About Your Hosts
Alicia Disantis, Founder of 38th & Kip Studio and Shaun Bernstein, Founder of the Write Stuff Agency
Get to know the hosts of Branding and the Beast, the American/Canadian duo who argue constantly over who is the "beast."
Connect with Alicia on:
Connect with Shaun on:
Alicia Disantis
Founder of 38th & Kip Studio
Alicia Disantis is traditional fine artist turned brand strategist, graphic designer, and writer. Her studio, 38th & Kip, helps purpose-driven brands who are doing good in the world share their impact and connect with their customers.
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Alicia's first love is design. Her second love is branding and strategic marketing, one that has flourished over the course of a decade of purpose-driven branding and identity work. You can find her pouring over a book on mid-century modern logos, a blog about chocolate packaging design, or engagement strategies of up-and-coming brands.
Alicia is an active participant in the fine arts and exhibits her photos and illustrations in galleries across the United States. In addition, Alicia sits on the Board of Directors for Red Rocks Community College and volunteers for a variety of arts programming in public schools.
Alicia was born and raised in Cleveland, OH and resides in Denver, CO. She has an BA from University of Toledo in Studio Art and an MA from Columbia College Chicago in Media Management, concentration Branding.
She enjoys traveling to and day-dreaming about far-flung places, visiting art museums, and singing rock music.
Shaun Bernstein
Founder of The Write Stuff Agency
Shaun Bernstein describes himself as a journalist-turned-lawyer-turned-storyteller. Try saying that three times fast!
Shaun initially started his career as a journalist, including a graduate diploma in journalism and a prestigious internship at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He learned to write for a variety of different media including newspaper, magazines, radio, television, and online publications. Shaun still credits his journalism training with shaping his keen interest in storytelling, and his desire to get a complicated message across simply and effectively.
Shaun then went to law school, earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Windsor Faculty of Law in 2015, and proceeded to practice as an employment lawyer around the Greater Toronto Area. He represented employers and employees in a variety of issues, and while he loved working with people, he wasn’t cut out for the acrimony of legal practice.
Today, Shaun is over the moon doing what he loves. While he may have never seen himself as an entrepreneur, he’s madly in love with the flexibility of his work, and the ability to help clients across all industries with their unique needs. The business has also expanded, including his co-hosted podcast, Branding and the Beast, and a growing number of courses and public speaking engagements.
When he’s not at a keyboard, Shaun keeps busy networking in his community, serving on various boards including the Durham Community Legal Clinic and the Whitby Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife are also trivia obsessives, and he can usually be found playing weekly at their local brewery, indulging in a virtual game online, or moonlighting for any strong team who needs a ringer.