The Team

Executive Team

Derek Champagne

Founder & CEO
Derek Champagne is a serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience developing effective marketing campaigns. He is the Founder & CEO of The Artist Evolution, A full service agency building memorable brands, marketing tools and campaigns for startups to household brands. Derek is also the author of the best-selling marketing book: Don’t Buy a Duck and the host of the Business Leadership Series podcast.

Paul Strack

President & Co-Founder The Artist Evolution Central Arkansas

After a successful career in the ultra-creative field of public accounting, Paul decided on an occupation involving less stress, less competition, and a bright future for years to come. He sought out an industry that could weather the onslaught of impending technological and societal change. So, in 1990, he joined his family’s commercial printing operation. In November 2013, Paul was recognized as “the Printer of the Year” by the National Association of Quick Printers, the Association’s highest honor. In 2014, Paul was inducted into the NAPL Soderstrom Society, a national honor society which recognizes the contributions of industry leaders. In 2021, CustomXM was awarded the Small Business of the Year by the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. 2022 marks CustomXM’s 56th year in business.

John Taylor

President & Co-Founder of The Artist Evolution Nashville

With thirty-years in print production and management, John has provided top-notch printed materials with a focus on quality from the early years. Beginning his career in 1990, he studied “the art of printing”. Trained domestically and internationally in color management, R&D and TQM, he has provided top notch products from everyday marketing collateral to playing and trading cards for such companies as Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro and Mattel.

Purchasing Minuteman Press Nashville in 2014, he quickly established it as a full-service print, web-to-print and signage company as strong as any in Nashville. Established in 1995, Minuteman Press Nashville continues to grow, providing print and mail production, online ordering, inventory and fulfillment for national brands with thousands of users across the country.

Valerie Champagne

Co-Founder & Brand Strategist
Valerie grew up on Long Island, but has been enjoying the Natural State for 15 years. She has been working in advertising for over a decade. During that time, she has developed an effective system for developing memorable brands, researching the competition, identifying target customers, developing unique messaging, and creating go-to-market campaigns. She has her BA in Psychology and enjoys uncovering the motivations behind consumer behavior as the first step in any marketing piece. She is married and a mother of two amazing kids. In her free time, she enjoys theater, listening to live music, and the beach.

Jon Tegeler

Director of Sales & Operations
Jon is a California native, a graduate of Arkansas State University, and now lives in Fayetteville. Jon has 15 years of experience in business development, client management, and operations. He has helped scale up three successful Arkansas tech startups. Jon implements marketing strategies to help businesses grow. His focus is on delivering measurable marketing success for TAE clients. In his free time, he paints murals with his wife. He also likes to spend time bicycling, gardening, and playing board games with his two daughters.

Rachel Tenison

Director of Client Services

A Fayetteville native and University of Arkansas alumna, Rachel brings a deep-rooted passion for her community to her role at TAE. With a BA in Communications, she has honed her skills in building strong relationships and delivering exceptional client experiences. Joining the team in 2019 as an Account Manager, Rachel advanced to Senior Account Manager before taking on the role of Director.

Outside of work, Rachel enjoys giving back to the community through volunteer work, including coaching for the Miracle League organization. She is a die-hard Arkansas Razorback baseball fan, is incredibly close with her family, and is obsessed with her dog, Stella.

Abbey Durrett

Account Manager

Originally from Houston, Texas, Abbey made her way to the University of Arkansas, where she earned her BA in Communications. Like many, she fell in love with Northwest Arkansas and decided to call Fayetteville home for good. Abbey joined the team in 2024 as an Account Manager and has been bringing her creative energy ever since. When she’s not managing accounts, you can find her hanging out with her boyfriend and friends, strolling through Target, crafting latte art, or indulging in her passion for thrifting. If it’s creative, Abbey’s all in!

Donovan Brigham

Graphic Designer
Donovan is an Arkansas native and graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2013. He enjoys learning new skills, traveling with his family, and playing music on the weekends with his band.

Logan Hocott

Graphic Designer

Logan grew up in Fort Smith, AR where her grandparents founded a local country radio station and graduated from the University of Arkansas @ Fayetteville with a BA in Visual Design. She started as an intern with TAE back in 2013 and has been working as a graphic designer for us ever since. In 2018, she married her husband Zach and welcomed a baby girl named Daivee. After Zach accepted a Resident Doctor position at Providence Hospital in 2021, they made the 3,800mi trek to Eagle River, Alaska where they currently reside with their 3 dogs. Logan enjoys hiking and exploring all the amazing, fun things this beautiful state has to offer.

“Aside from having to shovel the snow off the driveway in the winter, it’s a dream to get to live here. And i’m very thankful and thrilled to still be able to work with such a great company and great people and do what I love to do… design!”

Key Team Members

Isaac Peters

Marketing Intern
Anna Shotts

Anna Shotts

Marketing Intern

Lindsay Rice

Graphic Designer

Sule Abudu

Graphic Designer

Brian O’Dea

Copywriter

Lance Richardson

Front-End Web Developer

Kenny Reynolds

Videographer

Paris Roussos

SEO Expert

Mark Herre

Rank Delivery Specialist (SEO)

Taylor Burkhalter

Social Media Consultant

Lance Smith

Podcast/Alexa Briefing Producer

Melanie Bedegone

Copywriter

Elaine Silva

SEO Expert

Michelle Allen

Creative

Murray Williams

Videographer

Chris Ramirez

Front End Web Developer

Chas Dela Cruz

SEO Expert

Elaine Maglanque

SEO Expert

Jenny Jenks

Creative

Biljana Vranjes

Creative