Letter from the Founder
We see things a bit differently here at Craeve & Co., and we designed our business model to disrupt how your business outsources traditional sales and marketing support. We’ve curated creative partnerships with complementary consultants and experts to create a unique and specialized resource for the hospitality and foodservice industry.
Ask yourself for a moment…what if fresh eyes were laid upon your plans? What if your outsourced sales and marketing support ALREADY knew your types of clients, distribution channels, and trends in the industry? What if you could have an extra set of hands ONLY when you need them most? A firm focused solely on the problems you “can’t” address today…or tomorrow…or next week, prepping for the future. Think about how powerful your business could be if the strategy of your dreams was rolling out to your customers right now. Think about how much time you could save working with an industry insider on everything from strategy to design to product photography.
Craeve & Co. is celebrating our fourth anniversary, and has expanded our team of creative professionals. We invite you to join us in our fun, fresh, and future-focused approach to doing business in the hospitality industry!
Our Team
Chelsea Rae
President & Founder
With over 15 years’ experience in B2B sales and marketing in the Hospitality Industry, Chelsea Rae Stuck spent her early career growing and developing small manufacturers into industry giants within the hospitality industry. She first ventured into entrepreneurship as the owner of a small theatre group in Chicago many years ago. From there, she strategically shifted her skill set to sales management and internal operations while helping grow a start-up manufacturer in the foodservice industry, seemingly overnight. Chelsea completed her Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications in 2012 from West Virginia University.
During her highly decorated career in the hospitality industry, Chelsea quickly ascended the ranks from Regional Sales Manager to Director of National Accounts to National Sales Director, with a specialization in Corporate Accounts. Working closely with national distributors, manufacturer reps and national chains on new product launches, roll outs and strategic contract negotiation, Chelsea understands the complex issues facing fast paced and high growth businesses in hospitality. Her experience also includes implementing programs and procedures for supporting growth inter-departmentally between finance, product development and operations, as well as customer service, marketing and sales. She has received multi-year recognition from both clientele and employers, such as Essential Piece, Custom Closer, Outstanding Supplier of the Year and numerous Awards of Excellence in both Regional and National Accounts. She currently serves as a Board of Trustee for the Community Trust Foundation in the tristate region.
An entrepreneur at heart, it has been her dream to start a hospitality focused consulting business that combines her creative passion with her analytical experience.
Carolyn
Content Manager
Starting back of house in 1994, Carolyn has over twenty-five years of experience on the line, behind the bar, serving guests tableside, and managing venues throughout Chicago and Evanston, including staples like Julius Meinl, Francesca’s Restaurant Group, and Smylie Brothers Brewing Company. Carolyn is currently enrolled in NYU’s Film & TV Industry Essentials and will complete the program, with her final project set to film fall of 2022. She is excited to join Craeve & Co so she can flex her writing and production skills while staying abreast of all the new trends and tech in the foodservice world.
Dan
Graphic Designer
Dan McCall is a graphic design veteran and expert in crafting top-notch user experiences. With ten years of experience in the industry, Dan brings some serious skills to the table. His expertise in web, print, and digital platform design and his data-driven, client-focused approach makes him an invaluable addition to our talented team of professionals.
Dan has worked as a production artist, graphic designer, and project manager for companies like Sticker Mule. At Craeve, he’ll work closely with our creative and content teams as a graphic designer to create compelling designs that resonate with our clients’ target audiences.
Eric
Marketing & Infrastructure Director
For more than 20 years, Craeve & Co.’s Marketing & Infrastructure Director Eric Nutter has worked to develop services and guidance for businesses by building their digital ecosystem. As Owner of Slight Revision, Eric has created an infrastructure to support web design and hosting services for Craeve & Co. clients. The partnership between Craeve & Co. and Slight Revision provides the complete picture to engage within a digital space.
Jenny
Sr Copywriter
Jenny is a highly experienced sales and marketing professional, with a demonstrated history of success in the hospitality and technology industries. She joins the Craeve team after more than a decade of agency work in marketing strategy, business development, and content creation.
Prior to that, Jenny was a Catering Sales Manager and then Director of Sales for a hotel with 4,000 square feet of banquet space. Jenny consistently achieved her revenue goals, directed total sales efforts, and developed monthly action plans.
Jenny specializes in writing clear, concise, on-brand copy for blogs, social media posts, email campaigns, press releases – you name it! She is a graduate of Frostburg State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in English and a minor in Public Relations.
Angela
Administrative Coordinator
With a background in tabletop manufacturing, Angela has been with our team since Spring 2020. She heads up Internal Operations for Craeve and hails all the way from Italy, which is great for us – because she’s finished with projects before we even wake up! Taking charge of the ground work for all of our client’s needs, Angela is a major asset to our team and we are glad to have her support.
Kevin
Sr Creative Consultant
Kevin Duran is uniquely qualified for his new role as Sr Creative Consultant and Craeve & Co is excited to see where he takes us! Kevin brings 21+ years of leadership and creative expertise in marketing and graphic design, providing forward-thinking design strategies and creative marketing business solutions. With a BFA from Arizona State University, Kevin built and operated Streamline City, his own design business over the last 20 years. As a business owner and operator, he possesses the flexibility to adjust in a growing company, having been, as he says, “the wearer of many hats.”
Kevin’s multifaceted career combines his operational expertise with broad experience across branding, marketing, business development, graphic design, and web design. Combine that with patience and commitment to education with a stint as a graphic design instructor at Al Collins Graphic Design School, Craeve is excited to see what Kevin can teach us and help us grow into the next level of our business.