We are Union We are digital.

Since founding UNION (formerly Studiobanks) in 2002, Banks has leveraged his design degree to lead the agency in crafting meaningful digital marketing experiences for its clients. His creative direction style is a unique mix of analytical thinking, crisp visual aesthetics and a desire to simplify. With a passion for design and technology, Banks leads each aspect of the agency’s business and oversees its talented team of digital professionals.

Since joining UNION (formerly Studiobanks) in 2006, Christy has leveraged her communications degree to lead the agency in delivering meaningful digital marketing experiences for its clients. A problem solver by nature, Christy enjoys crafting digital experiences that help the agency's clients overcome marketing challenges and reach their business objectives. With a focus on delivering results and exceeding expectations for each client engagement, Christy has helped grow UNION into a digital marketing leader in the Southeast.

A tarheel native, Matt oversees creative for the agency and leads a team of talented interactive designers. He brings nearly a decade of problem solving to the team with a background in interactive and print design. His work has been recognized by Communication Arts, The American Advertising Federation, Awwwards, Behance and W3 Awards. 

Christy joined the UNION team after a decade of experience in marketing and project management for national and international brands. Her ability to quickly build rapport, clarify priorities, generate innovative solutions and motivate key stakeholders has achieved measurable results for her clients in a variety of industries and both B2B, B2C environments. In her free time, Christy loves traveling and has been to 24 countries so far and plans to keep increasing that number every chance she gets. She also recently got married to a “ridiculously charming IT dude.”

Megan started her career as a designer, in the trenches – swimming in the mix of technology and art. After a few years in regional advertising agencies, Megan joined Muzak, now Mood Media, and quickly moved up to creative director, leading a team of creatives as part of a full-services marketing team. She now serves as liaison between clients and the creative team to keep projects on track and ensure that delivery is on time and within budget. Outside of the office, you can typically find Megan starting craft projects that she’ll never finish and playing with her dogs.

Melanie joins UNION with more than eight years of digital marketing experience. As an Account Manager, she acts as the client point-of-contact and agency liaison, expertly moving projects from creative visions to engaging interactive platforms, all delivered on time and on budget. Outside of the office, she enjoys hiking with her dog, Coco and teaching weekly dance classes. A former NFL cheerleader for the Carolina Panthers, Melanie is also known to have spontaneous dance breaks.

Matt is a very analytical and numbers-oriented person which lends itself well to his position as a Digital Campaign Strategist. He uses his Google AdWords and Analytics certifications to set up and manage digital marketing campaigns that generate traffic for business’ websites and deliver measurable ROI. He brought four years of experience with him to UNION - a year of which was spent in Spain working with English academies where he managed to find enough free time to run with the bulls in Pamplona and master the art of the siesta. Matt is also our resident brewmaster and spends some of his free time brewing up new types of beer for the team to enjoy after a hard days work.

Katie began building websites when she was ten. A lady never reveals her age—let’s just say she has a LOT of experience. A self-taught developer, Katie is well versed in both front-end technologies and back-end programing languages. She considers API integration part of a balanced breakfast. Katie attended the UNC-Charlotte, where she studied Chemistry for a lot longer than she probably should have. When she is not knee-deep in code, the former national champion speed skater enjoys playing roller derby for the Charlotte Roller Girls.

As one of UNION's Technology Leads, Matt works to create powerfully functional digital marketing experiences using his expertise in front-end and server-side programming. Prior to joining UNION, Matt graduated from Central Piedmont Community College with a degree in web technologies and put his skills to work with the interactive department at Speed TV. Prior to moving to Charlotte, Matt lived in Pennsylvania, Chicago, Tennessee and New Jersey - and you can still find him wearing his hometown Steelers gear most days in the office.

Jason brings over 8 years of digital marketing and web development experience to UNION and has worn many hats in the process. From maintaining web servers, to building websites & running Adwords campaigns, Jason is well-versed in all things digital. Outside of work, Jason spends time with his wife and two children, and enjoying the local brewery scene.

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Matt started out by joining the United States Air Force where he became a B-1B Bomber Mechanic and Crew Chief with Top Secret security clearance. After leaving the the military, Matt taught himself to code where he spent many years in freelance honing and refining his skill set. Matt eventually decided to move to the agency life which he says he enjoys very much. In his free time you can find Matt studying and researching the exciting world InfoSec and Pen Testing.

As a native Charlottean, Caroline is thrilled to return to her hometown and join the UNION team. She brings more than eight years of digital marketing experience working with brands such as Coca-Cola, Beam Suntory, Belk, and Mary Kay. She enjoys pairing creative problem solving with an acute attention to detail to turn vision into reality and exceed client expectations. In her free time, you’ll find her exploring the local food scene and on a perpetual quest to discover the best BBQ around.

