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, her previous experience 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 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.

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 over a decade, Rachel plays a key role as Studio Director where she directs and oversees multiple client projects on a day-to-day basis. She oversees project workflow throughout the studio and works as the production team to see design work through to the end. She connects clients and their needs with smart problem-solving design solutions to give the best product possible. 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 of two, balancing super-mom duties with a passion for 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. We call her the wizard of our team, as she can always conjure up inventive results.

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 building a new Lego model (both require dexterity!).

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, looking at brand targets and competitive sets to determine how the brand should speak. Her ability to interchange tone of voice for dozens of brands at a time is invaluable to our team. She also plans content strategy and relates copy to visual form-making to help create branding systems. 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. A Texas native from Dallas, and having lived in Houston, she definitely prefers Austin’s social scene and suburbs. Prior to coming to Tenderling, she worked as a copywriter for Hallaron Advertising Agency where she worked on social media strategy, website and SEO content, press releases, and more. She loves watching movies and reading in her spare time when she’s not cuddling with her cat Obi.

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 with experience working with architects, development teams and ownership. 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 designed for the anti-trafficking nonprofit Pedal the Pacific as a 2021 rider and leadership team officer. Cara can be found running or trying new restaurants on the weekends when she’s not researching graphic design. She is an Austin native and an alumni of Regents School of Austin.

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 over 20 years of 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.

Elsy works with our Design and Development teams to bring our branding to life through web. She is fascinated by the ways humans interact with the world around them, which she carries into her research and design work. Her web designs tell a story and connect to users through the experiences she creates. An expertise in Figma and extensive knowledge of UX design are just a few of the things she brings to our team, along with a refined design eye and fashionable office ‘fits.

Elsy graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in Creative Technology and Design and also holds a certificate in Writing and Rhetoric. During and after her college career, she did research for the NSF Institute for Student-AI Teaming as a UX Designer and Researcher. She has been published in Human Computer Interaction International 2022 and designed and strategized her own fashion app called Strut, showing her expert eye for user experience. Before Tenderling, she worked in the Marketing Department at Terradepth, where she led branding initiatives. A South Dakota girl but an Austin lover, Elsy enjoys the lake and the mountains, writing, yoga and taking up new hobbies all the time–just like the variety of new brands she gets to work on.

Cameron focuses on all things 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, Cameron joined Tenderling to address our desire to bring branding forward through video, animation and social media strategy. 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 love for immersive storytelling through video 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).

Andy has a strong desire to execute creative form-making and explore what a brand could be. He takes an illustrative approach to his projects, blending his knowledge of a client’s audience and goals with a passion for creating. His thoughtful design process digs into the “why” of branding and creates a visual story that answers this question. As a visual problem solver, he crafts branding systems that work together to address client needs and aesthetics.

Andy graduated from Bridgewater State University with a degree in Art and Design. He worked as a freelance graphic designer for over seven years before bringing his skills to Tenderling. His creative background ranges from album and merch design to woodworking projects, all of which require a keen eye and patience. He almost graduated with a degree in philosophy, so he has plenty of philosophical questions to pose, or you can ask him about his most recent read, a good hiking recommendation or about Luna and Kevin, his two playful pups.

Karen is our quiet-but-diligent designer, constantly working on perfecting each project that she’s given. She strives to meet the client’s needs while producing beautiful and dependable design that reaches across various mediums. With 4 years of experience, her learned  adaptability easily moves her through print and digital pieces where she can dial in on what each client is looking for. Her attention to detail ensures she has all of the information she needs to create the most effective design.

Karen went to Austin Community College and Texas State University, obtaining degrees in both Graphic Design and Communication Design. A native of a small town called San Sebastián del Oeste in Mexico, she has previously worked at ArtHouse Design in Denver and John McNeil Studio in Berkeley in design roles before coming to Austin. She loves animals (especially her precious tabby cat), traveling and concerts, and secretly has a passion for learning about archeology and anthropology, which she likes to find ways to weave into her designs.

Our secret weapon Maegan proofs and edits all content moving through the studio for us, catching all the little details needed to make a project perfect. Our intern that we couldn’t let go of, she amazed Tenderling with her ability to craft copy that seamlessly carries a brand’s voice throughout a project. She also conducts research needed for naming, organizing and synthesizing her findings into clear outlines for the content team. We love her for her quick wit and sassy undertone, but also for her love of delivering clean and consistent copy to our clients.

Maegan will graduate with a degree in Professional Writing and Rhetoric from Baylor University in the spring of 2024. She has taken classes in professional writing, editing and publishing and public writing, as well as classes in her Japanese minor just to show us up. She has been the Social Media Chair for the Baylor Japanese Student Association and the Communications Manager of the Undergraduate Student Team at Baylor Collaborative where she wrote articles, conducted interviews and drafted social media copy. Her love of travel has taken her to Japan (which also supported her love of food) and she can out dress anyone at a convention or festival.