Skip to main content

Our Team

MEET THE FACES OF BLKDOG
We Are Graphic Designers, Web Developers, Content Creators And Marketing Specialists.

Our experience and close-knit team mean cohesive design work and brand development that’s uniquely you. We’re speedy and solution-driven, but our process is never brief. We work hard to create successful brands and campaigns, and involve our clients in every step along the way.

Jesse Tyree

STRATEGY + ART DIRECTION

Art direction, campaign vision + strategy, 5:30am espresso refills, networking, internal pep rallies, and client relationships…… Jesse started BLK DOG in his twenties after working as a graphic designer for Verizon and Lee Enterprises where he was managing both internal and external client advertising campaigns. Seeing a need for a clear-cut solution for businesses looking for unique branding and marketing, BLK DOG has steadily grown into one of the top agencies in the Upstate NY area, serving local, national, and international clients. With a customer-centric, push-all-limits focus, he and his team have developed countless brands and campaigns that resonate with consumers and the B2B market. Jesse’s main drive at BLK DOG is to put out quality creative work that creates success for the agency’s clients, and staff. He lives in South Glens Falls with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, and elusive gato “Sonny.”

Lyssa Howard

SENIOR WEB DEVELOPER

Lyssa has been leading website development projects at BLK DOG since she joined in 2013. Developing professionally branded sites combined with top-line functionality involves the writing of custom code (using multiple methods such as PHP, CSS, and HTML) to tailor sites towards individual client needs. Lyssa lives locally with her spouse and dog Moose. Her awards include: 6th in the Nation for Graphic Design Competition – Skills USA. 3rd in the State for Photography Competition – Skills USA. Career & Technical Education Staff Award – WSWHE BOCES.

Chris Coughlan

STRATEGY + ACCOUNTS

Since joining BLK DOG, Chris has become the “go-to guy” for project management, client relations, and ensuring all the dominoes are in line for successful campaign execution. An experienced marketer managing both creative and campaign planning, he’s a master networker whose attention to detail shines through on every project he manages. His passion for results, new ideas, and client success are powerful tools during every campaign. Chris spends his focus crafting plans of action for clients and providing his team with the resources they need to create unique compelling work.

Lauren Occhiogrosso

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lauren O builds brand identities. Her insane ability to read conceptual project briefs and create authentic, visually clean, and thoughtful brands are the backbone of her skill set. She’s a versatile and adaptive designer who leads the art direction of client campaigns, working in both print and digital mediums. She strives to develop unique and impactful brand aesthetics, always content-centered and concept-driven. Lauren is responsible for the packaging design of many of the tasty elixirs you enjoy on Friday night. She has won multiple ADDY awards and is an encyclopedia of music knowledge.

Alexis Shippee

CONTENT STRATEGY

Alexis worked in newsrooms, on corporate marketing campaigns, for a toy magazine, and as a copy editor before coming to BLKDOG. She is all about consistency, especially when it comes to the Oxford Comma. Even out of the office, Alexis is always looking for weird typefaces or word choices in the wild. She spends her free time hanging with her family, thinking about Halloween, and running a local non-profit art project.

Kerry Mason

ACCOUNTING + BILLING

Kerry has been a part of the BLK DOG team since its inception. She’s an expert at all things organization: managing internal processes; bringing clients into our accounting system; providing estimates, account history, and billing updates; and ensuring our team is paid, supported, and taking vacation time.

Julia Howard

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Julia is a visual designer who is passionate about expanding the human experience through art and design. Although a traditionally trained graphic designer, she finds her stride in maximalist compositions and brutalist design experimentations. Enthusiastically, she believes the combination of research, writing, and design can change the world into a friendlier all-inclusive place (even if it’s only one pixel at a time). When not designing, find her brewing extra strong coffee and dancing to darkwave.

Anthony Nicolosi

PROJECT MANAGER

Born and raised in Florida, Ant graduated from the University of Central FL with a degree in Entertainment Management. He started his own Orlando-based music booking and promotion business in 2019 specializing in marketing, advertising, and client relations. Using this wide array of experiences, Ant decided to shift more toward the marketing industry and was drawn to BLKDOG because of their upbeat attitude and positive messaging of being a client-first agency. When Ant isn’t working he can often be found with his friends at the venues that he works at with his booking company as he’s highly involved in the local and regional FL music scenes as both a professional and a fan. He also enjoys cooking decadent meals and spending free time lounging with his cat Juno.

Hannah Noack

COPYWRITER + STRATEGY

A copywriter by day, digital illustrator by night, and nature enthusiast in the time between. Born and raised on the sandy beaches of Fort Myers, Hannah followed her passion for psychology and design and moved to Orlando to study advertising/public relations at the University of Central Florida. Before moving to New York and joining the BLKDOG team, Hannah worked as a freelance copywriter, social media manager and graphic designer for a diverse collection of companies. When she’s not writing kick-butt copy or hiking the Northeast, she can be found painting, hiking or listening to NPR.

Laura Mancini

WEB DEVELOPER

Laura is a versatile full-stack developer with proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.js, React, Angular and more. Her expertise extends to developing full-stack web applications using the MERN stack and seamless API integrations. With a passion for creating engaging and dynamic user experiences, Laura brings a holistic approach to software development all while adhering to best code practices.

In addition to Laura’s technical skills, she is a seasoned musician who has shared the stage with Grammy Award winners Ashanti and Ja Rule. Laura’s musical journey has also led her to aid in scoring and recording for Netflix shows, including “The Haunting of Bly Manor” and “Midnight Mass.” Whether crafting code or composing melodies, Laura is dedicated to bringing creativity and innovation to every project she undertakes.

GET STARTED
TODAY.

Wherever you are in the process, we’ll meet you there. New kid on the block? Let’s talk logo design and web development. Time for a refresh? We’ll break down your brand perceptions and develop a plan that takes your business to the next level. Always custom solutions to get you from where you are to where you want to be.

Not sure where that is? We can help with that, too.