Kathryn Ikle is a Memphis, TN native and a passionate artist. She is no stranger to recognition and awards, and has been involved in the 901 community from early on in her life.
Kathryn is a graduate of Hutchison School. While at Hutchison, she was the recipient of the Art Purchase Award; having an acrylic portrait painting on canvas bought and displayed to this day in the school’s permanent collection. She also served as an assistant archivist for the school and participated in a number of service projects, including ministering to senior adults in assisted living communities. She attended Rhodes College, where she majored in art and earned design awards for Film Society Logo Design and Wireless Logo Design contests. She supported the school’s Christian student organization on campus by creating promotional materials, as well as organizing and hosting a campus-wide music concert. She also attended Baylor University, where she majored in Graphic Design and earned an advertising award from the Advertising Association of Waco, TX for an ad she created. Upon returning to her roots, Memphis, TN, she obtained a degree in Marketing and Art at University of Memphis, where she networked with up-and-coming artists and curated a student art exhibition at Opera Memphis benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
When asked what she brings to the 901 community, she responds, “Development. If you give me something, my goal is to make it better, to invest in it...encourage it to reach its full potential...to leave it better off than when we started.” She has had quite a lot of success with development already.
Kathryn began her professional career working for Disciple Design, a division of Thompson & Company, a well-known local advertising company. While there, she developed her eye for advertising and design. She then took on a sales, marketing, and events role at the Memphis Business Journal, creating advertisements for the newspaper, cultivating client relationships, generating revenue, and organizing major awards banquets such as Health Care Heroes and Top 40 Under 40 recognizing businesses and professionals in the community. Moving into the non-profit industry, she worked in Donor Relations for ALSAC, the fundraising arm of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she supported critical fundraising efforts for the hospital.
When the recession hit, she left ALSAC, St. Jude, to start her own e-commerce business, Ikle Creative Designs. She built the business from ground up, offering custom furniture, art, and accessories to clients. Considering her family heritage, she had just the background to do it.
Kathryn comes from a long line of artisans dating back to the 1800s. The Ikle family produced over 1,450 beautiful textiles all over Europe for generations. Collections can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Folk Art Museum, the Cooper Hewitt-Smithsonian Design Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Textile Museum of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and the Museum für Völkerkunde, Basel. When asked what her goal was for her business, she replied, “I wanted to provide unique, affordable, and functional services and products to people who were going through a tough time in the recession.” Needless to say, her knack for business thrived and so did Ikle Creative Designs.
Taking a break from her business, Kathryn moved back into the non-profit world at Bellevue Baptist Church. Starting in the Pastoral Care department, she developed relationships with members and guests and assisted with the organization of church-wide projects. Soon after, she was promoted to Director of Hospitality and Events Management. She managed over 80 volunteers and staff, as well as recruited and worked with members for essential committees. She developed policies and procedures to utilize resources more effectively, incorporated new ideas to engage members and guests, enhanced the organization's website, implemented an online payment system, and assisted in promoting and managing major events such as banquets, weddings, and the well-known Singing Christmas Tree.
Kathryn has been very active in supporting the 901 community. For many years, she showcased her art and custom-made furniture at the Junior League of Memphis Annual Art Show and Auction with proceeds benefiting Hope House, a local charity. She donated a custom furniture piece to St. Mary’s Episcopal School for their Spring Fling Art Auction to aid in annual fundraising efforts, and she has coached Middle School girls volleyball at Evangelical Christian School.
When people she knows are asked what they like best about her, they reply with a lot of enthusiasm, “She is so affable and positive...a great communicator. When she smiles, it reaches her eyes. Kathryn’s the kind of person that when she’s not around, she’s missed. She's a true leader and she is passionate about the work that she does. ”
Kathryn has taught both youth and adult art, creating and writing her own unique art education curriculum. She is a natural teacher - encouraging students to develop an appreciation for art, learning, and the world around them - and has partnered with many organizations such as the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy for their Arts in the Park program.
From producing art education social media videos for the Germantown Community Library to hosting art classes for senior living communities and corporate networking events, Kathryn says she loves to take her gifts, talents, and time, and invest in the lives of others.
Drawing on 17+ years of combined experience in UX, design, research, digital, marketing, agile, product, innovation, and technology, Kathryn has established a well known reputation in the UX and Technology industries. She worked at FedEx as the User Experience Lead in Digital User Experience. She developed innovative strategies and created outstanding digital experiences for the FedEx Mobile App and other global digital platforms. She also served as the User Experience/Business Analyst Leader in Technology Innovation for Topgolf Entertainment Group in Dallas, TX, creating strategies, leading teams, and establishing a UX Center of Excellence. Kathryn currently resides in Dallas, TX where she is a member of the Dallas Ft. Worth Alliance of Technology and Women, and serves as the Creative Director for Global Genes, a leading rare disease advocacy organization.
Kathryn's extensive knowledge has enabled her to offer creative and strategic consulting services to a variety of businesses, non-profits, corporations, and organizations. Many have benefited from her problem-solving skills and innovative thinking. Clients testify that she takes vision to a whole new level, offering new and fresh solutions to any challenge.
