Chicago, IL — Open to opportunities

Hi, I'm
Alexa.

Creative Director•Brand & Marketing•Animation

I build experiences that people remember! From bringing brand mascots to life and creating original characters, to leading creative direction for names like Coca-Cola, DFW, and CBS. My background is in 3D animation, so I sweat the details of how something feels and moves, not just how it looks on a slide. Give me a tight deadline and a tricky brief, and I'll find a way to make it work without losing the craft!

Worked With Coca-ColaDFWCBSSHARP LiteracyCodeBaby

Selected Work

11 Projects
Jankie revealed live on stage to the CBS Big Brother Season 26 cast
Jankie hologram character close-upJankie
Ainsley avatar character close-upAinsley
Live Broadcast

Jankie & Ainsley for CBS Big Brother S26

Client: CBS · via CodeBaby Inc.

Two original animated characters, designed and delivered for live national broadcast. I partnered directly with CBS producers from concept through air, developing these original characters built to hold up under real-time rendering on a live reality TV show, no second takes. Both characters launched successfully across Season 26's live broadcasts, revealed on-stage to the full cast. Jankie became a character especially beloved by fans.

Watch Jankie ▸ View Ainsley Reel ▸
Jenn Z avatar live on screen at a Coca-Cola trade show booth
Brand x Real-Time 3D

Jenn Z for Coca-Cola

Client: Coca-Cola · via CodeBaby Inc.

A Gen Z-focused avatar and scene built for Coca-Cola's trade show environments, blending brand storytelling with live, real-time 3D. I directed the character's brand and creative identity end to end, drawing on firsthand Gen Z cultural insight to keep the read credible rather than generic "youth marketing."

View Project ▸
William Shatner interacting with the Protobot AI avatar
AI x Broadcast

Protobot × William Shatner

Client: CodeBaby Inc.

An AI-powered avatar interview experience built to pair emerging AI technology with genuinely watchable storytelling, rather than a novelty tech demo. I led creative development of Protobot's motion and lip sync design along with assisting in the interaction design opposite William Shatner, balancing the format's novelty against pacing, personality, and visual polish.

Watch Now ▸
DFW Airport wayfinding avatar on an interactive kiosk
Wayfinding

DFW Wayfinding Avatar

Client: via CodeBaby Inc.

An avatar designed to guide airport guests through complex terminals in real time using our original flagship character designed by myself, and with a custom UX/UI design focused on clarity, approachability and accessability.

View Project ▸
Navi avatar on screen at Milwaukee Summerfest
Modeled · Rigged · Animated

Navi for Milwaukee Summerfest

Client: via CodeBaby Inc.

An original avatar I modeled, rigged, and animated end to end for Summerfest's expo floor, with hands-on 3D production work, not just creative direction from a distance. Navi greeted and guided festival guests live, holding up across a full expo day of real, unscripted interaction.

View Project ▸
SHARP Literacy learning portal teaching kids to code with AI avatars
Education

SHARP Literacy Learning with Avatars

Client: SHARP Literacy · via CodeBaby Inc.

Kids apart of the SHARP Literacy program had access to our portal to work on learning coding and AI fundamentals in a way that's genuinely fun to sit through, not just technically sound. Creative direction here meant adding some additional kid-friendly avatars to our usually business-focused portal to make the expereince more exciting.

Watch the Video ▸
CodeBaby avatar character selection library interface
System & Library

CodeBaby Avatar Library

Client: CodeBaby Inc.

Ongoing management and evolution of CodeBaby's avatar library and brand system across a global client portfolio.

Web app design mockups in Figma
Product Design

Web App Design

Original design work

Original web app design work built out in Figma, covering interface and interaction design for a product-facing avatar platform.

See the Prototype ▸
CodeBaby website redesign, full page layout
Product Design

Webpage Design

Original design work

Full website redesign for CodeBaby, built from information architecture through final visual design — restructuring the brand's site to modernize its visual identity across every touchpoint.

View Full Case Study (PDF) ▸
Babylon.js podcast recording feature
Speaking

Babylon.js Podcast Feature

Featured Guest

Invited guest on the official Babylon.js podcast, discussing real-time rendering and avatar innovation from a creative direction perspective.

Watch Now ▸
CodeBaby onboarding tutorial video thumbnail
Video Editing

New Account Onboarding Tutorial

Client: CodeBaby Inc.

A walkthrough video guiding new users through setting up a CodeBaby account, shot, recorded, and edited start to finish by me in Premiere Pro. Scripting the pacing, cutting for clarity, and making a setup flow feel approachable instead of like a manual.

Watch on Vimeo ▸

Marketing & Print

Brand Collateral

Before real-time avatars, I was designing the everyday materials that carry a brand; social content, print ads, and marketing collateral built in Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop.

