We're an adventurous live art, illustration and animation team.

We have artist hubs in Portland, Chicago and London and we work all over the world.

Our talented crew specializes in graphic recording, illustration, animation and live art. We are fluent in brand marketing and have a passion for process. We value and offer partnership, strategic thinking and excellent co-creative experiences.

Urban Wild Studio is committed to a culture and world of inclusion and belonging where all individuals can thrive professionally and personally.

We work to create and contribute to spaces and environments in which all people can contribute their skills, talents and wisdom. We stay open minded, we ask questions, we listen.

We seek out working relationships, collaborators, clients and projects that align with these commitments and aims, so that we may lend our time, skills, talent and wisdom to work that does the same whenever possible.

Leah Lavelle,
Founder + Creative Director

Leah is a human-centered creative thinker and storyteller who loves to ask questions. At Urban Wild Studio, she focuses on the strategy of surfacing key messages and matching a story to an audience with clear, engaging visuals. She loves to collaborate to see art and design at work in new ways, among fresh audiences.

Prior to focusing on Urban Wild Studio, Leah spent 10 years at Whole Foods Market working on a spectrum of projects in global tech change management, marketing and design.

Leah's background as an artist, graphic designer, journalist and photographer allows her to partner with agencies, organizations and individuals on a wide range of endeavors.

Clients have included The United Nations, Google, Nike and many more retail, high tech, media and nonprofits around the world.

When she’s not working, find Leah outdoors, traveling or writing and people-watching over a good cup of coffee.

Kenzie Fox,
Creative Lead

Kenzie feels deeply, thinks creatively, and draws constantly. 

Here at Urban Wild Studio, she focuses on creative direction and illustration to maximize output of curated, custom visual storytelling. Working in an abundance of illustrative styles is her game, and she loves to play. She uses her strengths to help our team capture big ideas and make them shine.

Her background as a Division II college soccer national champion, Grand Valley State University BFA graduate, and greeting card illustrator has culminated into a fun-loving, people-centered, team-player personality that thrives when collaborating to reach new creative heights. 

Kenzie spends her time outside of Urban Wild Studio illustrating greeting cards for Good Juju Ink. When she’s not working, find her outside with her Bernese Mountain Dog, Bruin, or curating yet another Spotify playlist (coffee in hand).

Julia Bakay,
Graphic Recording Artist

Julia spent her early career studying and taking creative roles all over Europe and the US, seizing any opportunity to try herself in something new. After gaining a diverse set of work experiences and completing degrees in Art, English, Education and Leadership, she found her passion in graphic recording and joined our team.

Julia loves getting into the WHY of things, discovering systems, and coming up with logical ways and witty visuals to map out information. She enjoys working in a wide range of styles and diving into different topics through our work.

Her life is much like her graphic recording: well-organized, yet creative and always ready to go with the flow. When not traveling and working on her tablet, she is most likely to be found hiking, camping or swing dancing.

Jill Archer, Artist

Jill began her career as a commercial artist for advertising agencies in Seattle, evolved into user experience and web development, and now focuses on graphic recording and design consulting. She has always been a graphic storyteller in one form or another—with extensive experience drawing for non-profits, universities, corporations, and small business.

Jill listens well and draws large. She revels in turning words into shapes so that they reflect new meaning and ways of thinking. She understands that ideas are seen in a new light when they’re drawn, revealing new angles to any issue. Jill regularly helps clients capture strengths, emergent thinking and high-reaching plans.