Entrusted with over five billion in luxury real estate, leasing and hospitality assets.

The woman at the helm who always has a plan, Penny’s mastery of research, branding and strategic business guidance allows her to transform ideas into effective design solutions with style and precision. Shifting easily between overall project goals and the details that make a brand exceptional, Penny oversees creative direction and strategy while keeping note of a client’s unique story.  Classic just like the black shirts she always wears, Penny’s getting-it-done-attitude pushes the team forward in all the best ways. Since founding Tenderling in 2004, she has spent the last 18 years growing Tenderling into a full-service creative studio.

Prior to Tenderling, Penny worked as Associate Creative Director for ReVerb Studio in Los Angeles where she developed a passion for hospitality and real estate markets. Her previous experience also includes Ogilvy & Mather’s Brand Integration Group in Los Angeles working on branding and advertising campaigns for global clients including Motorola, Yahoo!, Mattel, and Neutrogena.

Penny has received the American Institute of Graphic Arts 365 Design Award as well as awards from the Art Directors Club, I.D. Magazine, Print Magazine and Type Directors Club, including the Judges Choice Award. In addition, she has taught typography courses at California Institute of the Arts and Otis College of Art and Design. A native Texan, she holds an MFA in Visual Communication from California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. Her two proudest achievements are her children who both bring light and wit into the studio.

As the North Star of our company, James’ skill set combines creative strength, exceptional design craft and calm team leadership to guide every Tenderling project. With 30+ years of design experience, his unflappable disposition and nimble approach to problem-solving consistently elevate every project. Since joining his wife, Penny, as Creative Director at Tenderling in 2009, he has been able to expertly guide the studio to produce award-winning creative output for multiple clients, and he has guided hospitality brands such as Hilton, Hyatt, Fairmont and Viceroy. He seems quiet, but will make his opinions known, always has a good dad-joke waiting for the perfect moment and is constantly surprising us with the new things we learn about his adventures.

Before Tenderling, he was Creative Director at ReVerb Studio in Los Angeles where he provided the creative vision for the firm. He was also the Associate Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather’s Brand Integration Group in Los Angeles, contributing to branding and advertising campaigns for clients such as Motorola, Mattel and Lionsgate. He worked for a summer with an NGO called The African Cultural Conservation Fund (ACCF), designing their website and logo.

James’ design work has been featured in numerous magazines and books including Metropolis, Print, Rotovision, Hearst Books and CalArts Press as well as the California Design Biennial. He has consistently received design awards for the past few decades from Type Directors Club, Art Directors Club and the Society for Environmental Graphic Design. James holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication from California Institute of the Arts. When not focusing on clients, you may find him enjoying BBQ, ogling classic cars like his very own 1963 Chevy Corvair, traveling to new places, playing with his pet dachshunds and, of course, loving his two kids.

At Tenderling for nearly a decade, Rachel plays a key role at Tenderling as Studio Director where she directs and oversees multiple client projects on a day-to-day basis. Her experience lies in smart visual storytelling to address the fundamental needs of clients, and has a smart sense for what clients want and how to best push creative storytelling. You can always depend on Rachel to give you the feedback you need to take your project to the next level, and you can also count on her to have a good pun lined up when you need it.

Born and raised in Austin, Rachel received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from The University of Texas in Austin. She’s worked on brands like Hyatt Unbound, Hilton, Fairmont and Viceroy along with award-winning boutique brands like The Eliza Jane in New Orleans and Holston House in Nashville. Before Tenderling, she started her design career in publishing at Green Leaf Press in addition to designing the Austin American-Statesman. She is a proud mama and is fiercely passionate about Tenderling’s success.

A direct line to all of Tenderling’s clients, Terry’s keen organizational skills and fast pace maintain clear client communication. Her desire to cultivate and continue client relationships comes across in every interaction. She brings over 20 years of hospitality experience, making her our secret weapon on logistical needs and operational details.  In addition to daily client communication, Terry oversees the growth of Tenderling’s portfolio and maintains a healthy company vision plan.

