About MiddleM Creative
Differentiated business development, digital marketing, branding, and public relations services for middle-market M&A firms.
We are former investment bankers and private equity professionals who know firsthand that winning the next deal takes more than just capital or expertise. Our deep understanding of middle-market M&A combined with our marketing expertise allow you to achieve a more efficient ROI for your marketing spend. A smart branding strategy helps to improve deal flow, raise your firm's profile, and increase marketplace awareness.
We help our clients formulate a detailed plan and strategy to align with the firm's objectives, with a constant eye on ROI. MiddleM offers a full suite of marketing services — from brand positioning and research to marketing and business development strategies.
Our Team
Joanne Verkuilen
Founder + Managing Partner
Watching the middle market M&A environment mature over the past 10 – 15 years brought me to the conclusion that firms competing for the next great transaction need a thoughtful and intentional brand and marketing strategy.
With a combination of marketing and investment banking/private equity experience, I started MiddleM Creative with a deep understanding that a differentiating brand can have true ROI vis-à-vis efficiencies around deal origination.
I’ve worked on more than two dozen middle-market M&A transactions and private capital raises for such firms as Smith Barney (now Morgan Stanley), Sanders Morris Harris, Conversus Capital (now HarbourVest) – and most recently was the Director of Marketing and part of the leadership team at BlackArch Partners.
I want MiddleM Creative to become the premier marketing and branding firm not for the sake of growth, but because I love the work we do and am passionate about helping clients realize their aspirations.
O 980 785 4356
M 917 744 7351
joanne@middlemcreative.com
Allie Gamble
Vice President
With more players in the field, PE and investment banking firms have to be able to differentiate themselves in order to compete.
Marketing with intention yields results. I am passionate about helping companies build their brands and reach their goals through tactful, purposeful marketing strategies while serving as their right-hand to execute each aspect of that strategy.
Prior to joining the MiddleM Creative team, I worked for over four years at a full-service global marketing agency. I was the senior account lead and I focused on B2B and B2C clients while also managing client services. In my free time, I love anything health and wellness related and spending time with friends and family.
Working with clients that understand the value in marketing and why it is necessary for growth drives me to continue to improve my skillset every day.
O 704 780 4359
M 704 280 1432
allie@middlemcreative.com
Jan Morris
Vice President
Authentic stories bring brands to life — and the M&A industry is fertile ground for sharing great stories. We help firms scale their storytelling efforts, moving beyond old-school BD tactics into the digital-first world.
Whether or not they will readily admit it, evoking emotion is the key to any decision maker’s heart and mind. If you aren’t making your audience feel something, you’ve risked missing your next big transaction to the competition.
Agency born and bred with over ten years of client management experience, I find myself most at home in nimble, specialized teams. A project manager at heart, I’m driven by process and research. I lead our clients through projects with unwavering focus on the end goal, strategic guidance through the proper milestones and a passion for quality assurance. My prior experience developing strategic marketing for clients across a variety of verticals is helpful context for our M&A-focused work at MiddleM, as our clients advise or invest in just about every sector within the business world.
In addition to collaborating with the MiddleM team and our clients, I enjoy spending as much time as possible outdoors with my family — especially my two young children — and friends.
M 904 210 3302
jan@middlemcreative.com
Molly Coyne
Senior Client Services Associate
Thoughtful messaging and branding can transform uncertainty into opportunity, more efficiently bringing the right parties to the table for impactful M&A transactions.
The team that helps craft your firm’s story must understand your brand, business and industry well enough to artfully articulate it to those who don’t.
A keen passion for the written word has fueled my career. My background in academic publishing at Yale University Press, followed by 12 years of teaching at two college-preparatory high schools, guided my belief that high-quality, impactful writing remains a cornerstone of effective communication. My work in corporate sponsorships, marketing, and client engagement for thought leadership events and a financial consultancy focused on ESOP transactions emphasized the importance of cultivating meaningful connections with my clients.
As a Memphis-area resident born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, my deep love of the mountains and exploration has never left me. My husband, our three boys and I are typically outside, involved in some competitive activity. Alternatively, one might find me with a tennis racquet or a good book in hand.
M 503 504 7751
molly@middlemcreative.com
Camille Albea
Senior Client Services Associate
Providing creative solutions for our clients’ strategic challenges requires a dynamic team with a growth mindset.
Successful client interactions require transparent communication, creative vision, and intentional project management. I am fueled by working with committed teams and passionate leaders in middle-market M&A. I work with our clients to ensure critical projects are delivered and executed to their fullest potential.
Prior to MiddleM Creative, I worked for over three years at an Atlanta-based private equity firm, Georgia Oak Partners. I was embedded at the firm level working on portfolio company and firm marketing — providing brand management, creative direction, and tactical execution. Before joining Georgia Oak Partners, I was an account manager at a full-service marketing agency where I nurtured existing client relationships and advanced the firm’s business development efforts.
With a Master of Arts in Integrated Marketing Communications and previous private equity experience, I am well-equipped to provide strategic guidance to our clients.
M 214 535 8848
camille@middlemcreative.com
Dakota Smith
Client Services Associate
Our clients have unique perspectives and experiences — powerful tools that can help them win their next deal. We help bring these stories to life and amplify their volume to the right audiences.
I have always been passionate about the power of words in connecting people and fostering the growth of individuals and organizations alike. I help MiddleM clients communicate their differentiators through storytelling, strategic marketing, and brand building.
I earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the University of Georgia, where I also worked with several organizations on public relations strategies and campaigns. Away from my desk, I enjoy spending time with friends and family in Athens, reading all genres, and practicing yoga.
M 678 689 4758
dakota@middlemcreative.com
Tara Kriwinsky
Client Services Associate
When M&A professionals are heads-down executing deals, marketing and BD often get outranked on the to-do list. That’s where we come in.
Having spent six years inside an investment bank supporting efforts to secure new mandates and champion successful transactions, I developed a passion for the catalyzing role marketing and brand awareness can play in an M&A firm’s success. With a keen eye for detail, I collaborate with our clients to deliver impactful solutions that resonate with the right audiences and drive measurable results.
Prior to MiddleM Creative, I supported the growth of Citizens’ M&A Advisory and Commercial Banking platforms as a Marketing Partner, joining the bank through the acquisition of my prior firm, Western Reserve Partners. In my tenure at both organizations, I worked on strategic marketing and branding projects, most notably assisting in integrating and rebranding four separate investment bank acquisitions. When I’m not working, I enjoy being outdoors, reading, and spending time with my husband and two young daughters.
M 330 858 7533
tara@middlemcreative.com
Heidi Vanhoozier
Senior Operations Manager
Deeply understanding the nuances of the M&A world allows us to mind every detail on behalf of our clients—from the database to the deal announcement.
My work with MiddleM’s clients helps set the foundation of success for business development, public relations, and thought leadership campaigns. I’ve worked in the financial industry for nearly twenty years, gaining experience in business development, account management, public relations, database management, and sales. Prior to joining the MiddleM team in 2018, I worked with high-net-worth U.S. Trust clients at Bank of America facilitating portfolio loans. These loan requests predominately fell outside of the box, requiring creative thinking and tactful strategy to get them approved.
I have a passion for uncovering business opportunities through networking, research, and analytics, all while fostering strong, long-lasting client relationships.
M 980 322 1245
heidi@middlemcreative.com