We believe that effective communication fosters organizational health.
Sheepscot Creative serves public agencies, nonprofits and foundations.
By communicating more effectively, our clients build stronger, more meaningful relationships—an engaged community that’s invested in their success.
Working towards community well-being.
Our clients deliver programs and services vital to their communities. They keep water clean and flowing. Empower kids to learn. Deliver life-changing programs and services.
We augment their capacity how and when they need us.
For some, we build and manage the brand. We work with leadership and staff to develop 1-, 3-, and 5-year communication plans. Some clients hire us to implement the plan, others take that work in-house. We provide direction and training as needed.
Other clients engage us to tell a very specific story—say, the impact of iconic legislation or how poo from Washington County helps Central Oregon farmers meet their bottom line.
Or they need help activating a particular audience: laid off workers eligible for little-known benefits, big-city foundations invested in rural economies, Frank Lloyd Wright fans.
We produce film and video, stage photoshoots. We design campaigns. Build story maps. We art-direct magazines and other content packages. For many clients, we manage social platforms and newsletters.
We admire what our clients do for their communities. We want them to succeed. We do our part by delivering better ROI on communication. More purposeful, productive and efficient.
What else can we tell you? Reach out and say hello.
Meet the Team
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Dave Weich
LEAD STRATEGIST & FOUNDER
Dave develops and directs communication strategies that help clients achieve their organizational objectives. He founded Sheepscot Creative in 2010 to support clients committed to improving quality of life across the Pacific Northwest. Over the last three decades, he has interviewed thousands of subjects on- and off-camera, from Malcolm Gladwell, Joan Didion and Anthony Bourdain to Oregon legislators, city planners, business leaders, teachers and students.
Prior to Sheepscot, Dave spent eleven years leading marketing and development efforts at Powell’s Books. His short films have screened in more than seventy cities. “State by State” earned a recommendation from the New Yorker. “Ride the Veins” won Best Bike Film at the 2025 Better Cities Film Festival in Detroit.
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Benna Gottfried
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR
A thoughtful listener who understands the individual needs of teammates and partners, Benna guides teams through Sheepscot’s discovery, production and deployment efforts. After leading communication and development efforts at several Portland-area nonprofits, Benna brought her deep expertise and expansive professional network to Sheepscot.
An active community advocate, Benna served as the Marketing Director for PDX Pop Now!, has sat on the board of directors for My Voice Music for more than a decade, and is a founding member of ninety-nine girlfriends. Clients appreciate her reliability, responsiveness and attention to detail.
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Kate Sokoloff
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Kate uses her powers of engagement to help organizations tell their stories in memorable and meaningful ways. She has named hamburgers (for Burgerville), an apartment complex (in Beaverton), and a whole lineup of beers (for a brewery on the Oregon coast). Her scriptwriting has garnered her two Bronze Tele Awards.
A founder of multiple beloved Portland institutions including Live Wire Radio and Low Bar Chorale, Kate’s contributions to Oregon culture continue to delight audiences across the state. Clients appreciate her uncanny ability to connect with almost any individual and reflect their thoughts in creative outputs.
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Bailey Cain
CREATIVE CONTENT MANAGER
Creative storytelling has been the constant throughout Bailey’s career. Her work began in television and film production, and then found focus in the nonprofit sector in a development role at the Northwest Film Center. Subsequently, she worked as the Public and Digital Programs Manager at the San Diego Museum of Art, where she produced a series of celebrated collaborations between the Museum and local performing arts institutions.
An artist in her own right, Bailey brings her passion for forging meaningful community connections to her work at Sheepscot.
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Rosie Struve
ART DIRECTOR & DESIGNER
Rosie has been doing graphic design since she was a ’90s kid playing in KidPix and MS Paint. Studying graphic design at Portland State University, she embedded herself in Portland’s rich design community. Starting out at local alt-weekly Willamette Week, she created page layouts for the newspaper and art directed special features magazines. Since then, she has worked across mediums, from fabricated signage and wayfinding to web design, branding/identity and digital design systems.
A conceptual and strategic thinker, Rosie leverages the emotional and informational capacity of visuals to deliver memorable messages and clear, actionable information.
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Michael Nipper
DIRECTOR OF VIDEOGRAPHY/PHOTOGRAPHY
Michael brings deep technical savvy and practical knowledge to every choice of equipment and shot. A licensed drone pilot, seasoned photographer and experienced editor, he has contributed to hundreds of Sheepscot’s videos. His work integrates original illustration, digital graphics and animation to educate and inspire audiences young and old.
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Elena Cronin
ART DIRECTOR
After spending six years in an agency setting working with big brands, Elena refocused her work around small businesses, nonprofits, and cause-driven projects, believing that the best design collaborations are built upon a shared ethos. She specializes in branding, print design and illustration. Her portfolio includes work for the Department of Land Conservation and Development, Travel Portland, Project Youth+ and Clean Water Services.
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John Cunningham
WEB DEVELOPER
John is fluent in a host of digital mediums, building and designing websites, apps and motion graphics. Equally important, he has a foundation in core design disciplines such as hand-drawn typography and signage, so his digital solutions remain grounded in timeless design principles. He’s worked on websites for the Kuni Foundation, Topaz Farms and Willamette Week, to name a few, using platforms ranging from WordPress to Squarespace and Wix.
