2 August 2019
Dear Kelly,
As a father of five, I’ve had more opportunity than most to observe the precise moment of discovery — the split second when a young face lights up with understanding and awe.
In many environments and over many years, I’ve witnessed countless euphoric moments of eureka. And I’ve noticed that more often than not, they happen while my kids are playing, not while they’re being instructed.
As we get older, I worry that we get less playful. And that when we stop playing, we stop learning. That’s why when we built our agency (and even our website), we took special care to make room for play. We encourage employees across disciplines to try and fail at new things, master them, and teach the rest of us what they learn along the way.
I think that in this way, our values closely align with yours. We both nurture and indulge a playful connection with curiosity. We do it to produce effective, award-winning work for our clients; you do it to inspire a love of science and a spirit of inquiry for millions of visitors and generations of St. Louisans. Yours is a mission we believe in, because we believe STEM education is more important today than ever. The value of critical thinking and the joyful pursuit of knowledge are the foundation of a successful society, and essential to our future.
Our response demonstrates these shared values, along with our unique perspective for the objectives outlined in your RFQ document.
In 2017, we marked our company’s 40th year in business. Over that period of time, we’ve been fortunate enough to build brands and experiences both locally and globally. We’ve worked across a wide variety of categories, but partnering with St. Louis institutions has put the biggest smiles on our faces and the greatest passion in our hearts.
From the moment we received this RFQ, our entire company was excited about the chance to work with an iconic St. Louis institution like the Saint Louis Science Center. We have a team ready, willing and able to build an interactive experience beyond anything you can imagine. I want to sincerely thank you again for allowing us to be a part of this process.
Sincerely,
Gus Hattrich
President
We’re so good at this because we start with the audience experience in mind and work backward from there. We never start with how; we always start with why.
Put another way, we don’t lead with execution. We lead with inspiration. We believe a big idea — an idea vividly evoked through beautiful design and a compelling story — has the power to fundamentally and forever change our view of the world.
And we don’t care whose idea it is, or what their business card says. We believe the best idea should be boss. It’s why we prefer to work collaboratively with our clients and partners to execute the best, most arresting work possible. Work that’s impossible to ignore, or forget.
Another reason we prefer to work as a team? We know we don’t know everything. While we’re constantly learning and adding new skills to our roster, we recognize when we need to engage other experts. If chosen as your lead design team, we would engage a specialized exhibition development firm to complement our expertise.
Paradowski and Monster XP have partnered on a number of projects you’ll see in more detail in our Case Studies. Monster XP specializes in experiential and digital activations, and has most recently helped transform our ideas into dynamic, immersive experiences for Bayer Crop Science.
We have identified Monster XP as an ideal partner in this project due to their extensive experience in developing interactive installations and permanent exhibits, as well as their culture of modularity and re-use. This approach allows for agility and rapid application development, with flexibility and expandability with existing interactive applications.
The platform for all of Monster XP’s interactive solutions is built around the principles of parallel programming, which is centered on the concepts of encapsulation and modularity. Over the past 15 years, Monster XP has independently and iteratively developed, tested, and improved upon a code base which, through the separation of functions into micro-services, acts as modular building blocks for every client solution.
Our team also demonstrates a trait you won’t find in every agency brainstorm. We’re “T-shaped.” The vertical stroke on the “T” represents the depth of skills and expertise in our field of choice, while the horizontal bar is our ability to collaborate across disciplines in meaningful and effective ways.
Gus is the President of Paradowski Creative, ensuring that everything we do for our clients, from strategy to creative, generates business value overall. Gus grew up in the agency business and learned early the value of big ideas. Throughout his career, he’s maintained the guiding principle that at the foundation of great agencies are people who commit themselves to making those ideas happen. With over 20 years experience in both above-the-line and below-the-line marketing activities, Gus has worked with clients such as Bacardi USA, Capital One Credit Card, Verizon Wireless, Ocean Spray, Dean Foods, Minute Maid, Solutia, Spectrum Brands, and Costa Farms. Before joining Paradowski, Gus was a founding member of Moosylvania Marketing, and prior to that he was a senior manager of The Zipatoni Company.
As head of creative strategy, Brad helps our clients find the beating heart of their brands, and helps our creative team pursue ideas based on genuine insights into human behavior. A born storyteller, he has a proven history of creating campaigns that profitably connect with customers. He has more than 18 years experience working with brands such as Anheuser-Busch, Monsanto, Abbott, The State of Missouri, eBay, Pernod Ricard, The State of Illinois, and Siemens. Prior to his current role, Brad served as Executive Creative Director at Paradowski. Before joining Paradowski, Brad was Associate Creative Director at Chicago-based Slack & Company, the country’s largest independent B2B agency.
