0.6741 N,
23.47314 E
It’s time to get from where you are now
to where you want to be.
Break Orbit is a scalable, bespoke, on-demand black ops marketing SWAT team specializing in rapid-response, high-impact strategic/creative problem solving.
Break through the limitations and barriers of smaller budgets, less staff, less time, less resources. Breakthrough the cluttered marketing landscape. Break orbit with leaner, higher-level firepower that can help you punch above your weight and take your brand to new heights.
Getting creative/strategic ideas that are transformative to business, culture, and your ROI does not require an army of billable people, months and months of effort, a “proprietary process,” hundreds of SMEs, or an ad agency for that matter. There is a direct path to the answers you seek. We offer solutions, not process.
Don’t confuse the moon with the finger pointing to it. Transformation creative and strategic ideas are not paint-by-numbers. They are an art. An art that liberally uses science (data/analytics/AI) in order to then transcend it. Data and analytics are the fuel, not the fire. We create what data, algorithms, and AI can’t: human connection. We’re talking about pure, humanity-driven, intimate, purposeful serendipity and synchronicity that critical and analytical thinking simply can’t get to. It’s the only way to break through the white noise. It’s where all the magic happens.
Break Orbit is made up of on-demand, heavy-hitter, battle-tested, A-list, executive-level, interdisciplinary creative/strategic operatives.
Our founders were directly responsible for creating the famous, transformative strategic brand platforms and creative campaigns that forever changed business and culture for Converse, Michelob Ultra, NFL, DIRECTV, Dr. Martens, KFC, Hummer, and Ketel One Vodka – leading each brand to the highest sales in company history.
We don’t use freelancers. We deploy a superband formed around your exact needs. No overhead. No filler. Just the world’s top marketing minds - on call, in flow, ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done at the highest level. Think Justice League on the bat phone. The model lets us scale up or down instantly, depending on your need - all while maintaining access to the kind of firepower no traditional ad agency, or in-house agency, could staff full-time.
Services
Brand development
Rebranding
Enterprise Building
Strategic Development
Market Research
Business Development,
New Product Development
Content Development
Community Development
Advertising
Design
Experiential
Digital/Social
Influencer
Celebrity
Corporate Identity
Naming
Entertainment properties
Film Direction
Music Development
Interior Design
Operatives
Jacquelyn Berney
Founder
Jacquelyn is a seasoned leader with a strong track record in results-driven strategies and innovative leadership. With over 20 years of experience, she has consistently led teams to achieve remarkable success across a variety of industries. Jacquelyn's leadership style is rooted in fostering growth, both in individuals and organizations. She is known for creating environments where teams can thrive, innovate, and deliver outstanding results.
Jacquelyn's career is marked by her ability to lead complex projects and guide organizations through transformative change. Her expertise spans strategic planning, brand development, business growth, and operational excellence. She has played key roles in directing integrated marketing campaigns, developing innovative strategies, and leading teams to execute high-impact initiatives.
In her personal time, Jacquelyn enjoys golf, pilates, art, fashion, and travel. She and her husband, Tim, are avid supporters of the arts and love spending time with friends, exploring new places, and relaxing with their dog, Tabouli.
Tim Berney
Founder
Tim Berney has spent almost his entire career as CEO of VI Marketing and Branding, an agency that he founded in 1989 at 24 years of age. He was a very early adopter of modern branding strategies and many of his highest accomplishments and accolades are related to rebranding efforts of existing companies.
A winner of the prestigious Jay Chiat award for strategic excellence, Berney put VI on the map by refusing to feel confined by 'the way things are done.' He is responsible for developing two innovative marketing tactics that are commonplace today: The :04 televison adlet which accounts for millions of dollars of revenue for broadcast companies across the USA; and Collision Marketing™ which worked client brands into programming content, before it was a thing. His name has appeared on over 1,000 awards for marketing and creative excellence.
Berney is a lifelong learner, keeping himself and his business interests on the forward edge of new technologies and trends. He has volunteered to lead dozens of non-profits and arts organizations during his career He is a member of YPO, where he is a national leader among leaders.
The love of Tim’s life is his wife Jacquelyn whom he calls the best marketer, leader, and fashionista in Oklahoma. She calls him the world’s best branding strategist… as long as they agree on that strategy.
Todd Tilford
Founder
Multi-hyphenate creative executive Todd Tilford wields over 25+ years-experience crossing multiple disciplines and industries that include Brand Platform Development, Strategic Development, Business Development, Content Development, Product Development, Advertising, Design, Corporate Identity, Experiential, Events, Naming, Digital, Social, Influencer, Celebrity, Community Development, Entertainment Properties, Interior Design, Film Directing, and Live/Post-production. His deep industry experience crosses marketing/advertising, music, entertainment, and fashion.
Tilford’s strategic brand development experience, diverse body of work as chief creative officer, design director, brand consultant, and entrepreneur, along with his personal, direct, hands-on creative direction of the executions and content give his work a unique power that has been highly transformative to the companies he has partnered with. His varied background has also perfectly positioned him to take advantage of today’s increasingly dynamic, multi-faceted media landscape.
