Katherine “Kat” Stanek—creative powerhouse, strategic mastermind, and self-proclaimed adventure enthusiast—left behind a legacy of bold ideas, fearless campaigns, and an unwavering commitment to making brands as interesting as she was.

Kat graduated from The University of Alabama in 2025 with a Bachelor’s in Public Relations and again in 2026 with a Master’s in Advertising & Public Relations, concentrating in creative advertising. Though creativity had always been in her DNA, she truly rediscovered it during her junior year, realizing that life without an outlet—whether painting, writing, or crafting something borderline unnecessary—was simply unacceptable.

Shortly after graduation, she escaped the Deep South (humidity and frizz be damned) but wasn’t quite ready to trade in her iced coffee for snow shovels. She started her career in Nashville, TN, joining GS&F as a strategist, though she never could resist dipping her toes into copywriting whenever given the chance. Her knack for understanding both the numbers and the nonsense helped her to bring in major new clients.

However, Kat was never one to stay put for long. With a deep love for adventure and a mild addiction to Scandinavian design, she packed her bags for Stockholm, joining the internationally renowned creative agency B-Reel. There, she worked on campaigns for The North Face, H&M, and Nike, embracing the art of slow living and learning that not every email required an immediate response, which was a shocking revelation for someone so Type A. 

After years of creative globetrotting, Kat finally settled in Denver, CO where the hiking was good, the air was crisp, and the work-life balance wasn’t just a myth. She took on a senior role at an advertising agency, where she left her mark by rebranding major companies, redefining brand personalities, and somehow making corporate strategy sound…fun.

Some of her most iconic work included restructuring the world of online dating through a groundbreaking campaign for Tinder (because, frankly, she had always been skeptical of dating apps anyway) and pushing the limits of creative advertising. She tested boundaries, proving time and again that strategy and creativity were not opposing forces but rather the perfect pair—much like her eventual, happily-ever-after husband, whom she met somewhere along the way (though the timeline was a little blurry).

Beyond her professional endeavours, Kat was an adventurer through and through. Having visited all 50 states by the age of 15, she went on to check off all seven continents, collecting stories, passport stamps, and an impressive number of airline miles. She balanced career success with a life well-lived: traveling often, raising two incredible children, and somehow still finding time to critique ad campaigns in the wild.

Kat Stanek was many things—strategic yet spontaneous, analytical yet imaginative, slightly controlling yet deeply kind. Her impact on the advertising world (and, frankly, anyone who ever sat next to her on a plane) was immeasurable. And though she has moved on, her legacy lives on in the campaigns, brands, and brilliant ideas she left behind.

Rest assured, wherever she is now, she’s probably rebranding it. #Heaven2.0