Melissa manages the agency’s team of account service staff. She is responsible for ensuring positive client working relationships and that the entire team is exceeding your expectations. Melissa couples deep experience in brand strategy with her obsession over human behavior to develop compelling strategies for our clients. She has over 15 years of experience in leading strategic marketing campaigns for brands like Monsanto, Johnson & Johnson, Disney, Jim Beam, Miller Lite, Maytag and Energizer. She has worked at other top firms such as Upshot in Chicago and New Honor Society (formerly Zipatoni) in both their Chicago and St. Louis offices. Melissa has a background in research, strategic planning and integrated marketing and believes firmly that research can and should inspire the creative product. Melissa holds a M.A. in Strategic Communication from the University of Missouri Journalism School.
Equally fascinated by all things digital and design related, Andy crafts engaging interactive experiences for Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and nonprofits alike. Most recently, his work has supported the efforts of Anheuser-Busch, Monsanto, the Saint Louis Science Center, Cutex, Elsevier, and Washington University. Websites, kiosks, mobile applications, iPhone and iPad games, video animation—anything is fair game. Before leading the digital creative team at Paradowski, Andy served as the creative director at Obata, and also taught web design as an adjunct professor at Maryville University, his alma mater.
Susie develops teams through strong leadership, a collaborative approach, creative thinking, and relationship building. She has a passion for the creative process, enabling cross-functional teams to more effectively meet the goals of clients. Susie has more than 20 years of advertising and branding experience with a focus on account management, strategy and concept development, website and digital programs, event activation, traditional and non-traditional marketing campaigns. She has worked with a wide array of clients—a partial list of current and past accounts include Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, The Climate Corporation, Nikon, SeaWorld, and Nestle-Purina.
As a visual designer, Dan loves thinking through client challenges and bringing solutions to life. A graduate of Maryville University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, Dan has a broad portfolio showcasing his print, experiential, and interactive expertise. His past and current clients include St. Louis Community College, University of Missouri, St. Charles City-County Library District, Monsanto, Crop Production Services, Seminis & De Ruiter Vegetable Seeds, America’s Farmers, AT&T, Emerson, Gatorade, Kahlúa, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Universal Studios, and Visa. Away from the office, Dan enjoys sports, printmaking, and traveling. Though one of his favorite places is his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking and brewing up fresh cups of coffee.
Meeting new people, immersing herself in their stories (while sharing some of her own), and ultimately building strong relationships has always been a passion of Annie’s - which is why she’s been happily involved in the account and project management industry for almost 10 years. Having earned a master’s degree in Communication, she thrives in fast-paced environments, maintains a high-level of organization and is always willing to go the extra mile to achieve client satisfaction and success. She has worked with brands of all sizes, including The Climate Corporation, Purina, the University of Missouri and Monsanto.
Caroline is an experienced copywriter and conceptual thinker who is equally at home in the weeds and in the clouds. After getting her start as an arts and culture reporter, she took a job with one of her favorite subjects: The Houston Museum of Natural Science. There, she supported marketing, advertising, and public relations efforts around the $85 million, 30,000-square-foot expansion of the Morian Hall of Paleontology. Her portfolio includes award-winning work for clients ranging from professional athletes to multi-billion dollar manufacturers, including the Chris Long Foundation, Pratt & Whitney, Ameren Illinois, DEKALB Asgrow, On the Run, Webster University, MiTek, and the St. Louis Cardinals. When she's not writing, reading, or reading about writing, you can find Caroline spending time outside with her husband and two kids – one human, one canine.
Bryan joined Paradowski in 2015, helping to bridge the gap between development and design. During his 16 years of experience, Bryan has worked for agencies such as Steady Rain and Arsenal Studios, developing sites and native apps for education, finance, cultural, and nonprofit organizations.
Emily has always been driven to help people and nurture relationships. Over her 6+ years in account service, Emily has always maintained a high level of organization and consistently; she goes the extra mile to achieve client satisfaction and success. Her past client experience includes: Bank of America, General Cigar Company, Hungry Howie’s Pizza, George Remus Bourbon, and Till Vodka.A
Matt is a Maryville grad specializing in interactive and experience design. He is most interested in merging beauty with utility in the digital space, and has elegantly combined the two for clients in the agriculture, aerospace, food & beverage, building materials, craft spirits, e-commerce, pet food, and other industries. When he’s not designing, you can find Matt throwing darts, riding his motorcycle(s), and spending time with his wife and daughters.
