Kathryn Ikle is a Memphis, TN native and local 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 an 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, and organizing awards banquets such as Health Care Heroes and Top 40 Under 40 for businesses and professionals in the community. Moving on, she worked for ALSAC, the fundraising arm of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in Donor Relations, where she supported fundraising for the hospital.
When the recession hit, she left ALSAC, St. Jude, to start her own business, Ikle Creative Designs. She built the business from ground up, offering custom made furniture, art, and accessories through an online store. 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 products – made in the USA – 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 own 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 in 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 events such as banquets, weddings, and the well-known Singing Christmas Tree.
Kathryn is 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 benefiting Hope House. 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 driven and she truly cares 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 Shelby Farms Park Conservancy for their youth and adults 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, talent, and time and invest in the lives of others.
Kathryn has worked at FedEx as the UX Lead/ Marketing Specialist in Digital User Experience. Drawing on 19+ years of extensive experience in digital, marketing, UX, technology, and design, she developed innovative ideas and outstanding digital experiences for the FedEx Mobile App and other world technology projects. She currently serves as UX/BA Leadership in Technology Innovation for Topgolf Entertainment Group.
Kathryn is a member of the Young Professionals Council of the Greater Memphis Chamber. She offers creative and strategic consulting services to a variety of local businesses, non-profits, 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 an 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, and organizing awards banquets such as Health Care Heroes and Top 40 Under 40 for businesses and professionals in the community. Moving on, she worked for ALSAC, the fundraising arm of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in Donor Relations, where she supported fundraising for the hospital.
When the recession hit, she left ALSAC, St. Jude, to start her own business, Ikle Creative Designs. She built the business from ground up, offering custom made furniture, art, and accessories through an online store. 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 products – made in the USA – 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 own 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 in 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 events such as banquets, weddings, and the well-known Singing Christmas Tree.
Kathryn is 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 benefiting Hope House. 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 driven and she truly cares 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 Shelby Farms Park Conservancy for their youth and adults 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, talent, and time and invest in the lives of others.
Kathryn has worked at FedEx as the UX Lead/ Marketing Specialist in Digital User Experience. Drawing on 19+ years of extensive experience in digital, marketing, UX, technology, and design, she developed innovative ideas and outstanding digital experiences for the FedEx Mobile App and other world technology projects. She currently serves as UX/BA Leadership in Technology Innovation for Topgolf Entertainment Group.
Kathryn is a member of the Young Professionals Council of the Greater Memphis Chamber. She offers creative and strategic consulting services to a variety of local businesses, non-profits, 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.