Replace ME
We strive to help our clients conceive, develop, and design content that meets the highest standards of intellectual, editorial, and visual integrity.
We also endeavor to create a collaborative workplace where world-class editorial, graphic design, and video experts feel valued and can do their best work.
Separate from the pack
Why we’re different
We’ve been creating content for DECADES
Before content was a buzzword, we worked for and with thought leaders from leading organizations such as the McKinsey Quarterly, Deloitte, and Smithsonian magazine to bring ideas to life. Content is our lives’ work.
We excel at SIMPLIFYING the complex
We take complex topics and transform them into compelling, narrative-driven stories. Our industry experience ranges from technology and cybersecurity to healthcare and financial services.
We know what GOOD looks like
At Leff, we are more than a little obsessed with quality. We take an audience-first approach and pair it with razor-sharp logic to create compelling narratives and design.
We take the pain out of creating GREAT content
Our proven processes provide the structure and transparency you need to set expectations about the resources and time required for success. And we deliver on time and on budget.
We PERSIST until it’s great
There’s always a way. Give us your raw data and research, your rough drafts and abstract concepts, and we will work to exceed your expectations. We do what we say we’re going to do, ask a lot of questions, and push back when necessary in our relentless pursuit of quality.
Meet Leff
Our team
We work hard for our clients and we work together, and we think that shines through in the final product. If you walk into Leff you’re sure to hear the clicks from our keyboards, a lot of laughter, and the crackle of vinyl. And if it’s happy hour, the clink of a glass or two.
Rebekah Ayers
Editorial Associate
Rebekah joined Leff in May 2022 as an editorial associate. With a background in English literature, she works as a copy editor and proofreader on a variety of projects, but she especially enjoys jumping in on the odd jobs of editing that come to her desk. When she is not getting into the nitty gritty of grammar and structure, Rebekah enjoys writing poetry, reading Victorian and fantasy novels, and hiking in the overgrown woods of western Pennsylvania.
What she’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Gregory Alan Isakov, This Empty Northern Hemisphere
The Beatles, White Album
Caamp, By and By
Tyler Childers, Purgatory
Megan Baggett
Design Associate
Jennifer Bulat
Managing Editor
she/her
Jen joined Leff in November 2020. She loves working with words and previously manned and managed copy desks for newspapers, magazines, and B2B products. When she’s not moving things through Leff’s robust production pipeline, she’s usually reading fiction, watching documentaries, or solving or creating crossword puzzles, most likely with ’80s music playing in the background.
What she’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, Couldn't Stand the Weather
Prince, 1999
Sarah Bell
Project Manager
she/her
Sarah joined Leff in November 2021 as a project manager. Prior to joining Leff, she worked in immigration law as a writer, editor, and case manager. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, hiking, watching video essays, and baking.
What she’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Neon Trees, Picture Show
Fall Out Boy, Folie à Deux
The Black Keys, Brothers
Luke Collins
SVP, Content Strategy
he/him
Luke joined Leff in May 2021 to oversee thought leadership and content strategy. He was a print journalist in his native Australia before stumbling into thought leadership. Since then, he has held roles including as an executive editor at McKinsey & Company, as a leader of Deloitte Insights, and as the Global Editor-in-Chief at EY. Luke moved to the States in 2001, married a western New Yorker, and now has two sons. He still remains loyal to cricket and Aussie Rules Football (AFL), meat pies, and Vegemite (not necessarily in that order).
What he’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Phil Collins, No Jacket Required
Margaret Currie
Editor
Margaret joined the Leff team in April 2021. She has previous experience as an independent communications consultant in the nonprofit sector, working primarily with colleges and universities in student recruitment and fundraising.
What she’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Jethro Tull, Aqualung
Joe Danca
Group Account Director
Before joining Leff in 2021, Joe led client services in print and merchandising for retail consumer goods and quick-service restaurants. Then, as the director of marketing for a healthcare university, he discovered his passion for operations. He is energized by combining his passion for both of those areas to help clients and colleagues reach their strategic goals. A Chicago native and dog person with a cat, he met his wife while living in Toronto and enjoys consuming music, following sports, traveling while eating, organizing things, and playing any kind of card game.
What he’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Aerosmith, Big Ones
The Killers, Hot Fuss
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
Erik Delfin
Design Associate
he/him
Shortly after graduating DePaul University, Erik joined Leff's design team in August 2020. He soon found himself eager to assist his teammates in coordinating layouts, compendiums, visual charts, and infographics for numerous clients. Occasionally, he dives into web-based interactives and monthly internal blog posts. Outside of work, Erik maintains a penchant for studying the Japanese language, practicing guitar, and expanding his ever-growing video game collection.
