Creative + comms team leadership
Case studies utilising Creative + comms team leadership
5 projects demonstrating creative + comms team leadership, ordered for your focus.
Ascend Fundraising Solutions - Creative Platform Across a National Nonprofit Roster
Ran the creative bench at a national fundraising agency, shaping the campaign look, voice and case-for-support systems behind a roster of nonprofit clients whose combined multi-year fundraising is measured in the billions.
St. Joseph's Hospice - Rebuilding the Brand Language for a Community-Facing Healthcare Organization
Rebuilt the visible language of a hospice from the inside - brand system, voice, editorial standards and campaign creative - so the organization's public face finally matched the quality of care it was actually delivering.
AI-Enabled Creative Workflow System - Prompts, Guardrails, Ship
Built a working AI-in-the-loop practice for real creative production - prompt libraries, editorial guardrails, thumbnail generation, tailored copy, tag matching, admin scaffolding - the pieces that turn model access into a repeatable operating system rather than a demo.
Domestic Chaos — Conceptual Photo Series
A surreal, levitation-based conceptual photo series exploring the emotional weight of everyday domestic life.
Big Brothers Big Sisters - Mentorship Storytelling & Fundraising Creative
Told the story behind mentorship without turning young people into props - fundraising materials, campaign creative and community assets that led with the relationship, not the recruiting funnel.
Marketing & Communications Manager
2025 - 2026Chai Lifeline Canada
Directed Bike4Chai creative across 500+ coordinated deliverables - signage, environmental graphics, stage/screen, sponsor, digital and print
Art Direction · Design · Production Leadership
Earlier careerAgency & In-house Creative Teams
Agency and in-house creative roles across consumer, healthcare, education, government and cultural clients - plus early music/entertainment publicity photography and album artwork connected to Sony Music. The range that underpins today's leadership work.
Creative Director, Marketing & Communications
2021 - 2023Ascend Fundraising Solutions
Directed creative strategy and execution for seven-figure fundraising campaigns; recommendations influenced investment across TV, digital, direct mail, print and OOH
Founder & Creative Director
2009 - PresentShawn Van Daele Creative / Photography
Founded and scaled a two-studio creative business to ~$1.5M annual revenue across Toronto/Milton and Cambridge, owning strategy, operations, marketing, sales, talent, customer experience and creative quality
Creative Director, Consumer Brands & CPG
2005 - 2009Jarden Consumer Solutions / Newell Brands
Led and mentored a 4-6 person in-house creative team responsible for international brand, packaging, retail marketing and product-launch execution across an 18+ brand portfolio
Founder + Executive Creative Lead
2011 - 2016The Drawing Hope Project
Global media coverage including The Today Show, ABC World News and MTV News (filmed on-site at SickKids over three days)
Executive advisory + CEO/Board counsel, Cross-functional partnership and Agency + vendor direction.