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Derek Rutkai
ANIMATOR
Derek discovered a passion for motion graphics and animation while earning a degree in graphic design. Working mostly in After Effects and Cinema 4D (and more plugins than we can list here), his work has served Snapchat, XBOX and General Mills, as well as Sheepscot clients such as Clean Water Services, Project Youth+ and the Kuni Foundation. His favorite projects present technical challenges that push him to use new techniques and processes.
Meet the Team
DAVE WEICH
LEAD STRATEGIST & FOUNDER
Dave develops and directs communication strategies that help clients achieve their organizational objectives. He founded Sheepscot Creative in 2010 to support clients committed to improving quality of life across the Pacific Northwest. Over the last three decades, he has interviewed thousands of subjects on- and off-camera, from Malcolm Gladwell, Joan Didion and Anthony Bourdain to Oregon legislators, city planners, business leaders, teachers and students.
Prior to Sheepscot, Dave spent eleven years leading marketing and development efforts at Powell’s Books. His short films have screened in more than seventy cities. “State by State” earned a recommendation from the New Yorker. “Ride the Veins” won Best Bike Film at the 2025 Better Cities Film Festival in Detroit.
BENNA GOTTFRIED
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR
A thoughtful listener who understands the individual needs of teammates and partners, Benna guides teams through Sheepscot’s discovery, production and deployment efforts. After leading communication and development efforts at several Portland-area nonprofits, Benna brought her deep expertise and expansive professional network to Sheepscot.
An active community advocate, Benna served as the Marketing Director for PDX Pop Now!, has sat on the board of directors for My Voice Music for more than a decade, and is a founding member of ninety-nine girlfriends. Clients appreciate her reliability, responsiveness and attention to detail.
KATE SOKOLOFF
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Kate uses her powers of engagement to help organizations tell their stories in memorable and meaningful ways. She has named hamburgers (for Burgerville), an apartment complex (in Beaverton), and a whole lineup of beers (for a brewery on the Oregon coast). Her scriptwriting has garnered her two Bronze Tele Awards.
A founder of multiple beloved Portland institutions including Live Wire Radio and Low Bar Chorale, Kate’s contributions to Oregon culture continue to delight audiences across the state. Clients appreciate her uncanny ability to connect with almost any individual and reflect their thoughts in creative outputs.
BAILEY CAIN
CREATIVE CONTENT MANAGER
Creative storytelling has been the constant throughout Bailey’s career. Her work began in television and film production, and then found focus in the nonprofit sector in a development role at the Northwest Film Center. Subsequently, she worked as the Public and Digital Programs Manager at the San Diego Museum of Art, where she produced a series of celebrated collaborations between the Museum and local performing arts institutions.
An artist in her own right, Bailey brings her passion for forging meaningful community connections to her work at Sheepscot.
ROSIE STRUVE
ART DIRECTOR
Rosie has been doing graphic design since she was a ’90s kid playing in KidPix and MS Paint. Studying graphic design at Portland State University, she embedded herself in Portland’s rich design community. Starting out at local alt-weekly Willamette Week, she created page layouts for the newspaper and art directed special features magazines. Since then, she has worked across mediums, from fabricated signage and wayfinding to web design, branding/identity and digital design systems.
A conceptual and strategic thinker, Rosie leverages the emotional and informational capacity of visuals to deliver memorable messages and clear, actionable information.
MICHAEL NIPPER
DIRECTOR OF VIDEOGRAPHY/PHOTOGRAPHY
Michael brings deep technical savvy and practical knowledge to every choice of equipment and shot. A licensed drone pilot, seasoned photographer and experienced editor, he has contributed to hundreds of Sheepscot’s videos. His work integrates original illustration, digital graphics and animation to educate and inspire audiences young and old.
ELENA CRONIN
ART DIRECTOR
After spending six years in an agency setting working with big brands, Elena refocused her work around small businesses, nonprofits, and cause-driven projects, believing that the best design collaborations are built upon a shared ethos. She specializes in branding, print design and illustration. Her portfolio includes work for the Department of Land Conservation and Development, Travel Portland, Project Youth+ and Clean Water Services.
JOHN CUNNINGHAM
WEB DEVELOPER
John is fluent in a host of digital mediums, building and designing websites, apps and motion graphics. Equally important, he has a foundation in core design disciplines such as hand-drawn typography and signage, so his digital solutions remain grounded in timeless design principles. He’s worked on websites for the Kuni Foundation, Topaz Farms and Willamette Week, to name a few, using platforms ranging from WordPress to Squarespace and Wix.
DEREK RUTKAI
ANIMATOR
Derek discovered a passion for motion graphics and animation while earning a degree in graphic design. Working mostly in After Effects and Cinema 4D (and more plugins than we can list here), his work has served Snapchat, XBOX and General Mills, as well as Sheepscot clients such as Clean Water Services, Project Youth+ and the Kuni Foundation. His favorite projects present technical challenges that push him to use new techniques and processes.
