely with the Chief Creative Officer,, project managers as well as cross functional producers to design, create and maintain every client’s visual presence across marketing efforts for their products and services.
Her almost 7-year experience at Clever has supported projects of all scale for Warner Media, Metrolink, City of Pasadena, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Beverly Hilton Hotel and Downtown Glendale Central Library. Prior to Clever, she worked on a variety of CPG brand and civic projects including Pretzel Crisps, Saffron Road, ThinkThin, Kraft and UCLA.
Kristia Gonzales
Graphic Designer
Kristia works directly with the art director in designing and executing a variety of graphic design projects, from concepts to production and post-production, ensuring tight deadlines are met and work is pixel-perfect.
Kristia has contributed to projects for Metrolink, VCA Animal Hospitals, Mattel, Gennev and The Garland Hotel.
Gloria Balboa
Project Manager
Dania Aguayo
Director, Head of Strategy
Dania is a versatile brand strategist driven by curiosity and a passion for uncovering cultural connections that drive consumer behavior.
With rich experience in International, Hispanic, and General Market agencies, she orchestrates collaboration across disciplines for actionable insights. Her passion lies in fostering inclusivity and multidisciplinary thinking. Working with brands like Kaiser Permanente, T-Mobile, Toyota, and Nestlé, Dania’s work has significantly impacted brand narratives and experiences.
Emily Palmer
Group Account Director
Emily Palmer is dedicated to driving impactful results for clients through strategic insight and innovative approaches.
With over two decades of experience, Emily specializes in client management, ensuring excellence in every aspect of our projects. Her leadership inspires teams to consistently deliver high-quality work that exceeds expectations. She’s had the privilege of collaborating with renowned brands like Red Bull, Aetna, and Virgin Galactic, crafting transformational strategies across diverse industries.
Small by Choice,
Human by Design
What if brands were more human?
It’s the question we get to answer for our clients everyday. As an independent female-led agency with over 15 years of experience, we use our expertise to connect real humans to honest brands. We show them warmth, ask what they believe, and actually listen to what they say.
Then we give them everything they need to thrive; from a strong foundation to beautiful assets to extended support. Because, at the end of the day we don’t create brands and send them out into the wild… we bring brands home.
SHANNON GABOR
CCO/Founder
Ana Dixon
Chief Financial Officer
Emily Palmer
Group Account Director
Dania Aguayo
Head of Strategy
Emily Zarnow
Sr. Art Director / Photographer
Bella Betiato
Sr. Art Director
Meredith Godwin-Kresge
Art Director
Corinne Lee
Sr. Strategist
Kristia Gonzales
Graphic Designer
Francis Navarro
Production Designer
Gloria Balboa
Project Manager
Chelsey JOHNSTAD
Project Coordinator
Elba Henriquez
Controller
Stacie Thomas
Human Resources
Golden Rules
Stay Curious
No client archetype means we get to know consumers across verticals. We carry this deep understanding into every project, creating meaningful connections between brands and their audiences.
Dare to be Daring
Go out on a limb. Take a dive, headfirst, and come out stronger, weirder, better for it. Who knows? Your creative courage may rub off on someone else.
Always Kind
What can we say, we were raised with good manners. It’s evident in how we show up for each other and our clients, in the genuine warmth of our work, and built into the walls of our creative cabin. Are you our people?
Clever In Quotes
It’s in our people & our work; frankly we think it’s in the water.
Shannon, CCO/Founder
Clear communication and collaboration is key to our process.
Justine, Director of Operations
I am blown away on a daily basis by the talent of the people on our team.
Meredith, Art Director
Are you Clever?
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