A SOUL-DRIVEN STUDIO
What began as a quiet rebellion against surface-level branding has grown into a creative studio shaped by strategy, guided by emotional intelligence, and grounded in the belief that connection is the most powerful currency. We work side by side with founders, visionaries, and category-definers to build brands that don’t just look good, but feel aligned—internally and externally. Brands that move people, because they move from a place of meaning.
Britt Hinrichs
Founder & CEO
Britt Hinrichs didn’t set out to build a branding studio. She set out to understand people. Her career began at LVMH, one of the world’s most iconic luxury ecosystems, where she learned how intentional storytelling can turn a brand into a world of its own. But it was during her time in the plastic surgery department at Northwestern Hospital that her perspective shifted. There, in a setting where healing was deeply personal yet often communicated with sterile, surface-level messaging, Britt began to notice a disconnect between what brands say and how they make people feel. That question shaped the foundation of her work. Over the last decade, Britt has built a multidisciplinary practice that bridges industries: healthcare and design, strategy and emotion, luxury and human connection.
She’s helped rebrand legacy practices without losing their intimacy, positioned cultural institutions for national visibility, and transformed interior designers into thought leaders. At the heart of it all is one consistent thread—branding with depth, intention, and soul. Her background in consumer psychology informs every layer of the process, guiding how brands are built, how stories are told, and how audiences connect. Britt’s not driven by trends—she’s focused on what truly moves people: trust, resonance, and meaning. Today, she leads a close-knit team of creative thinkers and strategists who approach each project with curiosity, clarity, and care, helping brands articulate who they are before anyone else has to.
NICOLE GARDNER
Founding Partner & Design Lead
With a multidisciplinary background shaped by art, culture, and communication, she approaches design not just as a craft, but as an act of translation. Her process is rooted in uncovering the “why” behind every creative decision, ensuring that every output isn’t just beautiful, but intentional. Over the past 10 years, Nicole has partnered with a wide spectrum of clients—from bold startups to legacy nonprofits and emerging artists—to help them define their identity and express their ethos with clarity and distinction. Whether she’s developing a visual language for a mission-driven organization or bringing quiet elegance to a luxury brand, Nicole brings a rare ability to distill big ideas into impactful design moments.
Her strength lies in interpretation: listening deeply, observing carefully, and shaping each brand’s story through typography, form, and feeling. She’s not here to follow trends—she’s here to build something lasting. Something true. Nicole leads with precision and empathy, infusing every project with a quiet boldness and an eye for nuance that challenges norms while staying deeply grounded in meaning. For her, design isn’t just about what’s seen—it’s about what’s felt.
MATTHEW BELL
Strategic Growth Advisor
With a background in psychotherapy and a career rooted in human connection, Matthew brings a distinct perspective to strategic growth: one grounded in empathy, alignment, and clarity of purpose. As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of TWTH, he has spent over a decade helping people move through personal transformation, and now applies that same emotional intelligence to the way Åtte grows. At Åtte, Matthew focuses on cultivating partnerships that feel as intentional as the work itself.
He helps identify opportunities, collaborators, and clients whose values align with our own, ensuring that every relationship we build is rooted in mutual respect and long-term vision. His approach is deeply relational, grounded in curiosity and care. By bringing this lens to our growth strategy, Matthew helps protect what makes Åtte different: the ability to move with integrity, trust our intuition, and work only where true alignment exists.
NAOMI ADEYEMO
JUNIOR DESIGNER
Naomi is a multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer with 9+ years of experience creating intentional, adaptable, design for purpose-driven brands. With a background in fine art and graphic design, she brings a thoughtful, human-centered approach to every project by crafting visual identities and brand experiences that align deeply with her clients' values and vision.
She has collaborated with and received recognition from leading platforms and brands including Adobe, Disney, Harper's Bazaar, TED Conferences, and more. Naomi's work bridges artistic expression with strategic thinking, offering conceptually rich and scalable design solutions.
MAVE
Chaos Coordinator
As Åtte’s Assistant Chaos Coordinator—and yes, she takes the title seriously- Mave is a full-time shadow to her mom (Britt) and part-time meeting crasher. She believes every Zoom is her Zoom, every brainstorm could use a bark, and that no day is complete without a nap (or five). Strong-willed and always ready to speak her mind, she has a sixth sense for knowing exactly when someone needs a mood shift—or a paw on their lap. If she’s not included, it doesn’t count. It’s her world—we just create in it.