About Us
Elevate My Brand (EMB) is a boutique marketing company dedicated to elevating food, wine and retail brands globally. Our purpose on this planet is to bring new passions and flavors into people’s lives through food wine and fashion. EMB dedicates ourselves to this goal by helping new and existing brands in these markets develop and implement full circle marketing plans to successfully take their company or product to the next level. Whether you are re-branding, taking your first steps into online marketing and social media, launching a new brand or product, or are in need of high-level brand strategy, EMB has a tasty team on board hungry to help.
Laurel Kaufman
Founder
Laurel Kaufman has built a career that blends her deep personal passion for food, wine and lifestyle with considerable business acumen and legal expertise. Her love of food and wine began during her college years in Santa Barbara, pouring wines and producing events for Geisinger Winery. After graduating, Laurel moved east to attend Rutgers University, where she received both her J.D. and M.B.A. and began to expand her taste buds nationally.
Laurel continued to fill her appetite for the food industry while in Philadelphia, producing special events for the city’s only five star Mobil and three star Michelin rated restaurant, Le Bec Fin as well as their more casual dining bistro Brasserie Perrier. While east Laurel also did marketing for the Public House Restaurant Group, helping to open their first flagship restaurant in Philadelphia.
Upon returning to Los Angeles, Laurel took on the role of Executive Vice President and In-House Counsel for Bassett, a national retail brand, and subsequently began consulting for beauty, fashion, hospitality and entertainment companies founding Elevate My Brand in 2010. Laurel has followed her passion by consulting with creatives, focusing on restaurants and retailers, and continues to distill her love and hunger for elevating food, wine and retail brands globally.
Laurel sits on the board of directors for Change America, The Fender Music Foundation, Totally Fabulous Females, and Startup Demo and is an advisor to the Los Angeles Chapter of Girls in Tech. Laurel is a mentor with Jewish Big Brother Big Sisters of Los Angeles and has been a member of the California Bar since 2006.
Dimple Thakkar
Owner and Impresario of SYNHERGY MARKETING
Dimple Thakkar began her career at a social media agency in New York as the Executive Director of Promotions. During that time, the concept of "social media marketing" was brand new. Facebook was becoming more than an online networking site for college students and Twitter was just starting its revolution as a powerful micro-blogging platform to break news and information across the world in real-time.
During her time at the agency, she supervised social media marketing campaigns for top brands, influential Web 2.0 companies such as Photobucket, and over 50 artists including 50 Cent, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears. Additionally, Dimple worked in the talent management division within the same company as the Vice-President of New Media and Online Marketing, serving on the management team for a Grammy-nominated and global touring artist, as well as other Billboard charting rock and pop artists.
Currently, Dimple owns and operates SYNHERGY MARKETING which offers all types of online marketing and consulting with a focus in social media. Within their first year of establishment, SYNHERGY MARKETING was nominated top social media agency of 2009 on Mashable.com, one of the world’s largest blogging and news websites.
In 2010, SYNHERGY MARKETING was enrolled into the “Expert Marketing Program” offered by ReverbNation.com – the leading online music promotions platform used by over 500,000 artists, managers, record labels, and venues to grow their reach, influence, and business across the Internet.
SYNHERGY’s recent projects include Release Your Inner Millionairess, HELLYEAH, Jes Hudak from Bravo TV’s “Platinum Hit,” leading car buying consultants Authority Auto, 10th Street Entertainment, top success and business coach Amy Applebaum, and various other brands, products, services, celebrities, retailers, and tech companies.
Aside from running her own company, Dimple is also the Director of Online Marketing for Girls in Tech Los Angeles and occasionally contributes as a blogger to offer her expertise in online marketing and social media. She also serves on the committee for Fender Music Foundation and Totally Fabulous Females. Dimple Thakkar has a BA in Communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
www.synhergyentertainment.com
Lee Parent
Art Director/Graphic Designer
Lee Parent was groomed as an Art Director/ Designer during the legendary dot com boom in Los Angeles. She had the privilege to work at some pivotal and influential companies during this time such as Digital Entertainment Network (DEN), Click Active Media and IFILM. Lee played key roles such as, web designer, flash animator and content development for the online "webisodes" featuring; "DENTED," "Design Den" and "Direct Drive".
After taking a hiatus, (traveling on a schooner for one year) Lee joined the incredible Neuron Syndicate Design Firm. Here she designed for high profile companies, such as Twentieth Century Fox creating DVD/Movie poster campaigns for the Alien Quadrilogy 9 DVD disc box, Bend It Like Beckham and others.
