Open to opportunities

Rachael Bauman

@rachaelbauman

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Brand development expert shaping luxury and lifestyle brands through strategic design.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a role where I can own brand strategy through design—bridging concept to execution across digital and physical touchpoints. I want to partner with founders and teams to build experiential, market-facing systems that drive engagement and growth.

I’m a brand development and strategic design professional with 10+ years of experience shaping how brands are positioned, expressed, and experienced across luxury, lifestyle, hospitality, and founder-led businesses. I bring a multidisciplinary approach spanning brand development, experiential design, creative direction, visual identity, and customer-facing brand systems across digital and physical touchpoints.

I translate business goals into clear brand strategy, creative execution, and market-facing experiences that strengthen visibility, engagement, and growth. I’m especially strong at moving between concept, structure, and execution—partnering closely with founders, stakeholders, creative teams, and external partners to ensure brand integrity across evolving touchpoints.

In my current role as a Creative Consultant, I provide strategic design and brand development support for early-stage and founder-led businesses, leading concept development and strategic design for experience-led storytelling platforms. Using Adobe Creative Suite and Figma, I turn emotional and behavioral insights into structured brand frameworks, content architecture, user flows, and execution-ready creative assets.

Previously, I directed brand development for Dunkelvolk’s U.S. startup division, supporting brand positioning, creative direction, and strategic growth during the North American launch phase. I also served as Event Chair & Committee for Kids In Distress, leading end-to-end guest journey design and experiential brand development—refining identity and communications while exceeding fundraising goals through year-over-year revenue growth.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Creative Consultant

Current

Shameless Innovation

Apr 2024 - Present (2 years 2 months)

Provided strategic design and brand development for early-stage, founder-led businesses, leading brand positioning, visual identity, and market-facing brand systems. Directed concept development for a proprietary digital platform centered on experience-led storytelling and translated insights into execution-ready creative assets in Adobe Creative Suite and Figma.

Positioning Visual Identity Strategic Design Creative Direction Experiential Design Experience Strategy Adobe Creative Suite Figma Content Systems Brand storytelling

Event Chair

Kids In Distress

Oct 2015 - Jan 2024 (8 years 3 months)

Led the strategic development, creative direction, and experiential design of Elevate, a design-led philanthropic gala benefiting Kids In Distress for 350 to 500 guests annually. Refined the event brand identity, communication structure, and end-to-end guest journey, exceeding internal fundraising goals and driving year-over-year revenue growth through stronger donor experience and event positioni

Experiential Design Creative Direction Stakeholder Management Visual Storytelling Creative Project Management

Brand Development Consultant

Chica de Gallo

Jul 2022 - Jan 2023 (6 months)

Led brand revitalization for a gourmet salsa and guacamole brand sold regionally at Whole Foods Market. Developed visual identity elements, packaging concepts, and creative strategy to strengthen retail positioning and create a more cohesive consumer-facing presence across product, retail, activation, and digital touchpoints.

Brand Strategy Visual Identity Campaign Development Creative Direction

Stylist & Visual Direction

Hot Pink Style

Aug 2019 - Mar 2020 (7 months)

Partnered with luxury fashion and hospitality brands on editorial styling and visual direction for campaign and lifestyle environments. Collaborated with photographers and production teams, including Hard Rock International and The St. Regis Bal Harbour, to support cohesive visual storytelling across print, digital, and experiential contexts.

Fashion Editorial Collaboration Photography & Production Coordination Brand storytelling Campaign Asset Support

Director of Brand Development

Dunkelvolk (USA)

Jul 2009 - Feb 2013 (3 years 7 months)

Directed brand development for Dunkelvolk’s U.S. startup division during its North American launch phase. Drove brand awareness and market entry initiatives through trade shows, experiential activations, and lifestyle campaigns, overseeing positioning and creative direction to grow retail presence and customer engagement.

Brand Development Brand Awareness Market Entry Strategy Creative Direction Retail Marketing Brand Activation