Meet the Team

< About the Company

Sarah Best

Sarah Best (CEO/Chief Strategist), along with her team, has won over a dozen awards for her work including best use of a social media platform from Travel + Leisure. ​Her work has been featured in Mashable, TechCrunch, Crain's Chicago Business, National Geographic Traveler, Chicago Tribune, ​and other publications. 

She was tapped to speak at Social Media Week for the MacArthur Foundation, and has been selected twice for SXSW. She is an alumna of New York University, and received a certificate in entrepreneurship from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program at Babson College. She's on the board of several nonprofits.

An avid traveler and multi-faceted creative, Sarah is also a poet who has been published in The Yale Review and Painted Bride Quarterly. As a visual artist and film curator, she has curated programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), Hyde Park Arts Center (Chicago), Mana Contemporary (Chicago / Miami / NJ), Links Hall (Chicago), Chicago Cultural Center, and Echo Park Film Center (Los Angeles). (she/her) 
(LinkedIn)

Jackie Burhans

Jackie Burhans (Senior Strategist) has 15 years of digital strategy experience and focuses on providing thoughtful analysis to formulate KPI-focused, mindful strategies for digital marketing efforts. Jackie’s experience spans leading a team at a Milwaukee-based agency and leading search engine optimization efforts for a Fortune 500 company. Jackie has her Associate in Applied Arts in Graphic Design from Milwaukee Area Technical College and her Bachelor of Science in Advertising from The Art Institute. While design is still a passion of hers, she quickly found a talent for holistic digital strategy and finds great fulfillment in helping elevate positive voices.

Jackie grew up in southeastern Wisconsin, but is now settled in the hills and rivers of the driftless region with her husband and pup. She practices mindful living by teaching yoga and meditation, appreciating the beauty of the world through her camera lens, and co-hosting a mindfulness podcast. An environmentalist at heart, you can usually find her wandering among nature. (she/her)

Collin Quinn Rice

​Collin Quinn Rice (Senior Account Manager) is a performer, photographer, and multimedia artist living in Chicago. Originally from the Milwaukee area, Collin graduated from Northwestern University and they haven’t left Chicago since! With a B.A. in Theatre, an (almost) minor in Gender & Sexuality Studies, and a YouTube education in Photoshop, Collin worked with a number of arts organizations and small businesses in Chicago, quickly finding a niche in content creation and social media marketing. 
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When not scrolling through TikTok or pretending to be other people, Collin can be found knitting sweaters, drinking way too much coffee, or walking their dog, Winona, along Lake Michigan. (they/them) (LinkedIn)

Emily Marso

Emily Marso (Account Manager) built her career working in arts administration and education. With a formal background in marketing, development, and copywriting, and an informal background in funny internet jokes, she’s passionate about connecting the right words to the right audience.

Emily received her B.A. degree in Theatre, Political Science, and Chinese Language and Culture from Northwestern University. Alongside her work with SBS, Emily is also an actor, voiceover artist, and motion capture performer; catch her practicing surgery as Nurse Susie on Chicago Med, protecting the realms as Kitana in Mortal Kombat 11, or soothingly reading you your favorite audiobook. 
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She likes lifting weights, loves chili cheese fries, and can tell you one obscure fact about each U.S. President. (she/her)

Genevra Gallo-Bayiates 

Genevra Gallo-Bayiates (Senior Writer and Content Strategist) has a passion for history and personal narratives. As an unabashed word-nerd, Genevra loves to carefully craft language to tell powerful stories. She has a B.F.A. in Theatre Studies and an M.S.Ed in Educational Psychology, which has led to a work history spanning multiple industries, including for-profit corporations, nonprofit organizations, higher education, and the arts.

​With over 20 years experience, Genevra’s expertise as a writer and editor includes social media copywriting, B2B/B2C marketing and advertising, blog and website content development, fundraising messaging, e-learning storytelling, personal branding, and curriculum design. Their journalism and essays have appeared in CMA Today, Time Out Chicago, the Chicago Red Streak, and Haymarket Books. Her playwriting work has been published by Playscripts, Hope & Nonthings, and Commonplace Books. In their free time, Genevra works on racial and social justice initiatives in her hometown of Evanston, IL. She also enjoys exploring Wisconsin, visiting historical sites, and hiking in state and national parks! (she/they) (LinkedIn)

Heather Bokon

Heather Bokon (Executive Support) is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and spent 15 years as an administrative and executive assistant before striking out on her own as a virtual assistant. A member of the Rescue Desk team in Madison, Heather lives in the Midwest with her husband and 2 rescue dogs, where she spends her limited free time reading, blogging about books, and binging on Netflix with a glass of red wine. (she/her)

Daniel Prohuska

Daniel Prohuska (Strategist) began his career as Sarah Best Strategy's persistent, perpetual intern while he worked on his B.A. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Semesters rolled by, seasons came and went, and an intern he remained. After graduating with degrees in Strategic Communications and History, he jumped at the chance to join the SBS team full time. While he enjoys all sorts of communications tasks, Daniel is most driven by his passion for helping untold stories find their intended audience. 

