Meet Lauren Maranda, our Creative Manager here at Rivergate Marketing. Her unique journey and dedication have made an impact on the Rivergate team and its clients and have made her a versatile source of expertise, a role model, and a team player.
Lauren’s professional journey began in Burlington, Vermont, where she graduated from Champlain College in 2010 with a BA in Multimedia & Graphic Design. Unlike most traditional programs, Champlain’s “upside-down” approach allowed Lauren to dive straight into design courses from her first year, enabling her to perfect her craft over the four years. She went on to intern at a popular wedding magazine from the area, Vermont Vows & WellWed Magazines, where she later landed her first full-time position as a graphic designer.
After the birth of her first son, Lauren sought a flexible and accommodating team that still delivered high-quality work to clients, leading her to Rivergate. Initially joining as a Digital Marketing Specialist, Lauren’s role quickly evolved into a management position. During this transition, she immersed herself in the world of automation and engineering, dedicating countless hours to account shadowing, case studies, and writing courses to grasp the technical nuances of the industry and develop a deep understanding of marketing strategy and execution.
Recognizing the synergy between her design background and marketing expertise, Lauren earned a promotion to Creative Manager, a role that allowed her to shape the creative vision for clients across all of Rivergate’s marketing services.
“I’ve always been eager to expand my horizons and take on new responsibilities. When presented with the opportunity to step into account management, I saw it as a chance to grow professionally and contribute to the team in a more significant way,” Lauren explains.
Lauren’s adaptability and hunger for personal and professional growth are evident in her career at Rivergate. Her creative impact is seen in the initiatives she has spearheaded, from the Customer Interview Book Design, which transformed how Rivergate presents insights to clients, to the thoughtfully crafted website and updated trade show booth designs.
Lauren has also achieved standout successes through complete branding redesigns for clients, leading exploratory discussions, crafting prototypes, and overseeing projects from proposal to completion. She’s redefined clients’ visual identities with new logos and comprehensive brand books.
While her impact as Creative Manager is substantial, her colleagues recognize Lauren as much more than her role alone. One colleague notes, “Lauren is not only an amazing graphic designer but a wonderful teammate to work with. She is always full of ideas, enthusiastic to learn new things, and there with a helping hand for anyone who needs it.”
Before her design skills took center stage, Lauren was a local sensation in Burlington, VT, where she performed all over New England with her band as lead singer. Her life took a cinematic turn when she fell in love with a fellow musician from the Burlington music scene, whom she later married.
Today, with her rock star days mostly behind her, Lauren resides in Grafton, MA, with her family, enjoying the return to her Massachusetts roots and reconnecting with her parents and younger brother after her out-of-state college years.
Lauren is a devoted mom “through and through” and loves sharing her many passions with her children by spending time doing them together. “For us, this looks like art projects, growing a vegetable garden that we can pick and eat together, spending lots of time outside hiking and swimming in the summer, and snowboarding in the winter! As a family of music lovers, we also have lots of instruments around the house and try to ‘jam’ with the kids whenever possible.” Lauren’s family also includes her miracle dog, Mousse, a tenacious 12-year-old boxer/pit bull mix who is still her loyal sidekick after going through an Osteosarcoma diagnosis and rear leg amputation.
Whether at work, or at home with her family, Lauren embraces new challenges and stays true to her passions. Her journey from graphic designer to strategic leader at Rivergate Marketing is proof of her commitment to growth and innovation. With an obvious commitment to her craft and an encompassing love for her family, she continues to inspire creativity for teammates and clients, leaving an impression on all of those fortunate enough to cross her path.
Interested in having Lauren’s creative eye elevate any of your projects? Talk to your account lead to see how we can work some of her design services into our marketing program with you!