With nearly 6 years of experience between live and digital production, Mallory has a proven track record of working with teams to produce excellent work on time and within budget. She has worked with clients such as Mack Trucks, MetLife, Regal Boats and NAPA Filters to achieve their business objectives through stunning digital experiences. Outside of the studio, Mallory enjoys hang time with her Australian Shepherd, pints at local breweries and the occasional songwriting session with her husband.

A graduate of NC State University, Emily joined the team as an Account Coordinator. Prior to joining UNION, she worked with some of the region’s most notable brands, including Bank of America, Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, Truliant Federal Credit Union, UNC Charlotte, Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation and Victory Motorcycles. Outside of the office, you can find her every Saturday volunteering with Catering to Cats and Dogs animal rescue group.

After graduating from The University of Alabama, where she studied advertising and business, Shannon decided to return to her hometown to pursue a career in client relations and account management. She's driven to serve the agency’s clients and helping them to solve their marketing challenges with innovative and creative solutions. In her spare time, she enjoys being active outdoors and often trying out new recipes that she has found on Pinterest. During the fall you will most likely find Shannon cheering on her favorite team - the Crimson Tide.

With a background in digital marketing account management, Alex comes back to his hometown from Nashville, Tennessee. Rooted in the creative, yet oriented toward process and organization, Alex has worn many hats throughout his career, from project management and new business development to copywriting and social media campaigns. This diverse experience allows him to visualize clients' ideas and see the big picture, while simultaneously utilizing his organizational skills to guide a project from an the original idea to the final product. In his spare time, he enjoys the gifts that the South has to offer such as country music, college football and spending time outdoors with his wife and his dog.

As a Pennsylvania native, Morgan moved to North Carolina to attend UNC Charlotte where she studied Marketing and Analytics while competing as a D1 athlete in Cross Country and Track. Bringing with her a wealth of internship experience and a deep-rooted passion for marketing, Morgan is capable of delivering thought out solutions for our clients that accomplish their goals. When she’s not in the office organizing and planning she enjoys being outside golfing, running, or discovering “cute” cafes. Make sure to check out her self-grown Charlotte Lifestyle instagram and blog - J’adore Charlotte.

Originally from Maryland, Riley decided to stay in the South and move to Charlotte after obtaining her degree in advertising from the University of South Carolina. Ambitious and success driven, she is excited about the opportunity to use her experience and design background to solve problems for our clients in creative, innovative ways. Outside of work, Riley enjoys reading, trying her hand at DIY projects, playing guitar and singing.

With more than four years of experience crafting digital strategies, Katie has been a great addition to the team. She spends most of her days working with clients to create and manage digital marketing campaigns that drive highly qualified visitors to their websites. Interested in how all aspects of digital marketing work together, Katie brings a comprehensive approach to her campaigns work.

Armed with a graduate degree in History, Katie is our resident history buff and fact-checker. During the weekends, you can usually find her checking out new restaurants with her husband, and trying to provide her puppy with enough exercise so she'll stop destroying her shoes.

Mike brings with him a wealth of marketing strategy experience from search engine marketing and social media advertising to analytics and other digital specific tactics. While obtaining his degree in Managerial Marketing from Kent State University, Mike began crafting new marketing strategies for local businesses through KSU’s community partnerships and the American Marketing Association. Mike positions our campaigns to drive high quality traffic through a combination of SEM, Social and Inbound digital tactics. In his free time, you can find Mike enjoying the outdoors and exploring Charlotte’s diverse brewery scene.

With three years of experience in analytics and paid search, Josh provides our campaign accounts with more insight and depth on a daily basis. Certified in Google Analytics, Advanced Search and Display Advertising, he has a keen eye for the metrics that matter.

A graduate of UNC Charlotte, Josh previously worked as a Marketing Analyst, building the foundation for strong marketing campaigns using paid search, paid social, SEO, email marketing and other digital tactics.

Outside of the office, Josh enjoys spending time with his family, getting outdoors and trying out new restaurants and craft beer.

A true Mountaineer, Taylor was raised in Boone, NC where he graduated from Appalachian State University with his bachelor’s in Marketing and MBA in Business Analytics. With a passion for analytics focused marketing, Taylor provides valuable data-based decision making for our clients that delivers desired results. When he’s not analyzing information, you can find Taylor adjusting to city-life and soaking up the Charlotte culture, cheering on both the Panthers and the Hornets.