Terry has been Director of Sales and Marketing at Hilton, Senior Sales Manager at Fairmont Austin, Director of Sales for Pacific Hospitality Group and Director of Sales and Marketing at Dolce Hotels & Resorts. This detailed level of hospitality is rare in a design studio setting, which is why Terry is such a valuable asset to our team.

Hailing from South Africa, she’s lived on the West Coast and now resides in the Texas Hill Country with us. You can find her office by following the music, and you know she’s always down for an after-work dinner and drink.

Kayla has over 10 years of developing experience as a Digital Developer. This experience and her understanding of the latest programming practices allow her to develop clean, consistent sites for our clients. She is an expert in the field when it comes to writing the highest quality code around.  Adding her big personality and proficiency in all things internet-related to the team, she balances the team’s creativity with tactful practicality when it comes to website design. You can count on her to find the smartest solution and never look for the easy way out, always keeping long-term client usability in mind.

Kayla studied applied mathematics and computer science at Missouri State University and University of California, Los Angeles. She has created over 200 websites across a wide variety of industries, including small businesses and real estate companies. She has worked for Gryphix Creative, Virtual Results, Inc. and even ran her own company. You can find her after work playing a stealth RPG game, or even playing piano (both require dexterity!). Recently married, she is enjoying life with her husband and is currently planning their honeymoon!

Emily wears many hats for our clients. She manages all things written for brands, from naming and story to tone of voice. She has in-depth research skills and an acute attention to detail that she applies to each project she works on. Her cheerful disposition and love for language make her an invaluable asset to the team. Emily also works to plan content strategy for clients to meet their overall goals. As “Friends” would say, she’ll be there for you.

Emily graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Creative Writing. Prior to coming to Tenderling, she worked as a copywriter for Hallaron Advertising Agency where she worked with clients like JonEvac, Dartican, and The Woodlands Dermatology Associates. Though usually quiet, she can talk all day about how cute her cat Obi is and about her favorite rom-coms.

Mallory brings an artful eye for detail and a charismatic design style to the team. After living in 10 different countries and 6 different US states, her exposure to different cultures and experiences helps her offer unique ideas and bring a different perspective to every project. Mallory’s favorite hobbies include drawing and painting, allowing her to marry beautiful illustrations that are unique to each client’s needs. She has a strong desire to create visually memorable brand languages utilizing her skills and experience. She also has a passion for mentoring and leading other designers to create their best work.

Mallory obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from California Baptist University. Before Tenderling, Mallory worked on various creative teams at Seventh Avenue Creative and Sagebrush Church in Albuquerque. She has won a Gold Award and Best in Show Award from the American Advertising Federation. Always outdoors and looking for the next adventure, you can typically find her sneaking off to work in the sunshine.

Jeff loves to focus on the nitty-gritty of design, doing the research and perfecting the details to provide each client with the best product possible. His experience ranges from print design to web design and he uses his precise eye and ability to synthesize content for both, as well as everything in between. Every project gives him an excuse to flex his design expertise and an opportunity to learn a little bit about a lot, which he uses in his pursuit of starring on Jeopardy one day. His experience communicating between designers and clients is crucial to our team and aids in the creation of beautiful brand systems.

Jeff studied at York College of Pennsylvania and graduated with a degree in Graphic Design. He went through the portfolio-building program Job Propulsion Lab and won a Best in Show Addy from the American Advertising Federation for his work. He previously worked at Ampersand Agency for 7 years, starting as a designer and moving up to Associate Creative Director, which allowed him to lead a creative team through their process. These days, he’s usually running after his son or obsessing over his lawn, another outlet for his detail-oriented mind. Oh, and he once won a car on Let’s Make a Deal. No big deal.

Lauren’s calm, cool and collected demeanor comes across both in her projects and in her interactions with clients. A love for functional design along with a fascination for the natural world drives her, which she blends to create elegant and meaningful work. A knack for clever solutions comes naturally, allowing her to transform client ideas into entire brand systems. After three cross-country road trips in the US, she has developed a keen eye for finding visual inspiration everywhere, and she strives to bring delightful brand stories to life in every project.