Tilford spearheaded strategic and creative efforts that led to the highest sales in company history for DIRECTV, Michelob Ultra, Ketel One Vodka, and Dr. Martens. He led the NFL’s first unified brand campaign in league history. Led the launch of the civilian Hummer until its sale to GM. And rebranded Converse through the Chuck Taylor “Rubber And A Blank Canvas campaign (the strategy is still the foundation for the entire company).
Tilford has been a featured speaker for the Brandcenter at VCU, the Art Directors Club of New York, and the Women In Business Club at Harvard. His work has appeared in numerous college textbooks, and he has a trunk full of Cannes Lion Gold awards, D&AD Gold awards, and One Show Gold awards. He was the first to do a national TV campaign shot completely on an iPhone. His work for the NFL forever changed how sports are filmed. His work for Valspar led to the first eyeglasses ever created to correct colourblindness. His work for the Quake and Doom franchises forever changed the way gaming is marketed. And he has one of the top 10 most viral ads in history to his name.
Eric Bruno
With more than 25 years of marketing strategy, creative development and consumer insight projects Eric has worked deep inside brands including Starbucks, ESPN, Home Depot, J&J, Nike, Chevrolet and many others. Eric brings deep experience in research, brand architecture and product innovation initiatives across a wide range of categories.
Regardless of the company/client size or marketing need, he believes brand success always starts with the hard work of getting the fundamentals tight and right. Start with the problem your company solves and always look for a more “aha” way of connecting with consumers, clients and customers.
Occasionally, Eric also teaches at the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business/Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. Recently, he’s swapped out on-campus classes in favor of being a part of the Rural Colorado Workshop Series (RCWS), teaching real-world lessons to seasoned entrepreneurs across Colorado.
For his own inspiration, Eric spends a good chunk of his free-time running the trails and riding the canyons in and around Boulder, CO… and he has only run into one bear and zero mountain lions… not yet anyway.
Benjamin Flaherty
Benjamin Flaherty is a filmmaker and photographer with a diverse collection work over the past 15 years - from documentary and art films with Lou Reed and Julian Schnabel to commercial spots for major brands like Humana and KFC. His short form PSA’s have been awarded at Cannes, D&AD, One Show and the Clios. His debut feature documentary, Shuffle, won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival. He’s lived and worked in Berlin, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. He’s currently based in Austin.
Sorenne Gottlieb
Sorenne is a seasoned Creative Director with two decades of industry experience, excelling on both the agency and brand sides. As an Art Director and Designer who thinks like a strategist, she has collaborated with top brands across Sports and Lifestyle (Nike, Adidas), Tech (Google, HP, Microsoft), Fashion and Retail (The Gap, Lowe’s,) Beauty (Sephora), Telecom and Automotive (AT&T, Lexus), and Culture (The Getty Museum).
Her expertise lies in orchestrating omni-channel campaigns, as well as in-house retail, experiential, and brand activations. Sorenne's passion for her craft is matched by her dedication to helping clients achieve their business goals while making a significant impact on culture.
Todd Hippensteel
Specializing in design, illustration, and motion, Todd has over 20 years' experience in the advertising and entertainment industries, working with such clients as Oreo, Pepsi, Mac Miller, and Gucci.
Peter McDonough
Peter McDonough is an accomplished global brand builder across a broad range of Consumer Goods Industries and currently serves as a Corporate Advisor and Independent Director on numerous Company Boards.
In 2022, Peter retired from his leadership role as Chief Executive Officer of Trait Biosciences, a Los Alamos, NM biotechnology research organization developing Intellectual Property associated with the formulation of CBD Health & Wellness Products.
Before joining Trait, Peter served as President, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer for Diageo North America. While in this role he was responsible for overseeing North America’s largest portfolio of premium spirits and beer brands. He directed the brand marketing initiatives and product innovation strategy for category leading brands such as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Crown Royal, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray, Bulleit, Ketel One, Don Julio, Baileys and the beers Guinness, Harp and Red Stripe. He served as the senior leader for a diverse marketing team composed of brand marketing; consumer research; digital, social and celebrity marketing; Public Relations and a new product innovation group responsible for ideation; product development; novel technology platforms; consumer testing and strategic external partnerships.
In his diverse career, Peter has served as a senior leader in seven different industries. After teaching at The University of Canterbury’s Graduate School of Business in Christchurch, New Zealand, Peter served as Procter & Gamble’s Vice President of European Marketing overseeing the brand marketing function for Duracell Batteries and Braun Appliances. Prior to his overseas roles Peter served as Gillette's Head of North American Marketing where he oversaw the launch of industry leading Brands such as Mach3 Turbo, and Venus For Women razors. Earlier in his career he served as Director of Marketing at Black & Decker where he was involved in launching the DeWalt Power Tool Company.
Peter brings innovative thinking to transform business performance from diverse experiences leading global organizations in industries such as Biotechnology, Personal Care Products, Consumer Appliances, Power Tools and Beverage Alcohol. His success in leading a diverse portfolio of businesses provides insightful agility to quickly analyze industry dynamics, evaluate competitive strategy and craft business plans leveraging new growth drivers and organizational capabilities.
George Nguyen
Strategically focused, operationally grounded, George Nguyen brings more than 20 years of experience in both North America and Asia on both the agency and client side across a breadth of categories including automotive, telecom, entertainment, fashion, technology, consumer packaged goods and conservation.