Klopas-Stratton Real Estate open house brochure
Print Design

Open House Brochure

Client: Klopas Stratton Real Estate

Branded print brochure designed in Illustrator and InDesign for luxury open house events, part of a full suite of client-facing marketing materials.

View PDF ▸
Klopas-Stratton Real Estate social media post
Social Content

Social Media Campaigns

Client: Klopas Stratton Real Estate

Brand-consistent social content and reels created to promote listings and open houses across platforms, built for engagement and quick turnaround.

Reel 1 ▸ Reel 2 ▸ Post ▸
CodeBaby print ad in BizTimes Giving Guide
Print Ad

BizTimes "Giving Guide" Ad

Client: CodeBaby Inc.

A print ad spot designed for BizTimes' "Giving Guide" feature, translating CodeBaby's brand into a single-page print placement.

View PDF ▸
Roar on Rush pop-up speakeasy event flyer
Event Flyer

Roar on Rush Flyer

Client: Roar on Rush (Chicago Pop-Up Speakeasy)

An event flyer designed for a Chicago pop-up speakeasy; early freelance work exploring a different, moodier visual voice outside brand work.

View PDF ▸

About Me

Profile

My work lives at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and brand identity. I design and animate avatars that guide real people through airports, represent global brands at trade shows, and appear live on national television.

I earned my Bachelor's in Fine Arts from DePaul University in Chicago, where I built my foundation in animation and fell in love with the city. I landed my first industry job thanks to some lucky timing and a lot of persistence, while bartending to help pay for my degree. From there, I worked my way up from part-time animator to Chief Creative Officer, driven by a constant need to keep learning and pushing my craft further.

Most of my best work has come out of pressure. Impossible timelines, last-minute client changes, technical roadblocks nobody saw coming. I've learned to treat those moments as fuel instead of friction, and some of my favorite projects only came together because we had to get scrappy and creative to hit the deadline.

None of that happens alone. I love working with teams, bouncing ideas around, pushing each other's thinking, and building something none of us could have made solo. That collaborative energy is where the best ideas usually show up.

Outside of client work, I'm keeping up with design trends, watching films, or lost in a video game. Creativity doesn't clock out when the work day ends!

Based inChicago, IL
CurrentlyChief Creative Officer, CodeBaby Inc.
FocusBrand & Creative Direction, Marketing, Animation
ToolsMaya, Blender, Babylon.js, Figma, Adobe CC
EducationBFA, 3D Animation — DePaul University

Experience

Career Timeline
2023 —
Present

Chief Creative Officer / Creative Director

CodeBaby Inc.
  • Lead brand and creative strategy for an animated character experience company, directing the full creative pipeline, visual identity, and go-to-market assets.
  • Own creative and brand direction for a global client portfolio including AWS, Coca-Cola, and SHARP Literacy, aligning multiple stakeholders around a consistent brand vision.
  • Partnered directly with CBS producers to design and launch two original animated characters for Big Brother Season 26, delivered via real-time live rendering to a national broadcast audience.
  • Led creative development of an AI-powered virtual avatar interview experience featuring William Shatner.
  • Restructured the company's brand guidelines and led a full website redesign to modernize visual identity across every consumer touchpoint.
  • Manage and mentor a creative team while coordinating outside vendors, working hands-on in Maya, Blender, and Babylon.js.
2022 —
2023

Animation Contractor

CodeBaby Inc.
  • Worked with clients to bring their vision to life from conception to deployment, ensuring designs matched their goals at every step.
  • Managed internal 3D assets and improved existing avatar libraries.
  • Researched new techniques and technologies to advance live-rendered animated characters.
2022 —
2023

Marketing Specialist

Klopas Stratton Real Estate (BHHS Chicago)
  • Led brand-consistent social media strategy and content creation across platforms for a luxury real estate portfolio.
  • Designed branded booklets, pamphlets, and open house materials, and built email marketing campaigns with Mailchimp to generate leads.
  • Partnered with agents to maintain a unified visual identity across every marketing touchpoint.
2020

Stage Manager

DePaul's Visiting Artist Series
  • Managed live production logistics for a talk series featuring prominent directors and producers, coordinating stage changes, technical cues, and guest experience for each broadcast-quality event.

Skills

Toolkit
Brand & Product Strategy Creative Direction & Oversight Project Management Global Campaign Management Stakeholder Management Directing Creative Teams AI-Driven Product Innovation Consumer & Content Strategy 3D Animation Production — Maya, Blender, Babylon.js Social, Email & Content Marketing Adobe Creative Suite Figma First-Hand Gen Z Cultural Insight
Education

BFA, 3D Animation

DePaul University, Chicago
2019 — 2022

AA, Graphic Arts

Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove
2017 — 2019