Elizabeth Hulings

For nearly three decades, Elizabeth has helped business owners, entrepreneurs, and artists see both the forest and the trees. She has worked with start-ups to build their resources and infrastructure; helped long-established nonprofits expand their programs; guided corporations that were struggling with growing pains and outdated systems; and collaborated with sole proprietors, who had to wear both their business and creative hats simultaneously. Before launching Counterpoise in 2001, Elizabeth worked on (and lived through) five Fortune-500 mergers at the predecessors of Citigroup, Cendant, and Verizon Communications. She also honed her skills at several nonprofit organizations including International Development Exchange, The Management Center/Opportunity Knocks, and Human Rights Watch. Born in New York and raised in New Mexico, Elizabeth speaks Spanish and French. She holds an M.A. in Latin American Studies from Stanford University, and a B.A. in International Relations and History from Tufts University and the Alliançe Française I.

Paula Mele

Not your typical “right-brained” creative director and designer, Paula Mele has built her career on the belief that good advertising is only good if it sells. With over twenty-five years of experience in all facets of design, branding, marketing, and advertising, she understands the challenges her clients face. Whether working on nonprofit development campaigns or corporate sales drives, Paula has created visual solutions with a solid focus on results and the bottom line. After directing the in-house creative teams for four companies, Paula launched her award-winning virtual agency in 2001. A veteran publication designer, Paula produced the only internal print communication vehicles for Baylor Health Care System and Medical City, for five and seven years respectively. She has built campaigns and managed design and marketing for companies and nonprofit organizations spanning a vast array of industries. Examples include: The Dallas Foundation, Bonick Landscaping, the American Cancer Society, and Capital One. Paula is a University of Texas at Austin graduate with a B.F.A. in Studio Art.

Sofia Perez

A communications expert with 25 years of experience, Sofia Perez has written for nearly every type of client and medium, from businesses and nonprofits to television, fiction, and print and web journalism. She’s provided a range of copywriting, editing, and naming services to Target, General Mills, the James Beard Foundation, and others. After a stint as the Rainforest Alliance’s director of communications, Sofia continues to work for the international organization as an editorial consultant, helping to craft its brand and public-outreach efforts. In the print realm, her writing has been published by outlets such as The New York Times, Gourmet, and Saveur, where she is currently an editor-at-large. In 2006, she was named the Premios Internacionales Eva “Journalist/Communicator of the Year” in Pamplona, Spain. Sofia’s career began in broadcast journalism, at the NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw and the network’s Today show. She speaks Spanish and French, and holds a B.A. in English Literature from Princeton University.