With a foundation in deep insight work, George’s strategic experience cut a broad swath of practices include brand positioning, editorial strategy, innovation, user experience, operational planning, identity and new product development and some of the most applauded campaigns on the planet including VW’s “Drivers Wanted” and The American Legacy Foundation’s “Truth” anti-smoking campaign (voted Campaign of the Decade by the readers of Advertising Age).
Karin Onsager-Birch
I’m proud of my proven track record of unlocking creativity and bringing out superpowers for brands, teams, and individuals. After 20+ years of creating culture-defining work, I’m now committed to finding new ways to unleash the power of creativity at scale. I have an untraditional background that's been an advantage in connecting with more diverse, as well as global, collaborators and audiences. I was raised in Norway and Mexico, educated in Switzerland and Los Angeles, and grew my muscles as a Creative at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. Smashing glass ceilings; I moved to London to become Executive Creative Director at WPP’S Blue Hive, a bespoke agency responsible for Ford’s advertising across 44 countries in Europe. With a staggering range of clients, cultures, and languages, inspiration and creativity became my key to achieving unheard-of pan-European collaboration. Our London office expanded from 80 to 200 people, and we additionally built four new offices for national European markets. All of this led to creative work that shattered Ford’s previous sales records and brought the brand to the forefront of social media and mobile media innovation. In 2015 my family moved back to San Francisco where I joined FCBWest as Chief Creative Officer (and later rising to co-President). Our team rebuilt and doubled that office in three years with 25% YoY revenue growth. How? We created globally award-winning work for Levi’s and Clorox that brought record ROI and transformed those legacy brands into contemporary success stories, finding relevance with younger and more diverse audiences. Headlines and awards followed, at the Cannes Lions, One Show and D&AD, and more. Subsequently, the FCB Network won Most Awarded network agency at Cannes in 2019 and at the One Show in 2020. After 20+ years of training and leadership roles on the creative agency side, I joined Lyft as VP of Creative in 2021. My move was prompted by a desire to build a faster and more nimble process, with fewer layers and a greater alignment around a shared mission. I felt that the conflicting objectives between the agency network model and their clients were getting in the way of creativity and agility. On the brand side, I discovered how much I love the power of being able to scale creativity across an entire brand narrative.
Alonzo Page
Marketing executive and entrepreneur Alonzo Page brings 10 years of experience in consumer insights and corporate strategy across fitness, apparel, and consulting. His expertise includes Strategic Planning, Operational Efficiency, Customer Retention, Data Analytics, Marketing Strategy, and Business Development. Alonzo’s career includes roles at Peloton and Bain & Company, where he drove customer definition, engagement, retention, and profitability through data-driven approaches.
At Peloton, Alonzo established the total addressable market and audience segmentation, playing a key role in campaigns that nearly doubled sales and halved the cost of acquisition. His ability to leverage customer data for targeted marketing strategies significantly enhanced brand loyalty and customer lifetime value.
Alonzo also founded Strange Oaths, a marketing consultancy, where he helped brands connect with their audiences through insight-driven brand and product strategies. His consultancy work empowers consumer brands to achieve stronger engagement and growth.
With a background in project management and cross-functional leadership, Alonzo excels in fostering collaboration and guiding teams towards successful outcomes. His analytical skills and strategic mindset align organizational strategies with business objectives, ensuring seamless execution of initiatives.
Alonzo holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BA from Yale University. He is passionate about innovation, adaptability, and leading organizational change. He enjoys sharing his expertise through speaking engagements and mentorship, including a panel discussion at Harvard Business School on non-technical roles in tech. His work has been nominated for industry awards, underscoring his contributions to the field.
© 2024 Break Orbit
0.6741 N,
23.47314 E
It’s time to get from where you are now
to where you want to be.
Break Orbit is a scalable, bespoke, on-demand black ops marketing SWAT team specializing in rapid-response, high-impact strategic/creative problem solving.
Break through the limitations and barriers of smaller budgets, less staff, less time, less resources. Breakthrough the cluttered marketing landscape. Break orbit with leaner, higher-level firepower that can help you punch above your weight and take your brand to new heights.
Getting creative/strategic ideas that are transformative to business, culture, and your ROI does not require an army of billable people, months and months of effort, a “proprietary process,” hundreds of SMEs, or an ad agency for that matter. There is a direct path to the answers you seek. We offer solutions, not process.
Don’t confuse the moon with the finger pointing to it. Transformation creative and strategic ideas are not paint-by-numbers. They are an art. An art that liberally uses science (data/analytics/AI) in order to then transcend it. Data and analytics are the fuel, not the fire. We create what data, algorithms, and AI can’t: human connection. We’re talking about pure, humanity-driven, intimate, purposeful serendipity and synchronicity that critical and analytical thinking simply can’t get to. It’s the only way to break through the white noise. It’s where all the magic happens.
Break Orbit is made up of on-demand, heavy-hitter, battle-tested, A-list, executive-level, interdisciplinary creative/strategic operatives.
Our founders were directly responsible for creating the famous, transformative strategic brand platforms and creative campaigns that forever changed business and culture for Converse, Michelob Ultra, NFL, DIRECTV, Dr. Martens, KFC, Hummer, and Ketel One Vodka – leading each brand to the highest sales in company history.
