EXECUTIVE TEAM

Derek Champagne

Founder & CEO

Derek Champagne is a serial entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience developing effective marketing campaigns. He is the Founder & CEO of The Artist Evolution, A full service agency building memorable brands, marketing tools and campaigns for startups to household brands. Derek is also the author of the best-selling marketing book: Don’t Buy a Duck and the host of the Business Leadership Series podcast.

Paul Strack

President & Co-Founder The Artist Evolution Central Arkansas

After a successful career in the ultra-creative field of public accounting, Paul decided on an occupation involving less stress, less competition, and a bright future for years to come. He sought out an industry that could weather the onslaught of impending technological and societal change. So, in 1990, he joined his family’s commercial printing operation. In November 2013, Paul was recognized as “the Printer of the Year” by the National Association of Quick Printers, the Association’s highest honor. In 2014, Paul was inducted into the NAPL Soderstrom Society, a national honor society which recognizes the contributions of industry leaders. In 2021, CustomXM was awarded the Small Business of the Year by the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. 2022 marks CustomXM’s 56th year in business.

John Taylor

President & Co-Founder of The Artist Evolution Nashville

With thirty-years in print production and management, John has provided top-notch printed materials with a focus on quality from the early years. Beginning his career in 1990, he studied "the art of printing". Trained domestically and internationally in color management, R&D and TQM, he has provided top notch products from everyday marketing collateral to playing and trading cards for such companies as Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro and Mattel.

Purchasing Minuteman Press Nashville in 2014, he quickly established it as a full-service print, web-to-print and signage company as strong as any in Nashville. Established in 1995, Minuteman Press Nashville continues to grow, providing print and mail production, online ordering, inventory and fulfillment for national brands with thousands of users across the country.

Valerie Champagne

Co-Founder & Brand Strategist

Valerie grew up on Long Island, but has been enjoying the Natural State for 15 years. She has been working in advertising for over a decade. During that time, she has developed an effective system for developing memorable brands, researching the competition, identifying target customers, developing unique messaging, and creating go-to-market campaigns. She has her BA in Psychology and enjoys uncovering the motivations behind consumer behavior as the first step in any marketing piece. She is married and a mother of two amazing kids. In her free time, she enjoys theater, listening to live music, and the beach.

Jon Tegeler

Director of Sales & Operations

Jon is a California native, a graduate of Arkansas State University, and now lives in Fayetteville. Jon has 15 years of experience in business development, client management, and operations. He has helped scale up three successful Arkansas tech startups. Jon implements marketing strategies to help businesses grow. His focus is on delivering measurable marketing success for TAE clients. In his free time, he paints murals with his wife. He also likes to spend time bicycling, gardening, and playing board games with his two daughters.

Rachel Tenison

Director of Client Services

Rachel is a Fayetteville native and graduated from the University of Arkansas with a BA in Communications. She joined The Artist Evolution team in September of 2019. If she isn’t spending time with her friends at various Mexican restaurants around town, snuggling her dog, Stella, or curled up on her couch, you can find her roaming the aisles of Target.

Meredith James

Account Manager

Meredith grew up in the River Valley and attended Arkansas Tech University where she earned a Bachelor’s in Broadcast Journalism in 2017. She spent time in the Black Hills of South Dakota and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado before making her way back to Arkansas. She joined the TAE team in June of 2022 as an Account Manager.

When she’s not at work, you can find her with her fur babies Penelope & Stormi or shopping!

Reagan Pierce

Junior Account Manager

Reagan grew up in Little Rock and attended The University of Arkansas where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2023. She joined the team in May of 2022 as an Intern, but has since worked her way up to a Junior Account Manager position! When she’s not at work, you can find her traveling, cooking, and exploring new things to do in Fayetteville!

Donovan Brigham

Graphic Designer

Donovan is an Arkansas native and graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2013. He enjoys learning new skills, traveling with his family, and playing music on the weekends with his band.

Logan Hocott

Graphic Designer

Logan grew up in Fort Smith, AR where her grandparents founded a local country radio station and graduated from the University of Arkansas @ Fayetteville with a BA in Visual Design. She started as an intern with TAE back in 2013 and has been working as a graphic designer for us ever since. In 2018, she married her husband Zach and welcomed a baby girl named Daivee. After Zach accepted a Resident Doctor position at Providence Hospital in 2021, they made the 3,800mi trek to Eagle River, Alaska where they currently reside with their 3 dogs. Logan enjoys hiking and exploring all the amazing, fun things this beautiful state has to offer.

"Aside from having to shovel the snow off the driveway in the winter, it’s a dream to get to live here. And i’m very thankful and thrilled to still be able to work with such a great company and great people and do what I love to do… design!"