What he’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Kero Kero Bonito, Civilization
Puffy AmiYumi, The Very Best
Gorillaz, Plastic Beach
Justin Durkin
Designer
Justin joined Leff in 2017 and currently works on both print and web design. He focuses on enjoyable, understandable, and usable design through fundamentals that follow intuitive navigation, information design, and bold typography. He takes the lead on new formats and creative approaches to both static and interactive content for clients. When he isn’t designing, he’s likely watching movies or listening to music.
What he’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Chicano Batman, Freedom Is Free
Descendents, Milo Goes to College
Mac Demarco, 2
Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes
Weezer, Weezer (Blue Album)
Katie Edwards
Designer
she/her
Katie joined Leff full time in 2018 after working as a freelance designer. With a background in printing, typography, and design history, she’s interested in the ways in which traditional and digital design can overlap and interact. You can usually find her designing charts and infographics or taking the lead on the design of our nonprofit design work. In her off-hours, she enjoys sewing, seeing live music with her husband, and patiently trying to understand her parakeet.
What she’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Post Animal, When I think of You In a Castle
Marvin Gaye, What's Going On
Kate Bush, Hounds of Love
KC Esper
Editor
KC joined Leff in 2021 as an editor, coming from the world of magazine publishing. Outside of Leff, she writes for a Chicago-based art collective called AMFM, which has inspired her to approach professional writing in a creative and colorful way. KC is a naturally restless spirit and enjoys traveling, experimenting in the kitchen, going to concerts, meeting new people, and drinking pét-nat.
What she’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Tempers, Private Life
Nation of Language, Introduction, Presence
Gorillaz, Plastic Beach
Jake Godziejewicz
Senior Designer
Jake specializes in working with business writers and editors to visualize complex data and information. Before coming to Leff, Jake began his career at McKinsey & Company, eventually joining the McKinsey Quarterly team. He has also worked as a freelance designer for several movie and music projects.
What he’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Iron Maiden, Piece of Mind
Thin Lizzy, China Town
Dokken, Under Lock and Key
Wishbone Ash, Argus
Kiss, Love Gun
Allan R. Gold
Senior Adviser
Allan recently retired from McKinsey & Company, the management consulting firm, after 22 years in its editorial and publishing group. He lived and worked in Asia, Europe, and North America, collaborating on content with every McKinsey functional and sector practice, with a concentration on emerging markets.
Over the years, Allan served on the board of editors and as editor-in-chief of the McKinsey Quarterly, the firm’s flagship publication; as editor of www.mckinseyquarterly.com (subsequently absorbed into www.mckinsey.com); and as an executive editor in the firm’s publishing group. He edited "Alchemy of Growth" (Perseus and Orion) and the third edition of "Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies" (John Wiley). Allan also was a contributing editor to “The Price Advantage” (John Wiley) and “Reimagining Japan” (Shogakukan and Simon & Schuster).
Before joining McKinsey, Allan was an editor, reporter, and correspondent at the International Herald Tribune, The New York Times, the Miami Herald, and the Tallahassee Democrat. He received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and an MSJ and BA from Northwestern University.
What he’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
Bruce Springsteen, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Muddy Waters, Hard Again
Traffic, The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys
Kiss, Love Gun
Annie Hanigan
Marketing Coordinator
she/her/hers
Annie joined Leff in October 2022 as a Marketing Coordinator. With a background in digital project management and social media, she enjoys brainstorming on campaigns and helping clients solve their problems with a creative advertising approach. Outside of work, she enjoys anything music related - including collecting vinyls, listening to new artists, attending concerts, and singing! When shes not listening to music, you can find her hanging out with friends, or catching up on the latest movies and TV shows.
What he’s playing on the Leff turntable:
Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
Karen Henrie
Senior Editor
Before joining Leff in April 2021, Karen previously spent eight years at Deloitte where she oversaw the firm’s sponsored content on wsj.com. Karen has also held editorial positions at Booz & Company and McKinsey & Company. She and her husband have two daughters. To maintain sanity, Karen needs to move, whether it's hiking, swimming, playing racquet sports, or walking with friends. Her favorite podcasts include Heavyweight and Freakonomics Radio.
What she's putting on the Leff turntable:
Aretha, Lady Soul
Amy Winehouse
Iris Dement
Claire Holland
Editor
she/her
As an editor at Leff, Claire works closely with authors to write engaging articles that clarify complex ideas. She keeps her curiosity at play and her eye trained on clear messaging and well-crafted phrases. In her free time, Claire reads voraciously, watches (too many) video essays, cooks, and explores Chicago.
What she's putting on the Leff turntable:
Ela Minus, acts of rebellion
The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Scott Leff
Founder and President
he/him
Scott founded Leff in 2010 after working for Chicago 2016, the city’s Olympic bid committee. Prior to that, he served a seven-year stint with the McKinsey Quarterly, the world’s leading journal of management and economics.