We don’t use freelancers. We deploy a superband formed around your exact needs. No overhead. No filler. Just the world’s top marketing minds - on call, in flow, ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done at the highest level. Think Justice League on the bat phone. The model lets us scale up or down instantly, depending on your need - all while maintaining access to the kind of firepower no traditional ad agency, or in-house agency, could staff full-time.
Services
Brand development
Rebranding
Enterprise Building
Strategic Development
Market Research
Business Development
New Product Development
Content Development
Community Development
Advertising
Design
Experiential
Digital/Social
Influencer
Celebrity
Corporate Identity
Naming
Entertainment properties
Film Direction
Music Development
Interior Design
Operatives
Jacquelyn Berney
Founder
Jacquelyn is a seasoned leader with a strong track record in results-driven strategies and innovative leadership. With over 20 years of experience, she has consistently led teams to achieve remarkable success across a variety of industries. Jacquelyn's leadership style is rooted in fostering growth, both in individuals and organizations. She is known for creating environments where teams can thrive, innovate, and deliver outstanding results.
Jacquelyn's career is marked by her ability to lead complex projects and guide organizations through transformative change. Her expertise spans strategic planning, brand development, business growth, and operational excellence. She has played key roles in directing integrated marketing campaigns, developing innovative strategies, and leading teams to execute high-impact initiatives.
In her personal time, Jacquelyn enjoys golf, pilates, art, fashion, and travel. She and her husband, Tim, are avid supporters of the arts and love spending time with friends, exploring new places, and relaxing with their dog, Tabouli.
Tim Berney
Founder
Tim Berney has spent almost his entire career as CEO of VI Marketing and Branding, an agency that he founded in 1989 at 24 years of age. He was a very early adopter of modern branding strategies and many of his highest accomplishments and accolades are related to rebranding efforts of existing companies.
A winner of the prestigious Jay Chiat award for strategic excellence, Berney put VI on the map by refusing to feel confined by 'the way things are done.' He is responsible for developing two innovative marketing tactics that are commonplace today: The :04 televison adlet which accounts for millions of dollars of revenue for broadcast companies across the USA; and Collision Marketing™ which worked client brands into programming content, before it was a thing. His name has appeared on over 1,000 awards for marketing and creative excellence.
Berney is a lifelong learner, keeping himself and his business interests on the forward edge of new technologies and trends. He has volunteered to lead dozens of non-profits and arts organizations during his career He is a member of YPO, where he is a national leader among leaders.
The love of Tim’s life is his wife Jacquelyn whom he calls the best marketer, leader, and fashionista in Oklahoma. She calls him the world’s best branding strategist… as long as they agree on that strategy.
Todd Tilford
Founder
Multi-hyphenate creative executive Todd Tilford wields over 25+ years-experience crossing multiple disciplines and industries that include Brand Platform Development, Strategic Development, Business Development, Content Development, Product Development, Advertising, Design, Corporate Identity, Experiential, Events, Naming, Digital, Social, Influencer, Celebrity, Community Development, Entertainment Properties, Interior Design, Film Directing, and Live/Post-production. His deep industry experience crosses marketing/advertising, music, entertainment, and fashion.
Tilford’s strategic brand development experience, diverse body of work as chief creative officer, design director, brand consultant, and entrepreneur, along with his personal, direct, hands-on creative direction of the executions and content give his work a unique power that has been highly transformative to the companies he has partnered with. His varied background has also perfectly positioned him to take advantage of today’s increasingly dynamic, multi-faceted media landscape.
Tilford spearheaded strategic and creative efforts that led to the highest sales in company history for DIRECTV, Michelob Ultra, Ketel One Vodka, and Dr. Martens. He led the NFL’s first unified brand campaign in league history. Led the launch of the civilian Hummer until its sale to GM. And rebranded Converse through the Chuck Taylor “Rubber And A Blank Canvas campaign (the strategy is still the foundation for the entire company).
Tilford has been a featured speaker for the Brandcenter at VCU, the Art Directors Club of New York, and the Women In Business Club at Harvard. His work has appeared in numerous college textbooks, and he has a trunk full of Cannes Lion Gold awards, D&AD Gold awards, and One Show Gold awards. He was the first to do a national TV campaign shot completely on an iPhone. His work for the NFL forever changed how sports are filmed. His work for Valspar led to the first eyeglasses ever created to correct colourblindness. His work for the Quake and Doom franchises forever changed the way gaming is marketed. And he has one of the top 10 most viral ads in history to his name.
Eric Bruno
With more than 25 years of marketing strategy, creative development and consumer insight projects Eric has worked deep inside brands including Starbucks, ESPN, Home Depot, J&J, Nike, Chevrolet and many others. Eric brings deep experience in research, brand architecture and product innovation initiatives across a wide range of categories.
Regardless of the company/client size or marketing need, he believes brand success always starts with the hard work of getting the fundamentals tight and right. Start with the problem your company solves and always look for a more “aha” way of connecting with consumers, clients and customers.
Occasionally, Eric also teaches at the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business/Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. Recently, he’s swapped out on-campus classes in favor of being a part of the Rural Colorado Workshop Series (RCWS), teaching real-world lessons to seasoned entrepreneurs across Colorado.
For his own inspiration, Eric spends a good chunk of his free-time running the trails and riding the canyons in and around Boulder, CO… and he has only run into one bear and zero mountain lions… not yet anyway.
