Gracie Padrón and Alex Steimle formed Padrón Design Studio in 2017 with the goal of helping primarily performing arts nonprofits, tech startups, and small businesses define their visual brand. Over time, it became clear that nonprofits needed a deeper understanding of digital marketing to reach their diverse audiences. We hired the best designers and marketers in the industry to meet our clients’ needs. This meant expansion beyond graphic design and web development to offer a full lineup of digital marketing services.
With the increased need for digital marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced exponential growth. Nonprofits suddenly needed to expand their digital services to retain their grants.
Padrón Design Studio rebranded into Padrón & Co. in February 2022 because we are not only a design studio, but a full-service marketing agency.
Our hiring structure makes us different by design. Our full-time employees have diverse backgrounds as passionate freelancers or working at nonprofits, small businesses, or agencies. They help decide which clients we bring on board, so you can partner with marketing professionals whose core values align with yours because they have been in your shoes.
Padrón & Co. is a leading creative, marketing, and digital communications agency that helps nonprofits and small businesses make meaningful connections and further their missions.
Branding Consultant | Graphic Design | UI Design | Digital Artist | Web Design & Development
Gracie was born in Camaguey, Cuba, and immigrated at the age of six to Miami with her parents, brother, and whatever possessions they could fit into suitcases. None of them had ever left the island nor spoke English and her parents’ university degrees were suddenly worthless. Her mother managed to find work as a graphic designer in a Spanish-language newspaper for over a decade before cancer forced her to retire early. Gracie spent six years by her bedside in hospitals while also attending her local university and working full time as a designer herself, until her mother was finally declared cancer-free.
In 2016, she was selected to be graphic designer for Houston Grand Opera. She packed up all her belongings once again, this time into her little Hyundai hatchback, and started anew in Houston, Texas. A mere year later, at the age of 26, she had enough contacts and clients to start Padrón Design Studio, which offered digital marketing services to mostly performing arts nonprofits and small businesses.
Her business grew approximately 30% per year, slowly but confidently, until COVID-19. Nonprofits were suddenly forced to pivot to digital marketing to keep their programs alive and 20 new clients joined in 2020 alone. Gracie was forced to hire quickly as she had just given birth to her first son and couldn’t handle the workload. In 2022, the company was renamed Padrón & Co. to better capture the wide range of services offered.
After seven years as founder, creative director, and lead marketing strategist, Gracie and her team have helped over 100 companies grow their causes, raise more money, reach more people in need, and get more visitors to their sites. Her capital campaigns have helped nonprofits bring in over $25 million in donations and grants, and her work with small businesses has helped them bring in over $100 million in new work.
She dedicates every spare second to her wonderful husband Alex, 4-year-old son Matthew, and newborn son Henry.
Digital Marketing & Advertising | Social Media Management | Copywriting & Editing
A not-quite-native Houstonian, Daryl was born in Nuremburg, Germany where her dad was stationed in the U.S. Army. She found her way to Texas as soon as she could and earned her B.A. in Communication and M.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Houston (#GoCoogs).
Daryl has worked in marketing and communications for more than 25 years. Her experience includes positions in television production at KRIV Fox 26; public relations for the Houston Humane Society, Six Flags AstroWorld, and the American Heart Association; and digital marketing for the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston.
She lives in the Meyerland area with her husband (whom she married on the island of St. Thomas via a Carnival Cruise), two teens and two cats. She enjoys reading, baking, and digging in the dirt in her garden.
Internal Processes & Structure Management | Web & Graphic Design | Motion Graphics
Laura has 20+ years of experience in design across various modalities, from special fx make-up and animatronics to custom slipcovers and visual design.
She feels strongly that the design process and design thinking can be leveraged to reach the best solution for clients, regardless of the medium.
STRATEGIC PLANNING | NONPROFIT MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Emily is a multi-talented professional with a passion for language, marketing and communications, and social impact. She holds a degree in Linguistics with a minor in Spanish and has also studied computer-assisted language learning, website design, and website development.
Prior to joining Padron & Co., Emily worked in various fields including sales, communication, and nonprofit management. Upon moving to Houston in 2019, she began working at The Women’s Resource, where she served as the Communications and Development Director and was responsible for creating and executing communication plans and fundraising strategies to support the organization’s mission. She has a strong track record of success in developing and implementing effective communication strategies that drive growth. She is a creative problem solver who is dedicated to making a positive impact on the world.
Originally from West Virginia, Emily fell in love with Houston when she moved to the area. In her free time, she can be found exploring the city, hiking in nearby parks, practicing her dance moves, or spending time with her pets.
COPYWRITING & EDITING | SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT | CONTENT CREATION
A native Texan, Katie grew up in the small Gulf Coast town of Seabrook. She quickly fell in love with water sports and spent most of her free time on or around the water. Her passion for the ocean and marine science led her to complete a B.S. degree in Marine Biology at Texas A&M Galveston – Whoop!
Her interest in science storytelling during her time at Texas A&M, and a short stint at Northeastern University in Boston, inspired her to pursue an M.A. in Public Relations and Communications from the University of Houston. Katie has over six years of copywriting and digital marketing experience. She has worked with notable organizations like ExxonMobil, Shoals Marine Laboratory and Space Center Houston.
Katie is married to her best friend and has one fearless toddler. She is happiest on a boat or underwater, and enjoys nature/wildlife photography, travel, horseback riding, baking and ‘80s music!
Graphic Design
Cori is someone who finds all things interesting and loves to learn, which is how her journey led from theatre arts, to journalism, to studying American Sign Language before she landed on design. She sees the balance of strategy and creativity in many things, especially so in creating quality work for clients.
Cori has primarily worked with nonprofits throughout her career as a designer, both in-house and freelance. She is passionate about putting her skills toward causes that influence social change and make for a better community, especially for her home state of Texas.
She lives in Spring with her husband, border collie, and temperamental cat. She loves discussing movies and TV, going to breweries, collecting cool coffee table books, and drawing.
Brand Development | Graphic Design | Illustration | Web & UX/UI Design
Caitlin grew up in Orange County, California and originally planned to study film directing in college before discovering graphic design. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art & Design. She is a self-taught digital illustrator and has been working in the industry since 2017.
Prior to joining Padrón & Co., she worked as a graphic designer and illustrator with Radiant Digital (for companies such as Chevron and Catalyst). She also spent time working in-house for Prostate Laser Center and Manushag, an Armenian children’s magazine.
Caitlin enjoys writing novels, developing comic books and video games, and has a great love of cinema and filmmaking. She is happily married and is a loving cat mom to Whiskey, Saké, and Gin.