Lee embraced her love of design and female entrepreneurship and ultimately founded LEE PARENT DESIGN STUDIO, a design firm focusing on Company & Personal Brand Development, Web Design and Print Design.
The Studio:
LEE PARENT DESIGN STUDIO has created brands and websites for clients such as: Singer/Song writer Jes Hudak; featured on the Bravo's T.V. show Platinum Hit, Business Coach Amy Applebaum of Amy Applebaum Inc., Nutrition Therapist, Lynn Penrose, as well as companies such as A&A Maintenance, and nation-wide maintenance solutions company.
The studio offers a wide range of design services: Brand Development, Website Design, Logo Design, Marketing Materials, Collateral Materials, Magazine Layouts, CD/DVD Package Design, and Custom Art Work.
Always inspired by the clients’ visions and dreams, they strive to create compelling work that speaks for itself and generates a "buzz." Whether you are a small start up entrepreneur or a 50 million dollar corporate company... LEE PARENT DESIGN STUDIO knows not every company or individual is the same so they tailor services to each clients needs.
Every client ends his or her journey with a fresh and confident outlook on his/ her business adventure.
www.leeparent.com
ADVISORY TEAM:
Diane Jefferies
Retail
Dianne Jefferies is the VP of Sourcing and Production for Speedo/Calvin Klien swimwear. She was the Senior Vice President of Global Sourcing for Juicy Couture a women's specialty apparel and accessories retail, wholesale, international company. Previously she was SVP of Production ,Product Development at Ann Taylor Stores Corporation, a women's retail specialty company with over 700 retail locations and multiple channels of distribution. She is experienced in driving global lifestyle brands including Juicy Couture, Ann Taylor, Hanna Andersson, Eddie Bauer and Brittania/ Levi's across men's, women's and children's apparel and non-apparel products with a comprehensive expertise in all aspects of merchandising, sourcing, and product development. Dianne has spent over 20 years in Merchandising as well as her extensive sourcing and production background. She has 2 grown children and resides in Malibu.
Diane M. Reichenberger
Retail
Diane M. Reichenberger is a retail and licensing executive with nearly 25 years of experience and is currently the VP of Liscensing for the U.S. at Mattel Corp. based in El Segundo, California. She is the co-founder and Sr. Advisor of Giiv.com a mobile gifting company backed by Eric Schmidt, Chairman/CEO of Google. Prior to founding Giiv, Inc., Diane served as COO of Rock & Republic, CEO of Dualstar Entertainment Group (a consumer products/entertainment branded lifestyle organization founded on the successful careers of Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen), President of L.A. Gear, Inc., S.V.P. and General Manager - Women's Division of Joe Boxer, Corp. and has held key management positions in several global companies including The Gap, Inc., The North Face, Levi Strauss & Co., Mast Industries and Esprit de Corp. Diane began her career as an analyst for Hewlett-Packard in Cupertino, CA after receiving her B.A. in Business Economics from UC Santa Barbara. Diane dedicates her time and expertise to the non-profit community focusing on organizations that support women and young women’s health and social issues.
John Thaler
Attorney
John H. Thaler is a native of Southern California. In 1986, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy and in International Relations from UCLA. In 1990, John received a Juris Doctor from University of San Diego. Shortly thereafter, John started a law practice in Los Angeles specializing in business contract negotiations and formation and in general business litigation. For the past twenty-two years, John has represented individuals and businesses, including multi-national corporations on matters of contracts, intellectual property rights, real property rights, and finance. John is the author of numerous articles concerning business law and is the author of two books: “The Elements of Small Business” and “The Decline and Fall of California.” In 1992, John co-founded and remains president of Futuredge Music Entertainment, a full service recording label. His work for the label has included production and engineering of full length recordings, joining artists/bands as a musician for live stage performances, and direction of music videos.
Amy Gershoni
Marketing Expert
Amy Gershoni is the Director of Strategy and Founding Partner of Gershoni Creative. A San Francisco based branding agency, Gershoni Creative produces breakthrough strategies for evolving brands.
Since co-founding the agency in 1993, Amy has championed projects for clients including AOL, Apple, BBC, CLIF Bar, Horizon Dairy, Nike, and the Patrón Spirits Company.
Prior to Gershoni, she worked at Wired Magazine, leading PR for Wired, HotWired, and HardWired.
A noted “Woman of the Web” by How Magazine, Amy writes articles for design publications and gives invited lectures on communication and design practices. She is a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, judging the Lifestyle and Politics categories of the Webby Awards. Amy also serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Club of California, the nation’s oldest and largest public affairs forum.