Benjamin Flaherty
Benjamin Flaherty is a filmmaker and photographer with a diverse collection work over the past 15 years - from documentary and art films with Lou Reed and Julian Schnabel to commercial spots for major brands like Humana and KFC. His short form PSA’s have been awarded at Cannes, D&AD, One Show and the Clios. His debut feature documentary, Shuffle, won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival. He’s lived and worked in Berlin, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. He’s currently based in Austin.
Sorenne Gottlieb
Sorenne is a seasoned Creative Director with two decades of industry experience, excelling on both the agency and brand sides. As an Art Director and Designer who thinks like a strategist, she has collaborated with top brands across Sports and Lifestyle (Nike, Adidas), Tech (Google, HP, Microsoft), Fashion and Retail (The Gap, Lowe’s,) Beauty (Sephora), Telecom and Automotive (AT&T, Lexus), and Culture (The Getty Museum).
Her expertise lies in orchestrating omni-channel campaigns, as well as in-house retail, experiential, and brand activations. Sorenne's passion for her craft is matched by her dedication to helping clients achieve their business goals while making a significant impact on culture.
Todd Hippensteel
Specializing in design, illustration, and motion, Todd has over 20 years' experience in the advertising and entertainment industries, working with such clients as Oreo, Pepsi, Mac Miller, and Gucci.
Peter McDonough
Peter McDonough is an accomplished global brand builder across a broad range of Consumer Goods Industries and currently serves as a Corporate Advisor and Independent Director on numerous Company Boards.
In 2022, Peter retired from his leadership role as Chief Executive Officer of Trait Biosciences, a Los Alamos, NM biotechnology research organization developing Intellectual Property associated with the formulation of CBD Health & Wellness Products.
Before joining Trait, Peter served as President, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer for Diageo North America. While in this role he was responsible for overseeing North America’s largest portfolio of premium spirits and beer brands. He directed the brand marketing initiatives and product innovation strategy for category leading brands such as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Crown Royal, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray, Bulleit, Ketel One, Don Julio, Baileys and the beers Guinness, Harp and Red Stripe. He served as the senior leader for a diverse marketing team composed of brand marketing; consumer research; digital, social and celebrity marketing; Public Relations and a new product innovation group responsible for ideation; product development; novel technology platforms; consumer testing and strategic external partnerships.
In his diverse career, Peter has served as a senior leader in seven different industries. After teaching at The University of Canterbury’s Graduate School of Business in Christchurch, New Zealand, Peter served as Procter & Gamble’s Vice President of European Marketing overseeing the brand marketing function for Duracell Batteries and Braun Appliances. Prior to his overseas roles Peter served as Gillette's Head of North American Marketing where he oversaw the launch of industry leading Brands such as Mach3 Turbo, and Venus For Women razors. Earlier in his career he served as Director of Marketing at Black & Decker where he was involved in launching the DeWalt Power Tool Company.
Peter brings innovative thinking to transform business performance from diverse experiences leading global organizations in industries such as Biotechnology, Personal Care Products, Consumer Appliances, Power Tools and Beverage Alcohol. His success in leading a diverse portfolio of businesses provides insightful agility to quickly analyze industry dynamics, evaluate competitive strategy and craft business plans leveraging new growth drivers and organizational capabilities.
George Nguyen
Strategically focused, operationally grounded, George Nguyen brings more than 20 years of experience in both North America and Asia on both the agency and client side across a breadth of categories including automotive, telecom, entertainment, fashion, technology, consumer packaged goods and conservation.
With a foundation in deep insight work, George’s strategic experience cut a broad swath of practices include brand positioning, editorial strategy, innovation, user experience, operational planning, identity and new product development and some of the most applauded campaigns on the planet including VW’s “Drivers Wanted” and The American Legacy Foundation’s “Truth” anti-smoking campaign (voted Campaign of the Decade by the readers of Advertising Age).
Karin Onsager-Birch
I’m proud of my proven track record of unlocking creativity and bringing out superpowers for brands, teams, and individuals. After 20+ years of creating culture-defining work, I’m now committed to finding new ways to unleash the power of creativity at scale. I have an untraditional background that's been an advantage in connecting with more diverse, as well as global, collaborators and audiences. I was raised in Norway and Mexico, educated in Switzerland and Los Angeles, and grew my muscles as a Creative at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. Smashing glass ceilings; I moved to London to become Executive Creative Director at WPP’S Blue Hive, a bespoke agency responsible for Ford’s advertising across 44 countries in Europe. With a staggering range of clients, cultures, and languages, inspiration and creativity became my key to achieving unheard-of pan-European collaboration. Our London office expanded from 80 to 200 people, and we additionally built four new offices for national European markets. All of this led to creative work that shattered Ford’s previous sales records and brought the brand to the forefront of social media and mobile media innovation. In 2015 my family moved back to San Francisco where I joined FCBWest as Chief Creative Officer (and later rising to co-President). Our team rebuilt and doubled that office in three years with 25% YoY revenue growth. How? We created globally award-winning work for Levi’s and Clorox that brought record ROI and transformed those legacy brands into contemporary success stories, finding relevance with younger and more diverse audiences. Headlines and awards followed, at the Cannes Lions, One Show and D&AD, and more. Subsequently, the FCB Network won Most Awarded network agency at Cannes in 2019 and at the One Show in 2020. After 20+ years of training and leadership roles on the creative agency side, I joined Lyft as VP of Creative in 2021. My move was prompted by a desire to build a faster and more nimble process, with fewer layers and a greater alignment around a shared mission. I felt that the conflicting objectives between the agency network model and their clients were getting in the way of creativity and agility. On the brand side, I discovered how much I love the power of being able to scale creativity across an entire brand narrative.
