More than just a marketing agency.
An Introduction
Welcome to WE INC. Marketing, where our story is as unique as our approach to marketing. Founded by Kara Whittington, a seasoned marketing pro with over 20 years of experience in arts marketing, this journey began in the vibrant landscapes of Los Angeles before finding roots in the cultural epicenter of San Francisco. In 2015, Kara made a pivotal decision to transition from her role at the prestigious de Young Museum to embark on a full-time consulting venture, driven by a deep-seated commitment to empowering meaningful causes and taking better care of herself.
At WE INC., we pride ourselves on being more than just a marketing agency. As a women-owned and women-led collective, we are dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where women can thrive professionally without sacrificing their well-being. Inspired by her own journey as a mother of two daughters and health issues, Kara is determined to redefine the norms of traditional work structures, offering flexibility and autonomy to women who seek to make a difference while prioritizing their families and personal lives.
Our mission goes beyond profit margins; it's about creating meaningful connections and driving positive change in our communities. We believe in quality over quantity, approaching each project with attention to detail and unwavering dedication. With a commitment to work-life balance and well-being for both our team and our clients, we invite you to join us on this transformative journey. Together, let's elevate your brand and make a lasting impact.
We’re glad you’re here. Take a moment to turn up your mouth corners and smile, take a deep breath, and relax your shoulders. This life is a gift and we’re grateful you’ve found us.
We’re glad you’re here. Take a moment to turn up your mouth corners and smile, take a deep breath, and relax your shoulders. This life is a gift and we’re grateful you’ve found us.
Meet the Team
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Kara Whittington
CEO & FOUNDER
Kara Whittington has over 20 years of experience in B2C marketing, specializing in the arts and cultural industry in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. She is the founder and president of WE INC. Marketing (previously Whittington Enterprises Inc.) and has built a reputation as one of the foremost marketing consulting agencies in the Bay Area. Kara offers a comprehensive approach to driving visitation and engagement across digital and traditional marketing campaigns. Her background in ticketing, including with dynamic/variable pricing, has accelerated revenue for the advertising campaigns she has led for major arts institutions in San Francisco including the San Francisco Symphony, the de Young and Legion of Honor museums, SFMOMA, among others. Working with talented subcontractors, Kara brings additional specialist support with every project to ensure the needs of each of her clients are met and exceeded. Kara enjoys cooking and gardening, practicing yoga and meditation, hiking, reading, and spending time with her husband, two daughters, and extended family, making the most of each day we are gifted with this beautiful opportunity to live fully.
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Sarah Owens
MARKETING CONSULTANT
Sarah Owens has over 15 years of experience in marketing, membership, and fundraising, for nonprofits in the Bay Area including the Exploratorium, California Academy of Sciences, and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Her thought leadership has been featured in Museum Membership Innovation: Unlocking Ideas for Audience Engagement and Sustainable Revenue by Rosie Siemer, and she currently serves as a senior consultant for FIVESEED, an organization focused on membership research and strategy for nonprofit organizations, museums, and performing arts organizations. Sarah’s secret superpower is supersonic hearing, she uses her uncanny listening powers to connect deeply with clients, facilitating collaborative and impactful partnerships. On the weekend you can always find Sarah on adventure, whether she’s traveling somewhere new or taking a culinary journey through a local cooking class.
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Jennifer Hubbartt
MARKETING CONSULTANT
Jennifer Hubbartt has over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications for arts organizations including the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Community College Arts Center, and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. From 2006-2024 she served as the Director of Marketing & Communications for First Stage, one of the nation's most acclaimed theaters for young audiences and families. Jennifer has a B.S. in Music and an MBA in Arts Management. Her secret superpower is shapeshifting. She uses this magic ability to adapt in the blink of an eye, making her not just a marketer but also a coach, collaborator, moderator, researcher, analyst, and so much more! On the weekend, you’ll catch (if you can keep up) Jennifer training for her next distance running or triathlon event.
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Shana Olson
MARKETING PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT
Shana Olson has over 15 years of experience in marketing and advertising. She has a broad range of experience in the field, from leading the marketing efforts in-house at Five Little Monkeys Toy Store, and agency experience as an Associate Director, Account Management at Just Global, an integrated advertising agency built to service the world’s most impactful B2B brands. In 2021 Shana completed an MBA in Marketing Management and received an Outstanding Academic Achievement Award. Her secret superpower is telepathy. She has an otherworldly ability to know exactly what her clients and team members need before they even realize they need it. This power also makes her a natural connector, and fabulous friend. On the weekend, Shana spends quality time with her husband and three kids, enjoying the beach, visiting new places, and playing board games.
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Nicolette Yarbrough
EMAIL & SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING CONSULTANT
Nicolette Yarbrough is a dynamic marketing professional with 6 years of experience in the performing arts and education sectors. Since founding her online business in 2018, she’s crafted digital content strategies for organizations like the music education startup Trala and the Oregon Symphony. Specializing in community-centered marketing, Nicolette has a knack for connecting brands with their audiences through video trends, user-generated content, and engaging emails. When she’s not working up the next great reel, she’s probably writing music with her partner at their home studio in Portland, Oregon.
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Fran Jamison
MARKETING CONSULTANT
Fran Jamison has 12 years of experience heading up marketing for performing arts organizations including the Oregon Symphony, ODC, San Francisco Ballet, Tobacco Factory Theaters, and Travelling Light Theater Company. Fran currently serves as the Director of Marketing & Communications for the Britt Music & Arts Festivals. She has a BA in Drama & Theater and an MA in Creative Producing. Fran’s secret superpower is her x-ray vision. She can see through all the chaos of a project, straight through to the big picture. These powers mean she’s often the first to spot potential problems with a plan, giving everyone time to course correct before they arise. On the weekend Fran prioritizes time with her sweet and sassy 3-year-old daughter, doing yoga, and going on walks with Scout, her Australian Shepherd.
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Katie Booth
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING CONSULTANT
Katie has over 12 years of experience in social media and digital marketing. She got her start in the Bay Area at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art where she served as their social media manager for 5 years. Since then, she’s consulted with a diverse array of brands including Artwrld, Club Fugazi SF, Stanford University, Curate Art Group, Dorothy Circus Gallery, Mercury Soul, and Merola Opera House. Katie’s secret superpower is teleportation. Her powerful knack for digital storytelling truly transports people through space and time. On the weekends, she loves shopping for vintage furniture, trying new restaurants, and taking her beloved pup Frankie to the dog park.
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Charlotte Sidey
MARKETING CONSULTANT
With 13 years of experience, Charlotte spent the formative first half of her marketing career at nonprofit arts organizations, including the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and Oakland Museum of California. The second half of her career has been spent at Salesforce, working within the brand marketing organization, dabbling across market research, operations, events marketing, and marketing technology teams. She has a BA in Art History and French, and is currently pursuing her PMP certification. Charlotte's secret superpower is wind magic. She's able to put fires out swiftly, change directions whenever needed, make work easy-breezy for the team, and orchestrate projects so that they wrap up with a soft landing. On the weekend, Charlotte can be found reading, adventuring around with her 2.5-year-old toddler, and chasing a new PR on her Peloton.
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Kalie Souknary
MARKETING CONSULTANT
Kalie has over 8 years of experience in content marketing. Since receiving her BA in Communications, she has held a diverse array of content-related roles including social media, copywriting, email, strategy, and management, making Kalie a well-rounded leader in the field. In 2022 Kalie became a licensed real estate agent, adding another tool to her belt, and a fresh dimension to her career. Her secret superpower is flight. As she looks down from the sky she’s able to keep a birds-eye-view of trends, making sure she always has a finger on the cultural pulse. Plus, she loves to travel so it comes in handy for that too. On the weekends, you’ll find Kalie hiking with Oreo, her beloved border collie, paddleboarding, or catching up on sleep.
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Caroline Thompson
MEDIA BUYER
Caroline Thompson brings 25+ years of agency experience in media strategy and planning for entertainment and lifestyle accounts. Working with a variety of premium brands across North America, she has developed and managed successful campaigns for long-term clients including Disney Theatrical Productions and Wicked. Caroline believes that a message has to be received at least three times to drive impact, and to effectively reach the desired audience, advertisers must integrate the right media mix into the overall strategy.