What he's playing on the Leff turntable:
Sly and the Family Stone, Fresh
The Who, Quadrophenia
Prince, 1999
Mimi Li
Senior Editor
she/her
Mimi started her career in corporate finance and operations management. She worked in aerospace, biotech, and industrial operations before moving in to business communications. She has special interests in culturally specific communications and enjoys working with people who have strong opinions.
What She's playing on the Leff turntable:
Michael Jackson, Thriller
Thin Lizzy, Chinatown
Prince, 1999
Caty Mick
Project Manager
she/her
Caty joined Leff in January 2022 as a project manager. Her time at Leff is spent fostering projects through their life cycle while stregthening her problem-solving and emotional-intelligence muscles. Outside of work, Caty enjoys analyzing TV and film, seeing live shows, and trying new culinary recipes and techniques.
What he's playing on the Leff turntable:
Neutral Milk Hotel, In The Aeroplane Over the Sea
Kate Bush, The Dreaming
Silly Wizard, Caledonia's Hardy Sons
Ross Middleton
Content Manager
he/him
Ross joined Leff in November 2021 as a content manager. He develops editorial content and messaging strategies for a wide range of client projects, as well as internal initiatives and work with Leff Strategy Studio. Prior to Leff, Ross spent time in publishing and education, and he has a background in creative writing and information science. He enjoys meandering walks in the Hollywood Hills and long bus rides in search of Los Angeles' best doughnuts.
What he’s putting on the Leff turntable:
LaBelle, Chameleon
Roy Orbison, Crying
PJ Harvey, To Bring You My Love
Tracy Morris
People Manager
she/her
Tracy joined Leff in November 2021 as people manager. Over the past 10 years, she has worked in various functions of human resources and has proudly earned the reputation of being a “Swiss Army Knife of HR” due to her unique professional experiences. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her son and adorable kitties, acrylic painting, watching motivational videos and documentaries, and mentoring others to be the best possible version of themselves. She believes that “passion is a driving force behind success and happiness that allows us all to live better lives."
What She's playing on the Leff turntable:
Whitney Houston,
Prince,
Stevie Wonder, My Cherie Amour
Annie Mullowney
Senior Editor
she/her
Annie worked in marketing and taught college-level writing, humanities, and speech before joining the Leff team. While pursuing her bachelor’s in Literature and master’s in Writing and Publishing, she took every opportunity she had to travel, including completing the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile walking pilgrimage in northern Spain.
What she's playing on the Leff turntable:
Blondie, Parallel Lines
Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
Heart, Dreamboat Annie
Clairissa Myatt
Project Manager
she/her/hers
Prior to joining Leff in 2022 as a project manager, Clair flexed her dual background in marketing and project management among multiple different industries, such as the YMCA of the USA and Aon. She appreciates complex projects that require her to tap into her critical-thinking skills, and she enjoys interacting with her many different clients. In her personal time, she enjoys traveling to foreign countries and hanging out with her fiancé and two rescue dogs.
What she's playing on the Leff turntable:
Sly & The Family, Everyday People
KISS, Crazy Crazy Nights
Bob Dylan, Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Becky O'Brien
Project Manager
Becky joined Leff in June 2022 as a project manager. Throughout her career, she has worked in a variety of industries, including engineering, nonprofit, education, and healthcare, and has developed a passion for working with clients to help operationalize their processes and bring their goals and visions to life. She's a band nerd at heart, enjoys a good cup of coffee, and loves spending time with her husband and three young boys.
What she's playing on the Leff turntable:
Tower of Power, In the Slot
Miles Davis
David Peak
Senior Editor
he/him
After earning both an MFA and BFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago, David moved to New York and worked for a literary agency specializing in memoir and nonfiction. Hopelessly missing the grim Chicago winters, he soon moved back to the City by the Lake. Prior to joining Leff he held editorial roles at McKinsey & Company and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and he currently spends his nights teaching college-level courses on composition and rhetoric.
His Leff turntable picks:
Mission of Burma, Vs.
Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
Kraftwerk, The Man-Machine
David Bowie, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Tiana Pigford
Marketing Manager
she/her
Tiana joined Leff in October 2020 as a copy editor with a background in marketing, public relations, and print journalism. After working with Leff Strategy Studio, she now focuses on marketing, social media (internally and for clients), newsletters, and competitive audits, with some editing and project management thrown into the mix. She enjoys volunteering and is involved in GW's Chicago alumni chapter and the Alliance Française. She loves mob movies and listening to Christmas music throughout the year.