Alonzo Page
Marketing executive and entrepreneur Alonzo Page brings 10 years of experience in consumer insights and corporate strategy across fitness, apparel, and consulting. His expertise includes Strategic Planning, Operational Efficiency, Customer Retention, Data Analytics, Marketing Strategy, and Business Development. Alonzo’s career includes roles at Peloton and Bain & Company, where he drove customer definition, engagement, retention, and profitability through data-driven approaches.
At Peloton, Alonzo established the total addressable market and audience segmentation, playing a key role in campaigns that nearly doubled sales and halved the cost of acquisition. His ability to leverage customer data for targeted marketing strategies significantly enhanced brand loyalty and customer lifetime value.
Alonzo also founded Strange Oaths, a marketing consultancy, where he helped brands connect with their audiences through insight-driven brand and product strategies. His consultancy work empowers consumer brands to achieve stronger engagement and growth.
With a background in project management and cross-functional leadership, Alonzo excels in fostering collaboration and guiding teams towards successful outcomes. His analytical skills and strategic mindset align organizational strategies with business objectives, ensuring seamless execution of initiatives.
Alonzo holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BA from Yale University. He is passionate about innovation, adaptability, and leading organizational change. He enjoys sharing his expertise through speaking engagements and mentorship, including a panel discussion at Harvard Business School on non-technical roles in tech. His work has been nominated for industry awards, underscoring his contributions to the field.
© 2024 Break Orbit
0.6741 N,
23.47314 E
It’s time to get from where you are now
to where you want to be.
Break Orbit is a scalable, bespoke, on-demand black ops marketing SWAT team specializing in rapid-response, high-impact strategic/creative problem solving.
Break through the limitations and barriers of smaller budgets, less staff, less time, less resources. Breakthrough the cluttered marketing landscape. Break orbit with leaner, higher-level firepower that can help you punch above your weight and take your brand to new heights.
Getting creative/strategic ideas that are transformative to business, culture, and your ROI does not require an army of billable people, months and months of effort, a “proprietary process,” hundreds of SMEs, or an ad agency for that matter. There is a direct path to the answers you seek. We offer solutions, not process.
Don’t confuse the moon with the finger pointing to it. Transformation creative and strategic ideas are not paint-by-numbers. They are an art. An art that liberally uses science (data/analytics/AI) in order to then transcend it. Data and analytics are the fuel, not the fire. We create what data, algorithms, and AI can’t: human connection. We’re talking about pure, humanity-driven, intimate, purposeful serendipity and synchronicity that critical and analytical thinking simply can’t get to. It’s the only way to break through the white noise. It’s where all the magic happens.
Break Orbit is made up of on-demand, heavy-hitter, battle-tested, A-list, executive-level, interdisciplinary creative/strategic operatives.
Our founders were directly responsible for creating the famous, transformative strategic brand platforms and creative campaigns that forever changed business and culture for Converse, Michelob Ultra, NFL, DIRECTV, Dr. Martens, KFC, Hummer, and Ketel One Vodka – leading each brand to the highest sales in company history.
We don’t use freelancers. We deploy a superband formed around your exact needs. No overhead. No filler. Just the world’s top marketing minds - on call, in flow, ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done at the highest level. Think Justice League on the bat phone. The model lets us scale up or down instantly, depending on your need - all while maintaining access to the kind of firepower no traditional ad agency, or in-house agency, could staff full-time.
Services
Brand development
Rebranding
Enterprise Building
Strategic Development
Market Research
Business Development
New Product Development
Content Development
Community Development
Advertising
Design
Experiential
Digital/Social
Influencer
Celebrity
Corporate Identity
Naming
Entertainment properties
Film Direction
Music Development
Interior Design
Operatives
Jacquelyn Berney
Founder
Jacquelyn is a seasoned leader with a strong track record in results-driven strategies and innovative leadership. With over 20 years of experience, she has consistently led teams to achieve remarkable success across a variety of industries. Jacquelyn's leadership style is rooted in fostering growth, both in individuals and organizations. She is known for creating environments where teams can thrive, innovate, and deliver outstanding results.
Jacquelyn's career is marked by her ability to lead complex projects and guide organizations through transformative change. Her expertise spans strategic planning, brand development, business growth, and operational excellence. She has played key roles in directing integrated marketing campaigns, developing innovative strategies, and leading teams to execute high-impact initiatives.
In her personal time, Jacquelyn enjoys golf, pilates, art, fashion, and travel. She and her husband, Tim, are avid supporters of the arts and love spending time with friends, exploring new places, and relaxing with their dog, Tabouli.
Tim Berney
Founder
Tim Berney has spent almost his entire career as CEO of VI Marketing and Branding, an agency that he founded in 1989 at 24 years of age. He was a very early adopter of modern branding strategies and many of his highest accomplishments and accolades are related to rebranding efforts of existing companies.