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Momina Asif
SEO & CONTENT SPECIALIST
Momina Asif is a freelance content writer specializing in creating SEO-optimized, research-driven content for B2B and B2C SaaS companies. Her expertise has been instrumental in driving significant results, including a 125% increase in website traffic and generating approximately $10,000 annually through a single blog post. Momina's work is characterized by its strategic focus, rigorous research, and measurable impact. Currently pursuing her MPhil in Mass Communications, Momina is interested in working with impact-based organizations and NGOs where her work can be purposeful and transformative. Her academic research critically examines power structures and their role in maintaining gender inequalities, reflecting her dedication to social justice and advocacy. Momina envisions a future where she leverages her marketing expertise and passion for change to support non-profits, amplifying their missions and driving meaningful impact."
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Lindsay Wright
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT
Lindsay Wright is a seasoned communications professional with over 15 years of experience working with a diverse range of clients and organizations, including nonprofits, museums, travel bureaus, hospitality organizations, food & beverage purveyors, higher education institutions, and tech PR agencies. Passionate about leveraging storytelling and strategic messaging to effect positive change, Lindsay has expertise in editorial strategy, media relations, public relations, community engagement, copywriting, change and crisis management, marketing campaigns, and branding. Lindsay's secret superpower is atmokinesis — yes, she can make it rain with press coverage and dispel storms amidst any crisis communications scenario. On the weekend, Lindsay loves exploring all that Oakland has to offer with her husband and two-year-old son, who keeps her on her toes.
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Grace Gornall
CHIEF OF STAFF
Grace Gornall is a versatile leader with over 10 years of experience working across B-corps, tech companies, and nonprofits, including roles at the California Academy of Sciences, Grove Collaborative, and Trusted CMO. Passionate about sustainability and impactful initiatives, Grace specializes in project management, operational strategy, and cross-functional collaboration.
Grace’s secret superpower is adaptability — she thrives in fast-paced environments, balancing team needs with creative solutions. On the weekends, Grace enjoys exploring northern Napa Valley’s pumpkin patches and historic sites with her two young boys, traveling, and tapping into her creative side as a former actor and improv teacher.
Want to join our collective?
Email us why at hello@weincmarketing.com
The heart of WE INC. Marketing
At WE INC. Marketing, our culture is built on a foundation of inclusivity, empowerment, and collaboration. We want to live in a world that supports women, mothers, children, disabled, and LGBTQ+ communities. And so, we’re redefining what it means to work in this space, empowering women on our team to show up in their lives on their own terms. We embrace leadership principles that value empathy, intuition, and compassion in our approach to business. Our team is a supportive community that celebrates each other's successes and lifts each other up during challenges. We believe in offering competitive pay and incentives, along with flexible schedules that accommodate the diverse needs of our team members. As we continue to grow, we're committed to expanding our benefits package to include charity contribution matching and opportunities for professional development, ensuring that each team member has the resources they need to thrive personally and professionally. Experience the difference of working with a team that prioritizes your well-being and success.
What our clients have to say about us
Our Values
At WE INC. Marketing, we firmly believe and uphold our company values, both internally and in our interactions with our clients.
WE are people first. Our culture is one of kindness and understanding as we all try to navigate life’s challenges with grace and humor. Many of us are working parents so we understand that staying flexible & adaptable is key to flourishing professionally and personally.
WE are accountable. Our clients count on us, and we don’t take their trust for granted. We take ownership of our work, and have the integrity to remediate any issues that arise.
WE are collaborative. Good marketing is a team sport and we work hard to foster a collaborative environment internally, as well as with our clients, working as an extension of their team.
WE are experts. Our team consists of industry veterans with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We have worked both in-house and as consultants for leading institutions and have developed deep expertise in our field, bringing a unique, well-rounded perspective to our clients.
WE are curious. We approach challenges with curiosity and empathy, leveraging data-driven insights while considering diverse perspectives and experiences. Keeping a growth mindset is part of what sets our team apart.
It’s critical that our clients and partners align with these values. That may mean WE aren’t a fit for everyone, and not everyone is a fit for us. If this is the case, we are always happy to recommend other incredible freelancers or agencies in our network.
Our Partners
Paid Digital Advertising Preferred Partner
Traditional Media Buyer Preferred Partner
Interested in partnering with complimentary services?