We're Anything But Conventional
When you combine courage with marketing expertise and true grit, powerful things can happen.
KSA was founded in 2011 by Katie Schibler Conn to serve various needs of PepsiCo and PlayStation. Over the years, KSA evolved to be a fully integrated agency serving clients in industries as diverse as economic development, education, healthcare, and legacy consumer brands. Has it been a bit bumpy? Hell, yeah. At times, it’s been an absolute sh*t show! But that’s part of the fun.
Our scrappy, kick-ass approach has served us well and earned us a reputation for getting sh*t done — and done right. In the complex world of marketing, we bring uncommon insight and truly creative solutions. We are champions for change with the courage to break sh*t that isn’t working, the tenacity to fix sh*t that needs fixing, and the honesty to own our sh*t when necessary.
We embrace a diversity of people and perspectives because we know that open minds generate better solutions.
Katie Schibler Conn, Founder
KSA’s story is tightly linked to the story of its founder, Katie Schibler Conn. Katie has spent most of her career working on creative and strategic marketing initiatives to support organizations in the food and beverage, manufacturing, tourism, and economic development industries.
After working for more than a decade on marketing initiatives for global brands, Katie traded in her BlackBerry for a backpack to travel around the world. Her journey started in Peru and ended in Uzbekistan, with months spent learning and appreciating local food practices, farming, and distribution. Three months living in Mongolia on farms raising yaks, goats, and sheep ultimately led Katie back to rural Rhode Island.
Within 48 hours of returning to the U.S., an old client from Pepsi called. From there, KSA was born and Katie was on her greatest adventure yet.
Katie is an alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. Providence Business News honored her as the 2021 Creative Services Woman to Watch, and Katie was recognized by Enterprising Women Magazine as a 2022 Enterprising Woman. She is a corporator for Bank Newport and holds multiple board positions with Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England, Enterprising Women, the Providence University Club, and NAF Career academies.
Leadership
With over 35 years of experience, Ron is an award-winning advertising, marketing, and media strategist. His expertise lies in integrated marketing, encompassing Broadcast, Print, and Digital innovative strategies. Throughout his career, he consistently demonstrated his leadership abilities by driving revenue growth and surpassing goals in the dynamic media industry. As a proven leader, Ron is dedicated to creating long-term, trusted partnerships, reflecting his passion for delivering impactful and strategic marketing campaigns.
Ron Comer
Client Services Director
Susan has been instrumental in developing KSA’s team processes and training and actively helps shape the agency’s culture, highlighting diversity, equity, employee engagement, and satisfaction within the organization.
Susan Rentz
Director of People
Laura is an award-winning creative leader and designer with over 20 years of experience creating 360° brand campaigns for CPG, spirits, luxury, and retail brands such as Pepsi, Kellogg’s, Mars Chocolate, and Family Dollar. She has worked across various disciplines, including digital strategy, direct marketing, marketing strategy, digital marketing, and corporate identity. Laura’s creative leadership and design expertise have significantly impacted KSA.