Wherever Kathryn goes, she leaves things better than when she found them.
Kathryn is a graduate of Hutchison School. While at Hutchison, she was the recipient of the Art Purchase Award; having an acrylic portrait painting on canvas bought and displayed to this day in the school’s permanent collection. She also served as an assistant archivist for the school and participated in a number of service projects, including ministering to senior adults in assisted living communities. She attended Rhodes College, where she majored in art and earned design awards for Film Society Logo Design and Wireless Logo Design contests. She supported the school’s Christian student organization on campus by creating promotional materials, as well as organizing and hosting a campus-wide music concert. She also attended Baylor University, where she majored in Graphic Design and earned an advertising award from the Advertising Association of Waco, TX for an ad she created. Upon returning to her roots, Memphis, TN, she obtained a degree in Marketing and Art at University of Memphis, where she networked with up-and-coming artists and curated a student art exhibition at Opera Memphis benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
When asked what she brings to the 901 community, she responds, “Development. If you give me something, my goal is to make it better, to invest in it...encourage it to reach its full potential...to leave it better off than when we started.” She has had quite a lot of success with development already.
Kathryn began her professional career working for Disciple Design, a division of Thompson & Company, a well-known local advertising company. While there, she developed her eye for advertising and design. She then took on a sales, marketing, and events role at the Memphis Business Journal, creating advertisements for the newspaper, cultivating client relationships, generating revenue, and organizing major awards banquets such as Health Care Heroes and Top 40 Under 40 recognizing businesses and professionals in the community. Moving into the non-profit industry, she worked in Donor Relations for ALSAC, the fundraising arm of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she supported critical fundraising efforts for the hospital.
When the recession hit, she left ALSAC, St. Jude, to start her own e-commerce business, Ikle Creative Designs. She built the business from ground up, offering custom furniture, art, and accessories to clients. Considering her family heritage, she had just the background to do it.
Kathryn comes from a long line of artisans dating back to the 1800s. The Ikle family produced over 1,450 beautiful textiles all over Europe for generations. Collections can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Folk Art Museum, the Cooper Hewitt-Smithsonian Design Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Textile Museum of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and the Museum für Völkerkunde, Basel. When asked what her goal was for her business, she replied, “I wanted to provide unique, affordable, and functional services and products to people who were going through a tough time in the recession.” Needless to say, her knack for business thrived and so did Ikle Creative Designs.
Taking a break from her business, Kathryn moved back into the non-profit world at Bellevue Baptist Church. Starting in the Pastoral Care department, she developed relationships with members and guests and assisted with the organization of church-wide projects. Soon after, she was promoted to Director of Hospitality and Events Management. She managed over 80 volunteers and staff, as well as recruited and worked with members for essential committees. She developed policies and procedures to utilize resources more effectively, incorporated new ideas to engage members and guests, enhanced the organization's website, implemented an online payment system, and assisted in promoting and managing major events such as banquets, weddings, and the well-known Singing Christmas Tree.
Kathryn has been very active in supporting the 901 community. For many years, she showcased her art and custom-made furniture at the Junior League of Memphis Annual Art Show and Auction with proceeds benefiting Hope House, a local charity. She donated a custom furniture piece to St. Mary’s Episcopal School for their Spring Fling Art Auction to aid in annual fundraising efforts, and she has coached Middle School girls volleyball at Evangelical Christian School.
When people she knows are asked what they like best about her, they reply with a lot of enthusiasm, “She is so affable and positive...a great communicator. When she smiles, it reaches her eyes. Kathryn’s the kind of person that when she’s not around, she’s missed. She's a true leader and she is passionate about the work that she does. ”
Kathryn has taught both youth and adult art, creating and writing her own unique art education curriculum. She is a natural teacher - encouraging students to develop an appreciation for art, learning, and the world around them - and has partnered with many organizations such as the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy for their Arts in the Park program.
From producing art education social media videos for the Germantown Community Library to hosting art classes for senior living communities and corporate networking events, Kathryn says she loves to take her gifts, talents, and time, and invest in the lives of others.
Drawing on 17+ years of combined experience in UX, design, research, digital, marketing, agile, product, innovation, and technology, Kathryn has established a well known reputation in the UX and Technology industries. She worked at FedEx as the User Experience Lead in Digital User Experience. She developed innovative strategies and created outstanding digital experiences for the FedEx Mobile App and other global digital platforms. She also served as the User Experience/Business Analyst Leader in Technology Innovation for Topgolf Entertainment Group in Dallas, TX, creating strategies, leading teams, and establishing a UX Center of Excellence. Kathryn currently resides in Dallas, TX where she is a member of the Dallas Ft. Worth Alliance of Technology and Women, and serves as the Creative Director for Global Genes, a leading rare disease advocacy organization.
Kathryn's extensive knowledge has enabled her to offer creative and strategic consulting services to a variety of businesses, non-profits, corporations, and organizations. Many have benefited from her problem-solving skills and innovative thinking. Clients testify that she takes vision to a whole new level, offering new and fresh solutions to any challenge.
Wherever Kathryn goes, she leaves things better than when she found them.