When he's not on Zoom, Daniel loves hunting for vinyl records, scrolling through obscure Wikipedia articles, and reassuring himself that THIS is the year the Packers win the Super Bowl. (he/him)

Kirstin Roble

Kirstin Roble (Writer) brings a lifelong passion of writing to the Sarah Best Strategy team. An avid writer from a young age, Kirstin has been published in a number of magazines and newspapers, most notably in the Wisconsin Gazette, Modern Singer, Inspired Magazine, and Town News Today. She is proud to bring a wide range of content writing experience to the position, having worked as a social media account manager and content editor for clients around the U.S. She loves to tell the story of each client that she works with. 

​Kirstin's formal training includes degrees in Music Performance with minors in Classical Latin and significant creative writing coursework. Outside of her work as a content writer, Kirstin is a trained classical singer who enjoys a busy performing career in opera, recital, and as a church musician.

​She lives in the Madison area with her fiance, three small dogs, and two cats. Kirstin enjoys reading, perusing consignment shops, playing piano, attending dance classes, traveling, and regular brunch dates with friends. One of Kirstin's bucket-list goals is to live abroad at some point, and she is working on becoming bilingual in German currently. Kirstin welcomes conversations with anyone who wants to help her in that endeavor! (she/her)

​Caitlin Bognar

Caitlin Bognar (Digital Strategist) is an expert digital marketer with 6 years of experience in the field, including agency and corporate work. In her years in the industry, she has become a jack-of-all-trades type individual with a wide range of expertise in paid media, content marketing, and analytics. She loves working with small and large clients by uncovering their goals and creating a holistic, omnichannel marketing plan that spans from strategy, to activation, to optimizations/results. 

Caitlin lives in Milwaukee, WI with her husband, Dave, and their two dogs, Lannie & Lola. They enjoy Wisconsin summers to the fullest attending Brewer games, kayaking, and visiting the beaches of Lake Michigan. She is very competitive and enjoys playing in volleyball and cards leagues, including euchre and cribbage. Outside of work she is a track coach for Shorewood Middle & High Schools. (she/her)

Sam Mueller

Sam Mueller (Writer) is Illinois-born, Florida-raised, and currently splits their time between Chicago and Manhattan. They have always had a deep love of words since writing short stories as a child at their grandmother's kitchen table. A graduate of Northwestern University, Sam majored in playwriting and British literature. They have since gone on to have an 8+ year career in freelance writing for clients ranging from non-profit theaters to boutique fitness.

Sam is also an award-winning playwright whose work primarily explores the search for safety and security to live as one's authentic self. They find a deep joy in working with students; their work has been heard across the Midwest at University of Dayton, Western Michigan University, Columbia College Chicago, and Northwestern University. 

You can often find them writing on public transportation and being in the pit at concerts. (they/she)

Rachel Amoah

Rachel Amoah (Account Manager) has helped various brands manage their digital platforms for over five years, enabling them to generate new leads and scale their businesses. Her love for digital marketing has only grown over the years, and she is very passionate about helping others build their online presence. What she loves most about working in digital marketing is being a "storyteller" to help brands share their values and purpose with their audiences.

Rachel holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. She has worked for several global companies within various industries -- creating and executing content for large corporations and public figures. 

During her free time, when Rachel is not working out or staying up to date on the latest social trends, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. Rachel also loves fashion, make up, reading motivational books, and traveling. One of her favorite places to visit is Ghana, which is where her family is initially from. She is very rooted in her Ghanaian culture and loves educating others about it. (she/her)

​Shaunté Barlow-Gay

Shaunté Barlow-Gay (Writer) loves to write. It helps to soothe her and is the first form of expression she used as a way to express herself as a child. Shaunté has worked in numerous industries, including education, healthcare, and industrial supply. This diversity in focus has helped shape her as a writer. She is also a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

She and her husband recently bought a home and are enjoying homeownership for now (until a hot water heater goes out—which happened one month after moving in!). She and her family love going into Chicago and exploring and experiencing new things through the eyes of her little one.

Shaunté enjoys living life with no regrets and being in the moment.

Maribel Barrera

Maribel Barrera (Account Management Intern) is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Communication Arts with a concentration in Radio, Television, and Film. She has a year of experience in Digital Content Creation and looks forward to engaging with Digital Marketing on a broader scale.

Through her work experience, she feels equipped to continue to do research, write, and create content as needed. Her biggest goal in digital marketing is to ensure she utilizes her content creation abilities to bring awareness to communities that support underrepresented groups and create a better world.

Outside of work, she loves to attend concerts, sporting events, and spending time with her sorority siblings! (she/her)

Strategic Partners

In addition to the team members listed above, we work with a network of strategic partners who extend our team's capacity. These are relationships we've nurtured over many years, and we're happy to share our trusted network with you.

Featured Partners Include:
  • Andy Best, Special Projects Coordinator
  • JinJa Birkenbeuel, Brand Strategy
  • Emmanuel Garcia, Communications Consultant
  • Jennifer Graville Barker, Google Ads and Google Ad Grant Management
  • Emily James, Graphic Design
  • Josh Klemmons, Advertising and Training