A winner of the prestigious Jay Chiat award for strategic excellence, Berney put VI on the map by refusing to feel confined by 'the way things are done.' He is responsible for developing two innovative marketing tactics that are commonplace today: The :04 televison adlet which accounts for millions of dollars of revenue for broadcast companies across the USA; and Collision Marketing™ which worked client brands into programming content, before it was a thing. His name has appeared on over 1,000 awards for marketing and creative excellence.
Berney is a lifelong learner, keeping himself and his business interests on the forward edge of new technologies and trends. He has volunteered to lead dozens of non-profits and arts organizations during his career He is a member of YPO, where he is a national leader among leaders.
The love of Tim’s life is his wife Jacquelyn whom he calls the best marketer, leader, and fashionista in Oklahoma. She calls him the world’s best branding strategist… as long as they agree on that strategy.
Todd Tilford
Founder
Multi-hyphenate creative executive Todd Tilford wields over 25+ years-experience crossing multiple disciplines and industries that include Brand Platform Development, Strategic Development, Business Development, Content Development, Product Development, Advertising, Design, Corporate Identity, Experiential, Events, Naming, Digital, Social, Influencer, Celebrity, Community Development, Entertainment Properties, Interior Design, Film Directing, and Live/Post-production. His deep industry experience crosses marketing/advertising, music, entertainment, and fashion.
Tilford’s strategic brand development experience, diverse body of work as chief creative officer, design director, brand consultant, and entrepreneur, along with his personal, direct, hands-on creative direction of the executions and content give his work a unique power that has been highly transformative to the companies he has partnered with. His varied background has also perfectly positioned him to take advantage of today’s increasingly dynamic, multi-faceted media landscape.
Tilford spearheaded strategic and creative efforts that led to the highest sales in company history for DIRECTV, Michelob Ultra, Ketel One Vodka, and Dr. Martens. He led the NFL’s first unified brand campaign in league history. Led the launch of the civilian Hummer until its sale to GM. And rebranded Converse through the Chuck Taylor “Rubber And A Blank Canvas campaign (the strategy is still the foundation for the entire company).
Tilford has been a featured speaker for the Brandcenter at VCU, the Art Directors Club of New York, and the Women In Business Club at Harvard. His work has appeared in numerous college textbooks, and he has a trunk full of Cannes Lion Gold awards, D&AD Gold awards, and One Show Gold awards. He was the first to do a national TV campaign shot completely on an iPhone. His work for the NFL forever changed how sports are filmed. His work for Valspar led to the first eyeglasses ever created to correct colourblindness. His work for the Quake and Doom franchises forever changed the way gaming is marketed. And he has one of the top 10 most viral ads in history to his name.
Eric Bruno
With more than 25 years of marketing strategy, creative development and consumer insight projects Eric has worked deep inside brands including Starbucks, ESPN, Home Depot, J&J, Nike, Chevrolet and many others. Eric brings deep experience in research, brand architecture and product innovation initiatives across a wide range of categories.
Regardless of the company/client size or marketing need, he believes brand success always starts with the hard work of getting the fundamentals tight and right. Start with the problem your company solves and always look for a more “aha” way of connecting with consumers, clients and customers.
Occasionally, Eric also teaches at the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business/Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. Recently, he’s swapped out on-campus classes in favor of being a part of the Rural Colorado Workshop Series (RCWS), teaching real-world lessons to seasoned entrepreneurs across Colorado.
For his own inspiration, Eric spends a good chunk of his free-time running the trails and riding the canyons in and around Boulder, CO… and he has only run into one bear and zero mountain lions… not yet anyway.
Benjamin Flaherty
Benjamin Flaherty is a filmmaker and photographer with a diverse collection work over the past 15 years - from documentary and art films with Lou Reed and Julian Schnabel to commercial spots for major brands like Humana and KFC. His short form PSA’s have been awarded at Cannes, D&AD, One Show and the Clios. His debut feature documentary, Shuffle, won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival. He’s lived and worked in Berlin, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. He’s currently based in Austin.
Sorenne Gottlieb
Sorenne is a seasoned Creative Director with two decades of industry experience, excelling on both the agency and brand sides. As an Art Director and Designer who thinks like a strategist, she has collaborated with top brands across Sports and Lifestyle (Nike, Adidas), Tech (Google, HP, Microsoft), Fashion and Retail (The Gap, Lowe’s,) Beauty (Sephora), Telecom and Automotive (AT&T, Lexus), and Culture (The Getty Museum).
Her expertise lies in orchestrating omni-channel campaigns, as well as in-house retail, experiential, and brand activations. Sorenne's passion for her craft is matched by her dedication to helping clients achieve their business goals while making a significant impact on culture.
Todd Hippensteel
Specializing in design, illustration, and motion, Todd has over 20 years' experience in the advertising and entertainment industries, working with such clients as Oreo, Pepsi, Mac Miller, and Gucci.
Peter McDonough
Peter McDonough is an accomplished global brand builder across a broad range of Consumer Goods Industries and currently serves as a Corporate Advisor and Independent Director on numerous Company Boards.
In 2022, Peter retired from his leadership role as Chief Executive Officer of Trait Biosciences, a Los Alamos, NM biotechnology research organization developing Intellectual Property associated with the formulation of CBD Health & Wellness Products.
