Talent. Passion.
Hard work.

Director of Finance & Admin

(she/her)

Erin Dodson 

Director of Project Operations

(they/them)

Burdock Rose

Director of Project Development

(she/her)

Alie Bergen

Creative Director 
& Owner

(she/her)

Lacey Hoff 

Lacey fell in love with the idea of transporting guests into other worlds during her first job as a production assistant in museum and theme park design - and she's tried to avoid creating anything normal ever since.

After gaining international marketing and branding experience through stints with both Universal Studios’ Creative and Warner Bros., this boss-lady soon found a way to combine her skillsets in Experiential Design. She spent five years as the Design Director for an event agency in LA and NYC, executing events for brands such as Harry Potter, Zappos, DC Comics, New Balance and Chapstick. With a passion to be back in the studio, she started Crush Studio in 2016 so that she could build a team focused on the design & production process.

When she isn’t rearranging the office, you can find her working on a home renovation project, camping in the wilderness or practicing Spanish, south of the border.

Director of Finance & Admin

(she/her)

Erin Dodson 

Director of Project Operations

(they/them)

Burdock Rose 

Director of Project Development

(she/her)

Alie Bergen

Creative Director 
& Owner

(she/her)

Lacey Hoff 

Alie’s creative interests drew her to pursue a Fine arts degree, but her natural curiosity and interest in design, fashion and connecting with humans led her to an eclectic path. 

From her first post-college job as a social worker to seven years of freelancing, Alie brings a background in commercial photography, graphic and typography design, people ops, client retention and internet sleuthing. Her love of iridescent items, client communication and a well-designed budget made her a perfect fit for the Crush team. 

When she isn't trying to figure out the team's Enneagram numbers, Alie’s time is filled by caring for her two young boys, hiking and trying new restaurants with her husband.

Director of Finance & Admin

(she/her)

Erin Dodson 

Director of Project Operations

(they/them)

Burdock Rose

Director of Project Development

(she/her)

Alie Bergen

Creative Director 
& Owner

(she/her)

Lacey Hoff 

As a young dreamer, Burdock could be found drawing in the grass, taking photos in the woods, playing guitar or making a mess in art class. While their love of the arts has never diminished, they also grew to deeply love structured systems and order.   

After pursuing an undergraduate art degree, they naturally had to balance this out by getting an MBA. While Burdock’s passion for design work has been featured on Apartment Therapy and in The Modern Caravan by Kate Oliver, they also bring a decade of operations and nonprofit executive leadership experience. They are passionate about people and problem-solving and work to improve project and team systems at Crush, while also developing culture.

When Burdock is not nerding out on business stuff, they are most likely planning a massive DIY project, hanging with their fur babies or gardening with their wife, Heidi.

Director of Finance & Admin

(she/her)

Erin Dodson

Director of Project Operations

(they/them)

Burdock Rose

Director of Project Development

(she/her)

Alie Bergen 

Creative Director 
& Owner

(she/her)

Lacey Hoff 

Whether it was fate or lucky timing, Crush was in need of a left-brainer just as Erin was looking to leave the structure of the corporate world and public accounting. She loves telling stories with numbers and nerds out helping the team make the best possible decisions with cold hard data. A sucker for organization and processes, Erin loves creating order out of chaos.

When she isn’t on her TI-83, you can find her exploring Northern Michigan with her husband and two kiddos, running up and down the sand dunes, swimming in Lake Michigan or dreaming up design schemes for her next house project.

ART DIRECTOR

(she/her)

Gabi King-Lydy

Senior Producer

(she/her)

Felicia Carmany

Project Manager

(she/her)

Hollyann Bucci 

Senior Project Manager

(she/her)

Virginia Sternad 

Starting her career journey in the Guest Services department of an art museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Virginia earned a reputation for being unflappable while managing chaos. 

After following her sister to Colorado, she devoted nearly a decade to managing operations and special projects Boulder ad agency before working on an experiential design project that struck a chord. This spark led her to find Crush, where she is able to combine her love of the arts along with client communications and project wrangling.

When not in worker-bee mode, you’ll find her recharging in her garden with her husband, doodling comics, and reading every book she can get her hands on - preferably with a cat on her lap.

