Raffi Grigorian is a seasoned professional with over 20+ years of experience in the Experiential Marketing and Advertising space.  Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for delivering innovative and effective campaigns that drive engagement and increase brand awareness.

Raffi has held a variety of roles in account management and operations at the Executive level.  As a Partner/COO at Eventive Marketing (member of Omnicom Group) and as a Managing director at the MDC Partners network, Raffi was responsible for accelerating and managing agency growth.

His client experience includes working with some of the most well-known companies in the Fortune 500, such as P&G, Kellogg, Coors, J&J, NFL and PNC Bank.  He has a strong track record of building successful relationships with client and delivering exceptional results.

As the Managing Director at Evolve Activation, Raffi is responsible for overseeing all agency departments and managing the day-to-day operations for efficiency and value to client partners.

Justin Tamony is a Vice President of Account Services and Founding Partner at Evolve Activation and plays a pivotal role in program development and strategy for client engagement.

Prior to his current position, Justin served as the Director of UK Development at Encore Nationwide, where he researched international expansion opportunities ahead of the Olympic Games. Justin also evaluated market conditions and identified growth opportunities.  Justin was an Account Executive, managing program budgets for experiential marketing clients. He collaborated closely with the Director of Operations on large-scale activation programs, including sourcing promotional vehicles, managing vehicle wrap vendors, tour routing, and event logistics. Justin also led and managed teams of tour managers, market managers, and contract account managers. He played a key role in securing new clients and programs, expanding the company’s capabilities in Canada, and establishing satellite offices.

Justin’s experience in the field of event marketing extends further with roles such as Event Manager at Arnold Worldwide, where he served as the National Tour Manager for the Jones New York Work/Life program, and Public Relations Manager at Euro RSCG, where he executed campaigns for Nestle in support of Habitat for Humanity.

Justin Tamony holds a bachelor’s degree in managerial economics from the University of California, Davis. With his extensive background in account services, program development, and event management, Justin continues to drive success and deliver exceptional results in the field of event marketing and experiential activations.

John Fox is the Vice President of Operations and Founding Partner at Evolve Activation, based in the Greater Los Angeles Area. With over 9 years of experience at Evolve Activation, John has demonstrated his expertise in operational management, client liaison, contract negotiation, materials sourcing, budget analysis, and operational troubleshooting. He is a dedicated professional who values long-term partnerships and believes that a good idea can come from anywhere.

Prior to joining Evolve Activation, John held various roles in the marketing industry. He served as the Director of Operations at Encore Nationwide Inc., where he managed both account/agency relations and operational components for clients.

He also worked as the Director of Operations – West Region at Gigunda Group, streamlining operational functions and ensuring consistency in mobile marketing campaigns. Additionally, John gained valuable experience as the Director of Operations at Momentum Worldwide, contributing to the company’s profitability and growth through strategic consulting, project administration, and budget management.

John holds a degree from Central Michigan University and is an active member of professional groups such as Event Pros and Event Marketing Worldwide.

Katherine Turiano leads Evolve’s ActivateGOOD Division, founded in 2021 to serve non-profits and partner corporate clients with charities to create cause-marketing campaigns that engage audiences and ignite change.

With two decades of experience producing large-scale events for national non-profits, she is an award-winning event producer whose career has driven fundraising in support of healthcare research, underserved communities, educational equity, veteran programs, and organ donation awareness.

She has been a key member of growth strategy and event production teams for the nation’s largest non-profits, including Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Salvation Army, Gilda’s Club & Susan G. Komen, as well as community non-profits like Project Enterprise and Workshop in Business Opportunities.  She is especially proud of her life-saving work locally in NY’s Hudson Valley with Children’s Miracle Network.

Inspired by her experiences with healthcare research charities, Katherine left events to spend a decade working in healthcare operations for one of NY’s largest tertiary medical centers and children’s hospitals.  There, she gained experience in strategic planning, clinical process improvement, and data analytics.  She is capable of large-scale organizational problem-solving and has worked with teams as large as 10K employees

This year, she is honored to guide Evolve Activation’s ActivateGOOD team in support of the mental health and safety of communities in need with Compeer Rochester and LA Mission.

Katherine is a proud USMC Marine Corps wife to an OIF combat veteran and mom of 3.  Her personal motto is “The secret to reaching many goals is tenacity”.

Meet Pete Diffendal, a seasoned Experiential Marketer with an impressive track record of success across various roles. Currently serving as an Account Director at Evolve, Pete is at the forefront of planning, coordinating, and executing client activation initiatives while leading a team of talented account executives.

Pete’s expertise in strategic account management, program implementation, and team leadership has made him a standout professional in the realm of Experiential Marketing. His ability to adapt and innovate ensures that clients receive the most effective and tailored marketing solutions, resulting in exceptional results and lasting partnerships.  Pete has worked on some of the most prestigious brands, including Hershey Company, ESPN, Dr Pepper/7Up, VW, Procter & Gamble, Meredith Publishing, Nestle, IBM, Nabisco, AB-Inbev and Apple.

Before joining Evolve, Pete honed his skills in other industries, showcasing his versatility as a professional. He made an impact as a Licensed Real Estate Agent at Redfin, where he flourished in the competitive world of real estate, representing the country’s top brokerage site.

In addition to his real estate success, Pete spent time as an Advisor at New York Life Insurance Company, where he provided invaluable assistance to individuals, families, and business owners by offering expert insurance and financial planning guidance.

Pete’s passion for creating memorable experiences extended beyond the corporate realm when he served as the Director of Memberships/Events at Ferncroft Country Club. There, he demonstrated his acumen in business development and successfully organized a series of outstanding events.

During his tenure as the Director of Business Development & Client Services at On The Mark, Pete showcased his prowess in cultivating strong client relationships and securing new business opportunities.