Jumping in full-force no matter what, no medium is off-limits for Carrie. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Maryville under her belt, she gained most of her agency experience through her role as an Art Director at Paradowski. After a stint as Video Producer for Paradowski’s in-house video team, Carrie came to appreciate the balance that lies between Account Service and Creative. With equal parts beauty and strategy, Carrie has grown into her role as Project Manager, deftly leading internal teams to successful campaigns for clients such as Bayer, the Sheldon, STLCC, Seminis Vegetable Seeds, NCBA, and more. After hours, she elevates local brands through thoughtful visual communications. You might also find Carrie smoking the competition at skee ball, learning how to play the piano and hanging with Roseanne Gertrude the cat.
Chris has over 12 years of experience in experiential activations and marketing strategy. With a consistent record of delivering measurable client results, Chris currently serves as the President of Monster XP. Equipped with a degree from Purdue University in Computer Engineering with a minor in Economics, Chris oversees all of Monster XP’s client activations, fostering collaboration between departmental teams and guiding strategy on new technologies and company initiatives. Prior to joining Monster XP, Chris’s career includes experience both on in-house marketing teams and regional and national advertising agencies for leading brands in hospitality, packaged consumer goods, and professional services. When not at work, Chris might be running, for no good reason.
For the better part of a decade, Zach has somehow managed to squeeze cringeworthy puns and dad jokes into the majority of his otherwise-excellent presentations. In his role of Account Director at Monster XP, he handles new business and outreach efforts while developing existing client relationships. He has accumulated over six years with Monster XP, with a brief stint serving Diageo in the world of beer, wine, and spirits (to get that out of his system).
With over 20 years of experience in the communications and Audio-Visual industry, Sloan has been vital in the execution of countless projects with Monster XP. As the Vice President of Operations, he has led the team in it's endeavor to continually provide outstanding service and flawless executions. When he is not working tirelessly on improving the output of the Monster XP team, he spends most of his time in the kitchen and is somewhat of an aspiring pit master.
For almost 10 years, Kristin has made sure that all runs smoothly at Monster XP. While with the company, she has ascended to the role of COO where she oversees all elements relating to Procurement, Human Resources, Compliance, Finance, Insurance and more. As someone who is always up for a challenge, Kristin couldn’t settle on one discipline when at Rollins College, so she went and obtained degrees in Human Resources, Education AND Music.
James has over 14 years of experience in projection technology, industrial design, display integration, and fabrication with a background in network technologies. He leads the integration and testing of new devices, technologies, and components while focusing on reliability and expanded capabilities. Equal parts inventor and music lover, he is just as likely to impress you with his technical knowledge as he is to hold down a 90-minute set at Coachella.
Owen has been a professional, multifaceted software engineer for the past 14 years. In his role at Monster XP, Owen oversees the Interactive Development team both on the Front end with the creation of client activations in addition to managing the Database Engineering team with the evolution of the platform of backend tools that enable all Monster XP’s digital and interactive installations. He is also quite fond of robots.
Angel has been with Monster XP for five years and has a total of eight years of experience in the Audio-Visual industry. As the Director of Operations, his responsibilities at Monster XP include in-house project build out, on-site installation, management of field technicians, and overseeing the System Administration and Maintenance teams. He is an avid foodie and will likely have his own food exploration program broadcast globally in the near future.
And your embrace of new technology and techniques to make education appealing as well as accessible is both brilliant and critically important — not only as a cultural institution, but as a brand. Because while a noble purpose is an advantage, it’s only as compelling as the way your audience experiences it.
Lucky for us, nothing excites us more than designing audience experiences for clients who share our passion for science, technology, and education — clients like the Climate Corporation, Bayer Crop Science, Graybar, St. Louis Community College and, hopefully, the St. Louis Science Center.
Below is a list of clients and brands the agency currently supports. We are confident that we can execute the project outlined, together with our selected partner(s).
Global Corporate Marketing Manager
Bayer Crop Science
julia.richardson@bayer.com
Executive Director, Marketing and Communication
St. Louis Community College
ktolson@stlcc.edu
FieldView Marketing Communication Lead
The Climate Corporation
robert.fishbeck@climate.com
