Meet the Juice Studios Team – The People Behind Your Events

Kris’ goal is about developing successful relationships for mutual benefit: this means creativity, service, client advocacy, fiscal accountability and overcoming challenges along the way. Her focus is problem solving, and it’s all about solutions.

Kris has been exceeding client expectations for the past 20 years. Prior to co-founding Juice Studios, she was Account Director at PGI Inc., Atlanta and a National Sales Manager of Atlanta Arrangements, Inc.

It’s her current position, though, that has Kris most excited. Being part owner of an events and meeting planning company allows her to bring her vision and years of relationship management experience to a new client base ready for fresh ideas and a superior level of service.

When she’s not providing solutions and procuring the best pricing for her clients, Kris enjoys decorating, wine tasting and spending time with her family.

Kris has been in the hospitality and events business for over 25 years. She’s filled a wide range of different roles across our industry in that time. A true “generalist,” Kris has valuable expertise and insights that touch every AREA of our studio. She’s worked in all aspects from transportation to trade shows to production. She’s led client development teams. She’s been in the trenches and overlooking them. Even today, Shea is our go-to person for marketing and communications. Self described as “somewhere between client management and operations,” Kris wears many hats at Juice Studios, but all them have to do with keeping clients happy.

Atlanta holds a special place for Kris. No one knows Atlanta like she does, and her service to the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau gave her special insights to which all of us are glad to have access. But Kris isn’t limited to Atlanta. She’s worked around the country and around the world. Atlanta is home but she’s proved that producing events as far away as Paris is no problem. Kris also boasts broad experience across numerous industry sectors: pharmaceuticals, financial institutions, technology, consumer goods, retail and more.

As for scale, this is no problem either as Kris’ experience ranges from some of the largest-of-their-kind events to cozy, intimate affairs for VIP audiences. Audiences from 100 to 20,000 have been satisfied. Every event gets the same dedication to excellence and customer service experience. Kris lives in Atlanta with her husband, Patrick and two boys.

Angie brings a solid in-the-trenches events background to the Juice Studios partnership. Her logistical expertise ranges from planning corporate events small and large to fundraising events for thousands. Obviously, her production management skills are a proven commodity (just ask her clients), but of particular interest are the results-oriented nature of these productions. These events had to work .. and through her focused energy, attentive management and fluid communication … they invariably did.

Prior to co-founding Juice Studios, Angie worked with other organizations ranging from international production conglomerates to a statewide non-profit and most recently as the Director of Operations with a local destination management company, PGI. Within a 2 year period at PGI, Angie orchestrated all the logistical elements of over 5 million dollars in event business. Juice is perfectly situated somewhere between … large enough to deliver great national work, but small enough to give her clients her utmost attention. Perfect.

Angie currently resides in Atlanta with her husband, Morten and their two children. She makes time to volunteer with numerous organizations including: The Alzheimer’s Association, Habitat for Humanity and the Midtown Neighborhood Association. In addition, Angie is an avid SCUBA diver, enjoys hosting dinner parties and loves traveling.

Ellen brings serious operational moxie to our team. Her high-energy, professionalism and commitment to flawless execution of programs has been proven with a multitude of Fortune 500 clients. The mind-boggling array of meeting and event planning details are what fuels Ellen’s fire: negotiating vendor contracts, managing food and beverage service, booking entertainment, coordinating transportation and designing décor placement. No problem! This is what Ellen does with grace under pressure, consistently earning her high marks on client reviews.

Ellen’s logistical career began in the incentive industry and continued while she worked as Senior Operations Manager at PGI Atlanta. There she led teams of program managers on high-profile projects both small and large. Ellen has a reputation for working well with her teams and for always maintaining a well-organized and disciplined management style with open lines of communication. And, when she is not maintaining a firm grip on her numerous responsibilities, Ellen enjoys entertaining, traveling, and spending time with daughter, Abby.

Leigh has been in the meeting and event planning industry for fifteen years, spending the first five years working as an event coordinator and production manager for a private meeting planning company specializing in meetings & events for Fortune 500 corporations. Some of her clients included Johnson & Johnson and it’s family of companies, as well as Georgia Pacific.

Her logistical coordination included sales meetings for drug launches and product training, convention networking events, and Advisory Board Meetings in locations such as Asia, Mexico, Canada and throughout the United States.

Prior to coming on board at Juice Studios, Leigh worked with Meeting Consultants, Inc. for three years as a Project Manager. During that time, she worked on IBM’s most prestigious partner’s event, PartnerWorld, as the Associate Project Manager and Lead Hospitality manager from 2005 to 2006. In this role, Leigh coordinated logistics for over 5,000 people.

Leigh has enjoyed representing Juice Studios & Atlanta over the last ten years working in the DMC arena. As a native Georgian, nothing feels better then showing a client a little southern hospitality. Remaining true to her roots, Leigh also continues planning large-scale meetings for corporate clients. On her list of favorites is leading the charge for the annual Mohawk Solutions Convention.

In her spare time, Leigh enjoys life with her two daughters, husband, neighbors and near-by extended family!

Rachel is the newest member to our team. She joins us as Creative Services Manager, working with our clients and vendors to create spectacular events. Rachel comes to us with a variety of experience in the hospitality industry, from managing events at a local Atlanta venue to hotel sourcing to focusing on high end luxury for C-level executives. With an eye for design, she is a team player and always jumping in to help, Rachel doesn’t let any detail go unnoticed.

Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) recently identified Rachel as one of the 20 brightest and most talented global event professionals for its annual “20 in Their Twenties” class of 2021. She was also recently awarded PCMA Southeast Volunteer of the Year. ConventionSouth’s also noted her as one of the Top Meeting Planners to Watch in 2021. Rachel serves on the Young Professional Leadership Council for CURE Childhood Cancer. In her free time, Rachel enjoys trying the newest restaurant in town, traveling across the world, decorating her house, or walking the neighborhood with her husband and golden retriever, Ellie.

Ashaki began her accounting career in 2004 as a Plant Accountant for a manufacturing company in Gainesville, GA. She was soon given the opportunity to transfer to a plant and fill the role of Plant Controller. Her time there provided her with invaluable experience, hands-on managerial training and tools to go from problem to solution. She worked for the company for five years and continues to use many of the lessons learned while there.

Since that time Ashaki has provided services as a contracted accountant in various industries to include construction and roofing, legal, mental/behavioral health, and non-profit among others. She enjoys working with multiple clients and learning about the inner-workings of various industries.

Ashaki received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from South Carolina State University in 2004 and a Master of Professional Accounting degree from the University of West Georgia in 2010. Since moving to metro Atlanta she has been very involved in her church. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and early morning hikes.

Juice Studios is thrilled to have Ashaki on our team!