Travis Radke is a multi-disciplinary designer utilizing a layered creative approach built from practice in architecture, interiors, graphics, experiential, and industrial design. With a degree in Architecture and over a decade of hands-on design-build experience, Travis is adept at translating design concepts to finished, fabricated sets for experiential marketing campaigns and events.

Daniel Ranjit draws from 6+ years of tour/field experience and 10 years overseeing event staffing to lead highly successful in-market and mobile tours. He utilizes his logistics skills to ensure smooth transport from one stop to the next and his wealth of field experience to create impactful experiential engagements.

Daniel loves the various moving pieces that are part of planning and executing a mobile marketing tour successfully. Check out this blog on “Mobile Marketing Tour Considerations.”

With an extensive background in field marketing, production, and client services, Candace Court works closely with our clients and partners to ensure all tactics of the operation align with program goals while creating memorable consumer experiences. Her proactive problem-solving skills help her overcome any production challenges and maximize ROI.

Melanie Lavender has 20+ years of production experience spanning live events, media, television, and film, leading events for celebrity clients and top brands. She utilizes her trusted network of resources to develop and bring to life the unique and creative ideas we dream up with our clients, including Airbnb takeovers, movie premieres, PR-worthy stunts, and more.

Melanie enjoys Evolve Activation’s ability to meet product sampling goals while creating an unforgettable experience for consumers. Check out this ZOA Energy Drink Case Study to see how our experiential sampling agency drives results and experiences through product sampling.

Melanie is proud to work at an experiential marketing agency with such a high customer satisfaction rate. 

With 10+ years in key field-based roles, Jennifer Miller uses her experience and insights to effectively train and schedule all staff, vendors, and volunteers. She uses diligent communication to ensure that hundreds of moving parts come together to create a successful experiential marketing activation.

Tamara Deorio develops and implements strategic plans, collaborating on innovative marketing strategies and bringing them to life with cross-functional partners and cross-category teams.

Callie Elliott has 7+ years of demonstrated success in leading top-performing marketing teams and providing exceptional customer service. She works closely with clients to coordinate activation details, train event
staff, report metrics, and ensure the success of each experiential marketing activation.

Melissa Nava has 18 years of experience in client service and 10 years of field experience in Brand Ambassador and Event Manager roles. Melissa’s eye for detail allows her effectively manage all facets of project planning. She works closely with clients, partners, and onsite staff to ensure expectations are met.

Ashley Lopez is a racing industry veteran with 15 years of automotive aftermarket event industry experience, managing the logistics of up to 300+ events in a year.  Ashley’s background and experience make her invaluable in concept development and feasibility of automotive activations for the agency.

Brian Herlihy has almost 20+ years of Business Development success leading Fortune 500 brands.  A relationship builder, Brian brings a creative and strategic approach to the new business process.

Early in his career, he worked for companies like College Access Marketing, SA Marketing Group, Monster and Gigunda Group, that marketed promotional access to college and high school students. He then moved to Marketration, as the Director of Client Development where he was responsible for experiential marketing for over 200 large brands such as CVS, Home Depot, Walmart, Proctor & Gamble and many more. He was the first employee hired by the founder and helped grow the company over 4 years (2003 – 2007) to over 50 employees and $15M in revenue before it was acquired by Advantage Sales and Marketing. He joined Eventus, a multicultural experiential marketing company as Vice President of Business Development as their fifth employee and helped grow it over 8 years (2007 – 2015) to 120 employees and $40M in revenue until it too was acquired by Advantage Sales and Marketing.

Brian later became VP of Biz Dev of Lotus 823, responsible for the growth a start-up marketing and communications agency dedicated to technology and electronics.   Brian was also a marketing director for Fiat Chrysler, knowing and owning automotive experience until his expertise brought him to a start-up security company called Biometric Associates.

Brian has a BS in Marketing and Communications from Babson College and speaks English and Spanish.

For nearly a decade, Carmela Resuma has worked as a consultant for international NGOs, such as Sonos, Cloud9 and other Fortune 500 companies, guiding them through effective stakeholder engagement, strategic planning and data analysis. This has included leading strategic planning and performance management initiatives for Urban Light Thailand and performing complex data analysis projects with SYLVAIN. Her input has resulted in brands scaling their impact, increasing their fundraising efforts and using quantitative data to build community connections.

Carmela knows the nonprofit world firsthand, having served as Executive Director of FLYTE, a nonprofit that empowers youth from underserved communities with access to international travel opportunities. In this role, she led the operations and growth of the organization, which included strategic planning, program management, and development.

She has also worked in various capacities at the New York City Department of Education. Additional specialties close to her heart include youth empowerment, cultural connection, education, equity, and social impact.

Carmela received her Master of Public Administration from New York University and her Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice Studies and Mathematics from Saint Elizabeth University

Mary Alice Franklin is a writer and content creator from New York with a strong focus on arts & culture.

She puts her M.S. in Publishing to good use as Editor of Westchester County, NY’s now-digital arts publication, ArtsNews. The publication is produced by a nationally recognized private arts council – the largest of its kind in New York State.

Here, she helps to steer the organization’s branding and mission to provide access to the arts for all. During her tenure, ArtsNews evolved from a printed newspaper to a digital publication and, during the Covid-19 pandemic, it finally took form as a fully online news site. During her time in the role, ArtsNews readership has grown exponentially and the amount of produced content has quadrupled.

Mary Alice also works as a contracted content creator, helping companies and individuals to assert their brand messaging through blog posts and social media. Clients have included a national healthcare service, child safety company, several artists and arts organizations, and more.

She has contributed her writing to publications such as Paste Magazine, Huffington Post, Skinnygirl Daily, Art Zealous, Art Times and more.