Derrick treats every project, whether it’s an icon set or a website layout, as an opportunity to learn and grow as a designer. Derrick graduated from UNC-Charlotte with a BFA in graphic design and after starting as an intern, got his first design job here at UNION. Derrick was born and raised right here in North Carolina. Outside of the studio, he spends his time playing and watching basketball, collecting posters and screen printing and playing and learning how to make video games.

Jay studied at Winthrop University where he focused on Visual Communications Design. After seven years of experience in digital and web design and over 150 websites later, Jay joins the team to craft top-notch user experiences with a mobile first mentality. Outside of work Jay is passionate about music, having played both the electric and orchestral bass since he was ten years old. He most recently focused his musical efforts on recording and composing vs. performing. Don’t let his slick hairstyle and laid-back creative nature fool you; Jay is a die hard Carolina Panthers fan and has not missed a game in over five years.

If there’s a conversation about soccer in the office, you can bet that Matt’s involved. After playing for most of his life, he is known to suddenly stand up and dribble a soccer ball around the office. His favorite team is Arsenal F.C. (their fans actually refer to themselves as “Gooners”), which means that he and our resident Chelsea F.C. fan have a healthy rivalry.

With a background in design and development, Matt brings a keen understanding of how beautiful design can be translated into functional code. Before joining UNION as a Senior Developer, he was the Digital Team Lead at Luquire George Andrews and a designer/developer at the Charlotte Observer. 

Outside of the office, Matt spends most of his time with his wife and two children. As you may have guessed, you can also find him playing soccer as much as possible.

Coming from a background in videography, Brandon has a unique perspective on how he writes code. Looking at problems from an artistic point of view rather than that of an engineer, he is often able to find solutions where traditional developers might see limitations. The combination of Brandon’s love of creating things and his wife’s love of Pinterest keeps him busy in his free time crafting pieces for their home. He once successfully replaced the head gasket on his car by watching youtube videos, but vows to take it to a professional next time.

After graduating from Full Sail University with a degree in Digital Arts and Design, Jeff completed the Iron Yard’s intensive programming course. In addition to his appreciation of usability and interaction design, he is also passionate about the idea of making great design come to life. An avid soccer fan, Jeff spends most of his weekends trying to watch as much soccer as possible.

A South Carolina native, Kaity recently relocated from Columbia to the better Carolina to continue her pursuit of creative and technical knowledge. After graduating from Columbia College with a degree in Studio Art, she pushed beyond the boundaries of her graphic design and marketing background to complete Tech Talent South’s full-stack code immersion program. With that experience in tow, Kaity has an eye for clean, practical design with strong consideration for user experience and interactivity. When she isn’t knee deep in code, Kaity enjoys cooking and baking from her carefully curated Pinterest recipe arsenal and trying any new craft beer she can get her hands on.

Born and raised in California, Allan moved to North Carolina over a decade ago. Initially self-taught, Allan decided to advance his programming skills by attending an intensive course at The Iron Yard. After completing the course, he spent a year freelancing before joining the UNION team. He loves playing guitar in his spare time and enjoys watching as much football and soccer that he can on the weekends.

Originally from Izmir, Turkey, Alper is now a proud Charlottean having lived in the area for over 10 years. Alper’s passion for technology started as a kid, having first touched a keyboard on an IBM 386 high tower system. Since then, he has spent years in entrepreneurial and startup businesses thinking through how to integrate technology with design and deliver incredible user experiences. Outside of work you may find Alper partaking in a number of different activities from cycling to reading and even playing guitar.

Born and raised in Oakland, CA but living in Portland, OR for the last decade, Patrick joins our team bringing over six years of professional development experience with him. A self taught developer, Patrick graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Digital Arts. When he’s not indoors coding or binging on the latest Netflix series, Patrick loves exploring the great outdoors. Patrick also embraces the label of a hometown fan as he avidly supports his Giants, 49ers, and Warriors.

With more than 5 years of experience and a business degree from the University of Virginia, Franco began his programming career in an unusual way — responding to a friend’s bet that he couldn’t build his own iPhone game. Six months later, his first game, RockSlide, debuted in the App Store and his new career had begun. In addition to being a talented developer, he also enjoyed a successful baseball career, participating in the College World Series and playing two years in the minor leagues. Despite four knee surgeries, Franco remains our most athletic team member.

Pixel fills the valuable role of the four-legged Director of Distraction at UNION. With the stereotypical energy of a Jack Russell, Pixel can usually be found wandering the office looking for leftovers in the trash and making puppy faces in hopes of getting a treat. As one of the newer members of the team, Pixel has been a welcomed addition to the office and provides the occasional much-needed distraction and fun on the busy workdays.