Producer

(she/her)

Brie Rios 

Senior Producer

(she/her)

Felicia Carmany 

Project Manager

(she/her)

Hollyann Bucci 

Senior Project Manager

(she/her)

Virginia Sternad 

Hollyann, a natural communicator and list-maker, started her career in theater production, applying her organizational prowess and her bubbly personality to tackle productions of all sizes with meticulous planning and unwavering determination. Not to be outdone, she started strong out the gate as a Production Assistant at the Kennedy Center in DC. 

With the halt of live production during Covid, Hollyann switched gears from live theater to project management in the tech industry, satisfying her left-brain tendencies but lacking in creativity. She found a blend of both worlds in her role at Crush, combining her management skills and event experience into the wild world of events!


When she isn't assigning task lists, you can find Hollyann reading on her Kindle by the pool, playing with her cat Athena, discovering the weirdest art installations in Denver or checking out a live show.

Art director

(she/her)

Gabi King Lydy

Senior Producer

(she/her)

Felicia Carmany

Project Manager

(she/her)

Hollyann Bucci 

Senior Project Manager

(she/her)

Virginia Sternad

Felicia (or Fe, IYKYK) began her career in Sydney, Australia, working in corporate events on the flipside, before moving back to the States. With a natural affinity for hospitality, she transitioned into the world of specialty coffee and craft beer, managing small businesses and the start of a brewery in San Diego. Felicia went on to explore a calmer side of life, by completing her yoga teacher training, before relocating to Denver in search of a new home and a fresh pursuit.

Starting as a freelancer at Crush, Fe’s willingness to do absolutely anything, coupled with her curiosity and natural leadership, quickly led to her becoming a full-time Producer.

When Fe isn't reminding us all to breathe a little slower, you can find her tending to her 50+ houseplants or traveling. She loves any excuse to visit her besties by the ocean in San Diego.

ART DIRECTOR

(she/her)

Gabi King-Lydy 

Senior Producer

(she/her)

Felicia Carmany

Project Manager

(she/her)

Hollyann Bucci

Senior Project Manager

(she/her)

Virginia Sternad 

Gabi has always had a deep connection to making and creating, even breaking the record for eliciting the most tears from family members with her handmade gifts. She was delighted to learn that she could turn her crafting talent into a career.

A detour from her Journalism degree led her to the visual world of design. Her experience in branding and the dynamic field of experiential marketing allowed her to see how impactful design could be in the real world. As Art Director, Gabi loves developing programs from the initial concept phase and thinking through the full guest experience and finding clever ways to infuse thoughtful details. 

When she isn't doodling in her notes, you can find Gabi swimming in Lake Michigan or exploring the great outdoors with her family and dog. She appreciates good bourbon, crafting and campfires – essentially embodying a very wholesome lumberjack.

Production Manager

(she/her)

Chloe Deakin

Junior Designer

(she/her)

Olivia Hamblin

Senior Designer

(she/her)

Joanna Jayakaran 

Senior Designer

(she/her)

Joanna Jayakaran

After earning a degree in visual communication and working as a graphic designer for several years, Jo ventured into pop-up art shows and murals. This journey led her into the world of production, where she merged her love for painting with set design and the occasional creation of life-sized dinosaur exhibits.

Her work at Crush combines her passion for design and production. In her role, she develops projects from concept sketches and mock-ups, and transforms them into full rooms and installations, always adding that distinctive Crush touch. 

When Jo isn't redesigning our deck templates, you'll find her cooking and obsessing over food, indulging in true crime stories and probably reheating and reinventing a to-go box.

Production Manager

(she/her)

Chloe Deakin

Styling Associate

(she/her)

Olivia Hamblin

Styling Associate

(she/her)

Olivia Titus

Senior Designer

(she/her)

Joanna Jayakaran

Olivia has always honed in on the details of new spaces she encountered - but despite her magnetic attraction to interior spaces, initially pursued a degree in Marketing. Her left-brained career in media was followed by operational roles, but she never abandoned her quest for work that called upon both her meticulous and creative spirit.

Olivia's role at Crush allows her to combine her two worlds as the go-to "sourcer-ess" for any project. She can style a mean bookshelf in minutes, but also loves developing larger art installations and putting all the furniture and decor into a story-driven narrative to set the stage for the full immersive guest experience. 

When she's not immersed in mood boards and spreadsheets, you can find her in the garden, scaling mountains or hunting for vintage treasures.

Production Manager

(she/her)

Chloe Deakin

Junior Designer

(she/her)

Grace Masur

Styling Associate

(she/her)

Olivia Titus

Senior Designer

(she/her)

Joanna Jayakaran

Grace grew up with art woven into every aspect of her learning. Not surprisingly, her passion for the arts persisted throughout her schooling, eventually leading to an internship with Crush during the infamous Winter of 2020, which came to a screeching halt.

As the world resumed, Grace completed four additional design internships before earning her degree in Industrial Design. After graduation, both the mountains and Crush beckoned, and Grace immersed herself once again in the world of experiential design.

When Grace isn't infusing the studio with her positive energy, you can find her exploring creative pursuits off-screen through traditional painting, drawing, knitting and cooking.

Production Manager

(she/her)

Chloe Deakin

Junior Designer

(she/her)

Grace Masur

Styling Associate

(she/her)

Olivia Titus

Senior Designer

(she/her)

Joanna Jayakaran

Chloe's lifelong and diverse creative interests, ranging from fine art to film and music, have evolved into a valuable array of talents she skillfully applies across various fields.

Originally from Tennessee, Chloe found success in the spirits industry, which eventually led her to immerse herself in the vibrant craft beer culture of Colorado. While she still savors a classic West Coast IPA, her true passion lies in rekindling her creative spirit. After attending film school, she embarked on a career in the film and TV industry. Which ultimately led her to Crush. 

When she isn't organizing toolkits or managing inventory, Chloe enjoys watching movies, savoring new craft cocktails, embarking on adventures with her wife and friends, and playing with her two adorable dogs.

Marketing & Communications

(she/her)

Devon Klug

Producer - Special Projects

(she/her)

Lara Thomas

Studio Manager

(they/them)

Taylor Traub 

Project Coordinator

(she/her)

Maia Hanlon

Raised by a single mom, Maia developed a can-do, "anything is possible" attitude early on, and she applies these lessons to everything thrown her way.

After spending a few years immersed in data as a mathematician, Maia was eager to strike a balance between logic and creativity. She then found Crush, where she could explore both, drawing from her analytics background and passion for collaboration and visual storytelling.

When she isn't playing with spreadsheets, you can find her wandering the backcountry, sleeping under the stars, or chasing the golden hour, all with her pup by her side.

Marketing & Communications

(she/her)

Audra Zaba 

Project Coordinator

(she/her)

Maia Hanlon 

Associate Producer

(She/Her)

Audra Zaba

Project Coordinator

(she/her)

Maia Hanlon

Always knowing she wanted to pursue food photography, Audra attended RIT’s Advertising Photography program and spent several years working her way up to studio manager and right-hand gal (or left hand in Audra’s case) on photography sets in Chicago.


Through her on-set work, she fell in love with set building and production and found a knack for rigging any kind of obscure item. Audra now puts her handiwork to use for Crush, and is on most of our installs or is back in our workshop creating paint and materials samples or chasing down fire codes.


If she isn’t buried in a photo project at home, she can be found practicing Krav Maga, catching up on Bravo or out with her new pup, Winnie.

Marketing & Communications

(she/her)

Devon Klug

Producer - Special Projects

(she/her)

Lara Thomas

Associate Producer

(She/Her)

Audra Zaba

Project Coordinator

(she/her)

Maia Hanlon

With a diverse background spanning Los Angeles, New York, Kansas City, and now Denver, Lara has worn many hats — from film producer and commercial AD to creative copywriter, project researcher, website builder and even a dog walker. 

A pro at managing teams of all sizes, all while holding a SAG card, Lara is a master of lists, ensuring every detail is checked off with precision. When Crush faces complex projects, she’s our go-to for wrangling the details. 

Beyond her inbox organization skills, Lara is a sports enthusiast (Rock Chalk Jayhawk!), a documentary buff, a fan of quirky humor, a hands-on creator, and an outdoor adventurer alongside her significant other and their adorable baby daughter.

Marketing & Communications

(she/her)

Devon Klug

Producer - Special Projects

(she/her)

Lara Thomas

Associate Producer

(She/Her)

Audra Zaba

Project Coordinator

(she/her)

Maia Hanlon

A natural-born people person and storyteller with over twelve years of marketing, public relations, communications, and project management experience, Devon Klug has held marketing and PR director roles for hospitality, food and beverage, and lifestyle companies, including Mythology Distillery, Fetch Markets (formerly Denver Flea), and Wagstaff Marketing, a top national public relations and marketing firm. 

When not bopping around town for meetings, photo shoots, or coffee shop work sessions, Devon can be found eating French fries and drinking martinis with friends, spending time outside or planning her next adventure.