About.
Liz Benedetto
Creative Director
The work doesn't end at launch.
I work across strategy, identity, print, and digital — usually all four on the same project, because they're the same problem at different scales. Something that looks beautiful but isn't strategically grounded doesn't hold. Strategy without craft doesn't move people. And neither survives launch day without someone close enough to measure what's working and keep refining it.
My clients don't share an industry. They share a problem: the work is better than the materials say it is. A law firm, a youth nonprofit, a performing arts foundation, a founder with something real and no way to show it — the sector changes, the diagnosis rarely does. Which is why I start with questions before layouts. Who are you actually talking to, what do they need to understand first, and what has to be true for them to believe you.
I work with a small number of clients at a time — intentionally. My branding work runs through AshbyMade, a studio I run with my daughter Lauren, for founders and organizations ready for deep, integrated work. The strongest identities are built slowly, carefully, and with someone who cares as much about the outcome as you do.
When I'm not working, you'll find me outside with Ernie, our yellow lab, covered in dirt in the garden — or on the court for a competitive game of tennis or pickleball. I come by the competitive streak honestly. It shows up in the work too.
If you're curious what we've built, the portfolio lives here. If you're ready to talk, I'd love to hear what you're working on.
Education
INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION
ONGOING STUDY
AKIMBO, SETH GODIN
FREELANCERS WORKSHOP
MZED
CINEMATOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
POST-BACCALAUREATE
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO
BACHELOR OF ARTS, COMMUNICATION
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY AT ROME
STUDY ABROAD
LOYOLA ACADEMY/UNIVERSITY OF MADRID
STUDY ABROAD
Community
BARRINGTON GARDEN CLUB
MEMBER
BARRINGTON 220 EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
FORMER TRUSTEE
LOYOLA ROME ALUMNI BOARD
FORMER TRUSTEE
Experience.
Over two decades, across six industries and more than sixty engagements — a few of the organizations I've had the privilege of working with.
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Education / Non-Profit
The Trotter Project
Stevenson High School
Stevenson High School Foundation
Barrington 220 Educational Foundation
Exceptional Learners Collaborative (ELC)
IASPA (Illinois Assoc. of School Personnel Administrators)
SEL Summer Institute
Jordan Michael Filler Foundation
Learning Communications
Maine School District 207
Palatine School District 15
Wheeling School District 21
Mindful Waste
Connie Tate, Children’s Author & Roll on Reading
School Climate Consulting
School District 113
School District 15
SEL School Consulting
SEL4IL
Uncharted Learning
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Professional Services
Allure Lash & Beauty
Barrington Area Tennis Assoc. (BATA)
Chicago Yachting Association
Homemade Italian Cooking
Jay Istvan Music
JBL Heating & Cooling
Kemper Lesnik
Kenilworth Dental Associates
Kris Zeile Communications
Magmile Crossfit
Rejuva Medi-Spa
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Design / Construction
Atelier Gary Lee
Gary Lee Partners
Chai Ming Studios
Colliers International Chicago
Grand Traditions Fine Homes
LCM Architects
Lenore Weiss Studios
Lucas Mejia Designs
Prudential Visions Realty
Quincy Construction
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Retail
Padilla Consulting
Bumble + Wax
Goldman Products
Growing Cents of Style
Lighting for Impact
Padilla Retail Consulting
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Legal / Financial Services
Asper Group
Channel Medical Partners
Delta Institute
High Tower Report
John Zummo Law Firm
Levin & Brend Forensic Accounting & Law Firm
Raymond James
The Operand Group
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Events / Promotion
WAMHI (Wellness & Mental Health Institute)
SEL School Consutling
SEL Summer Institute
Kemper Lesnik
Maui Invitational
Naperville Wine Festival
Windy City Wine Festival
Naples Wine Festival
Indiannapolis Wine Festival
Columbus Wine Festival
St. Louis Wine Festival
Milwaukee Wine Festival