Lauren graduated from University of Houston with a degree in Graphic Design and a minor in Art History, concentrating in Contemporary Art & Curation. With over 7 years of design experience, she has worked as a designer at Field of Study and Compass Real Estate, giving her insight into the inner workings of real estate development which she has carried into her role at Tenderling. She has taken sign painting classes with John Downer, participated in the AIGA Changemaker Series and went through Motion Beast’s Motion Design School. She also received a Graphis Mention for her work on the Compass Retreat 2021. On the weekends, she can be found growing seedlings or loving on her two black cats.

Cara’s knack for delivering inventive designs, capturing client visions and bringing an individual perspective to each project makes her an integral part of Tenderling’s team. Her love of design, attention to detail and focus on storytelling shine throughout her work. She also brings a cool demeanor to high-level client meetings, a must on our team. She is passionate about being part of a collaborative team, and she adds a spry energy and sly humor to the studio.

You can always ask Cara for a good tea recommendation, or about dachshunds, as she is a major advocate of both. She graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a concentration in Graphic Design. She was also a part of the creative team at Harris Creek Baptist Church, where she designed sermon series and collateral for their kid’s ministry. She has also worked on design for the Pedal the Pacific group which she is now on the leadership team of. Naturally, Cara can be found cycling on the weekends when she’s not researching graphic design. She is an Austin native and a Regents alum, relating her to many of our Austin clients.

Cameron focuses on video and motion, which is fitting because she has a kinetic personality. With a discerning eye to deliver the best result to each client, she carefully compiles and edits videos to bring brands to life. Our ball of bubbly energy and newest recruit, Cameron joined Tenderling to address our desire to bring branding forward through video and animation. She is responsible for taking static assets and injecting life into otherwise 2D experiences. She also aids in photo shoot planning, another way to bring life to branding. Her work balances practicality and aesthetic.

Cameron graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in Motion Media and a concentration in Advertising and Branding. During her time at SCAD, she was the storytelling lead in a pro course with Google Education and continued to work on projects through the company she founded at age 16. Aside from designing, she has also published her own book, loves a cold Coke Zero, any dog she sees and being around her family and friends (so us, of course).

Creating beautiful, thoughtful designs comes naturally to Jia with almost five years of design experience. She has an innate ability to tell brand stories through visual form-making and has a high catalog of creative output. When she’s not schooling us about craft coffee or waiting in line for a show, her talent for defining brands and materializing complex visions helps bring client work to the next level. She brings strong form-making skills and the talent to adapt to audience profiles. Able to flow between all different kinds of design and willing to jump into any project after a quick overview, her flexibility and approachability keeps our team running smoothly. Our cool hunter, of sorts, is always current on every trend, has a detailed understanding of digital user experience, and is eager to find new ways to weave personality into everything she works on.

Jia graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Biological Sciences (thankfully for us, she chose a different career path) and took introductory design and creative ministry classes at Highlands College. Her previous experience includes working as an in-house graphic designer for Celebration Church in Georgetown for almost 3 years. Her best bud Nitro is our favorite pup, and we all look forward to his office visits.

Tara’s design skills reach across mediums, from website design and form-making to photography and lettering. She prides herself on approaching design with a child-like wonder and curiosity, finding imaginative solutions for clients. Another illustrative eye in Tenderling’s pocket, her enthusiasm for telling a brand’s story comes through in each of her projects. She can easily balance work between bright, bold design and the sophisticated elegance that some pieces require, rounding out our team.

An Austin, Texas girl all the way, Tara graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Fine Arts and a concentration in Communication Design. She is on the AIGA Austin board as the Creative Mass Chair, organizing monthly events and creating event graphics. Previously, she has worked on website design for startups like Collective Cart and PopRak, and has also worked as a florist, which requires a discerning design eye. When not working on illustrations or practicing her photography skills, she is either nerding out about her favorite shows and movies or having dance parties with her daughter Matilda who helps her embrace her inner child.