Before joining Trait, Peter served as President, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer for Diageo North America. While in this role he was responsible for overseeing North America’s largest portfolio of premium spirits and beer brands. He directed the brand marketing initiatives and product innovation strategy for category leading brands such as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Crown Royal, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray, Bulleit, Ketel One, Don Julio, Baileys and the beers Guinness, Harp and Red Stripe. He served as the senior leader for a diverse marketing team composed of brand marketing; consumer research; digital, social and celebrity marketing; Public Relations and a new product innovation group responsible for ideation; product development; novel technology platforms; consumer testing and strategic external partnerships.
In his diverse career, Peter has served as a senior leader in seven different industries. After teaching at The University of Canterbury’s Graduate School of Business in Christchurch, New Zealand, Peter served as Procter & Gamble’s Vice President of European Marketing overseeing the brand marketing function for Duracell Batteries and Braun Appliances. Prior to his overseas roles Peter served as Gillette's Head of North American Marketing where he oversaw the launch of industry leading Brands such as Mach3 Turbo, and Venus For Women razors. Earlier in his career he served as Director of Marketing at Black & Decker where he was involved in launching the DeWalt Power Tool Company.
Peter brings innovative thinking to transform business performance from diverse experiences leading global organizations in industries such as Biotechnology, Personal Care Products, Consumer Appliances, Power Tools and Beverage Alcohol. His success in leading a diverse portfolio of businesses provides insightful agility to quickly analyze industry dynamics, evaluate competitive strategy and craft business plans leveraging new growth drivers and organizational capabilities.
George Nguyen
Strategically focused, operationally grounded, George Nguyen brings more than 20 years of experience in both North America and Asia on both the agency and client side across a breadth of categories including automotive, telecom, entertainment, fashion, technology, consumer packaged goods and conservation.
With a foundation in deep insight work, George’s strategic experience cut a broad swath of practices include brand positioning, editorial strategy, innovation, user experience, operational planning, identity and new product development and some of the most applauded campaigns on the planet including VW’s “Drivers Wanted” and The American Legacy Foundation’s “Truth” anti-smoking campaign (voted Campaign of the Decade by the readers of Advertising Age).
Karin Onsager-Birch
I’m proud of my proven track record of unlocking creativity and bringing out superpowers for brands, teams, and individuals. After 20+ years of creating culture-defining work, I’m now committed to finding new ways to unleash the power of creativity at scale. I have an untraditional background that's been an advantage in connecting with more diverse, as well as global, collaborators and audiences. I was raised in Norway and Mexico, educated in Switzerland and Los Angeles, and grew my muscles as a Creative at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. Smashing glass ceilings; I moved to London to become Executive Creative Director at WPP’S Blue Hive, a bespoke agency responsible for Ford’s advertising across 44 countries in Europe. With a staggering range of clients, cultures, and languages, inspiration and creativity became my key to achieving unheard-of pan-European collaboration. Our London office expanded from 80 to 200 people, and we additionally built four new offices for national European markets. All of this led to creative work that shattered Ford’s previous sales records and brought the brand to the forefront of social media and mobile media innovation. In 2015 my family moved back to San Francisco where I joined FCBWest as Chief Creative Officer (and later rising to co-President). Our team rebuilt and doubled that office in three years with 25% YoY revenue growth. How? We created globally award-winning work for Levi’s and Clorox that brought record ROI and transformed those legacy brands into contemporary success stories, finding relevance with younger and more diverse audiences. Headlines and awards followed, at the Cannes Lions, One Show and D&AD, and more. Subsequently, the FCB Network won Most Awarded network agency at Cannes in 2019 and at the One Show in 2020. After 20+ years of training and leadership roles on the creative agency side, I joined Lyft as VP of Creative in 2021. My move was prompted by a desire to build a faster and more nimble process, with fewer layers and a greater alignment around a shared mission. I felt that the conflicting objectives between the agency network model and their clients were getting in the way of creativity and agility. On the brand side, I discovered how much I love the power of being able to scale creativity across an entire brand narrative.
Alonzo Page
Marketing executive and entrepreneur Alonzo Page brings 10 years of experience in consumer insights and corporate strategy across fitness, apparel, and consulting. His expertise includes Strategic Planning, Operational Efficiency, Customer Retention, Data Analytics, Marketing Strategy, and Business Development. Alonzo’s career includes roles at Peloton and Bain & Company, where he drove customer definition, engagement, retention, and profitability through data-driven approaches.
At Peloton, Alonzo established the total addressable market and audience segmentation, playing a key role in campaigns that nearly doubled sales and halved the cost of acquisition. His ability to leverage customer data for targeted marketing strategies significantly enhanced brand loyalty and customer lifetime value.
Alonzo also founded Strange Oaths, a marketing consultancy, where he helped brands connect with their audiences through insight-driven brand and product strategies. His consultancy work empowers consumer brands to achieve stronger engagement and growth.
With a background in project management and cross-functional leadership, Alonzo excels in fostering collaboration and guiding teams towards successful outcomes. His analytical skills and strategic mindset align organizational strategies with business objectives, ensuring seamless execution of initiatives.
Alonzo holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BA from Yale University. He is passionate about innovation, adaptability, and leading organizational change. He enjoys sharing his expertise through speaking engagements and mentorship, including a panel discussion at Harvard Business School on non-technical roles in tech. His work has been nominated for industry awards, underscoring his contributions to the field.
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