Freelancer Flair. Agency Polish. People-First Design
I’m Abby Kallenbach–Freelance Graphic Designer, Diversity Consultant, Marketing Director, and Chicago transplant.
I started my career in advertising as an Art Director (which I loved), but after 7 years, I felt disconnected from my process and purpose.
I wanted a larger role in the client experience, helping people turn their creative ideas into something tangible. At the same time I found myself butting up against a “that’s just how it’s always been” mindset. Not just in the processes, but in the makeup of the advertising industry.
I saw a startling lack of diversity, specifically women in leadership and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) at every level.
The creative industry at large needed more diverse voices. And the clients within it deserved brands that reflected those values.
So, I did what any Enneagram Type 3 would do and started not one, but two businesses:
Kallenbach Creative: A freelance design studio making agency-level work accessible on a smaller scale.
Babes Helpin’ Babes (BHB): A consultancy that leads diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) workshops for creative agencies.
My design portfolio features big brands like AMC Theatres and Tide Cleaners. But turn the page, and you’ll also find a collection of small, purpose-led entrepreneurs.
Today, I seek out freelance, in-house, and agency work that aligns with my mission to put people first.
I’m one of those rare, type-A creatives.
For years, I tried to fight it. Creatives are supposed to be cool, not care about perfectly crafted timelines and budgets, right?
Turns out, my best work comes when I’m true to myself. This means I go the extra mile to support you throughout the entirety of your project.
Here’s what you can expect:
– Detailed proposals
– Clearly outlined processes
– Guided brand exercises
– Custom timelines
– Scheduled reviews
– Frequent check-ins
– Creative moral support
Nothing about your project should ever come as a surprise to you. We set expectations for a reason: To meet (most likely exceed) them. It’s not “cool,” but that’s exactly how I operate.
Abby is very timely in her responses and we were impressed with the level of detail within each option. Our team had very little branding experience and Abby was able to walk us through every step of the process and kept us on track the entire time.
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