Her Leff turntable picks:
Sam Cooke, The Best of Sam Cooke
Buena Vista Social Club
Nat King Cole, Greatest Hits
Mariah Carey, Merry Christmas
Mary C. Reddy
Senior Adviser
she/her
she/her/hers
Mary retired from McKinsey & Company in 2020, after 21 years as the data visualization editor for the McKinsey Quarterly. During that time, she developed data stories for a range of publication channels. Working in small teams with digital-publishing colleagues, she brought data insights, visual structure, and UI/UX considerations to interactive pieces, including the inaugural run of the McKinsey Quarterly Five Fifty. Mary enjoys painting in oils—her favorite color is cerulean blue. But surprisingly, her pieces are not paint by number.
What she's putting on the Leff turntable:
Jason Isbell, Southeastern
Bruce Springsteen, Letter to You
Dolores Keane and John Faulkner, Farewell to Eirinn: Music and Songs of Emigration from Ireland
Alia Samhat
VP, Strategy and Planning
Alia came to Leff after years in the agency world in Chicago and magazine publishing in New York. Before working in marketing and communications, Alia spent two years living and working in Ukraine, where she focused on educational development and nationwide HIV/AIDS outreach and funding.
What she’s putting on the Leff turntable:
Michael Bolton, Soul Provider
David Bowie, Let’s Dance
Janis Joplin, I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!
George Seibold
Content Strategist
George joined Leff in September 2021 as an editorial associate for the Leff Strategy Studio. He enjoys doing a variety of editorial and content development work for different clients and is always keen to set out on a new project or venture. Outside of work, George fosters an appreciation for encyclopedic novels, speculative architecture, and pulp fantasy artwork.
What he’s putting on the Leff turntable:
New Order, Power, Corruption, and Lies
Slowdive, Slowdive
Heart, Dreamboat Annie
Juan Sosa
Web Developer
he/him
Juan joined Leff in April 2021 as a web developer and producer. As a big nerd for anything tech-related, he loves looking at and learning about emerging technologies that can help clients solve their problems. When he's not busy researching new programming languages, Juan loves learning about food and experimenting with recipes. He is an avid foodie, and you're likely to find him at a restaurant when he's not at home.
What he’s putting on the Leff turntable:
Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Bob Marley, Exodus
Kenny Beats, Louie
Lys Sorresso
Editor
they/them
Lys (rhymes with “bliss”) joined Leff as an editor in September 2022 from the world of freelance editing. They bring 15+ years of experience in non-profit arts management, education, and storytelling to their work. Lys’s writing has been published in Brevity, PANK, Creative Nonfiction, and elsewhere. Outside of work, they are a parent, an avid foodie and home cook, a gardener, and a community activist. You can frequently catch them napping with their emotional support cat, Olive.
What they're putting on the Leff turntable:
ABBA, ABBA Gold
Robyn, Body Talk
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Boris Strelchin
Controller
Boris joined Leff in March 2021, handling all the major accounting, HR, and finance responsibilities. He previously worked at an adjacent corporate communications and internal communications firm for nearly seven years. Prior to that, he worked in the leasing division of a bank. He enjoys slice-of-life films, squats, and Japanese automobiles. He dislikes brunch.
What he’s putting on the Leff turntable:
Slowdive, Slowdive
Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair
Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
Morgan Strunsky
Senior Editorial Associate
Morgan joined the Leff team in October 2020. He works as a copy editor and proofreader and also assists with the Leff blog. A native of upstate New York, he relocated to Chicago and enjoys the city life. In his free time, he loves playing Dungeons and Dragons, writing music and poetry, and cooking.
What he’s putting on the Leff turntable:
Steely Dan, Aja
Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin III
Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home
Brittany Williams
Editorial Director
she/her/hers
Brittany Williams is the editorial director at Leff. As a member of the executive team, she helps develop the vision and strategy for the editorial department, oversees a growing team of exceptional in-house and freelance editors, and contributes to broader strategy and operations across teams. She also acts as the company’s primary contact for editorial requests and leads projects as a senior editor, with particular experience in sustainability, infrastructure, financial services, and the public sector. She enjoys a crisp fall day spent untangling sentences. Brittany is married and the proud mother of one daughter and two cats, whom she leans on heavily as a source of Leff Google Chat banter and blog fodder.
What she's putting on the Leff turntable:
Lizzo, Special
Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
Pentatonix, A Pentatonix Christmas
Marie Westbrook
Editorial Associate
she/her
Marie joined Leff as an editorial associate in September 2021. Her work involves copy editing and proofreading to make client work look its best. Marie's academic interests included history and English literature, and she channeled those experiences (a lot of reading) into a desire to edit language. Besides reading and working, Marie enjoys video games, cooking, listening to music, and hanging out with her cats, sometimes all at the same time.
What she's putting on the Leff turntable:
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Radiohead, OK Computer
St. Vincent, Masseduction
Checkout the office playlist: