Get to Know Sami Saaud
Founder & Chief Creative Officer

I am a multi-faceted designer and creative director with over two decades of global experience, committed to blending beauty with functionality in various disciplines. My approach is strategy-driven and result-oriented, founded on the belief that every design element must fulfill a purpose beyond its aesthetic appeal. 

I specialize in designing and creating large-scale events and immersive branded experiences — from small intimate moments to the global broadcast stage. Central to my work is transforming CEO keynotes into captivating spectacles that vividly bring executive visions to life, delivering both visual and emotional impact.

For me, teamwork makes the dream work. My success is fueled by collaboration with a network of award-winning, world-class artists, creators, animators, writers, and technical experts. This rich network of talent enables me to turn complex ideas into immersive experiences and the tricky stuff into wow moments. My journey’s taken me from the Middle East to San Francisco, and now New York City, inspiring my work with a unique perspective that blends compelling stories with visuals that make everything a bit more special.

As I look to the future, I am excited by the prospect of leveraging new technologies and entering into creative collaborations that push the boundaries of design further. My ambition is to create multidimensional encounters that mesmerize and connect with global audiences, advancing visual storytelling, event branding, and experiential design into realms yet unimagined.

I am available to work individually as a creative director with your event, communications, and production teams. I can also offer a turn-key end-to-end event experience with my event production partners and network.

Let’s embark on this creative journey together.

Let’s talk.

What We Do

Brand Experience

Large-Scale Event Branding
Immersive Branded Experiences
Virtual & Physical Conferences
Trade Shows

Keynote Design

Creative Strategy
CEO Keynote Creation + Design 
C-Suite Presentations
Executive Vision Visualization 
Motion Graphics + Digital Media
Larger-Than-Life Animations
Precision Planning + Execution
Run-of-Show Creation
Global Talent Collaboration

Brand Identity

Brand Strategy
Visual Identity
Graphic Design
Brand Guidelines
Business Systems
Website Design

Client Experience

Meet our team

We bring together the right professionals for every project. While our network of experts spans from coast to coast, we’re a 100% virtual agency that’s always on.

Mona Lam
Executive Account Director

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Mona has successfully executed hundreds of events, from tradeshows to product launches to CIO summits. Mona goes beyond traditional and tactical execution, digging deep into culture and audience mindset in order to create unexpected approaches to engagement and activations.

Jesse Beauchamp

Jesse Beauchamp
Creative Director

A true multi-disciplinary artist and designer, Jesse’s skills range from identity design to UX, from animation to generative and code-based art. Jesse is technology-agnostic, deploying whatever tools are needed—existing or emerging—to push the boundaries of brand interaction and create one-of-a-kind experiences. He has worked his magic on brands such as J.P. Morgan, Cigna, TradeStation, HPE, CSAA and Groupon.

Todd Richards

Todd Richards
Creative Director

Todd has been a creative director for more than 20 years, with hundreds of national and international awards under his belt. Working in New York, Toronto and San Francisco, he has created conceptually provocative designs across a broad range of industries and clients—from global Fortune 500 companies to startups—including Zynga, ARM, Herman Miller, Oracle, TED Global, de Young Museum, and VMware.

Karen Staats

Karen Staats
Chief Operating Officer

Karen is a results-driven manager with nearly 20 year of experience leading various teams and overseeing company-wide projects and processes from inception to completion. Her time management skills and sharp attention to detail ensure that everyone’s goals, from internal teams to clients, are met.

Tran Huynh
Senior Design Director

Tran is a highly versatile design director, equally adept in print, packaging, environmental, visual ID, and digital design. She has over 10 years of experience working with developers, design agencies, and production companies, for clients across various industries; from high-end beauty brands like Laura Mercier to financial heavyweights like J.P. Morgan to technology giants like HPE and ARM.

Peter Petropoukalos
Director of Creative Services

Peter has nearly three decades of experience across the spectrum of graphic design, production and management. A graduate of Syracuse University and the Academy of Art, he specializes in managing projects from conception through execution in branding, print design, physical and virtual events, rendering and more.

Clare Rhinelander
Senior Producer

Clare has over 25 years of experience as a Production Designer and Designer, working on brands such as Herman Miller, HPE, J Vineyards, Peet’s, and the de Young Museum. She is an expert at preparing final files for print, color mark-up, and press checking in North America, Asia, and Europe. Her areas of expertise include collateral, annual reports, corporate identity systems, packaging, and advertising.

Join our team

We’re always looking for top talent to join our team of designers, producers, writers and animators.

Senior Designer
Any Location (remote)

Overview

No Filter Creative is looking for a detail-oriented Senior Designer with a track record of producing beautiful, conceptual work in a professional setting.

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Responsibilities

  • Develop concepts, graphics and layouts for product illustrations, infographics, company logos, and websites
  • Structure and lead brainstorms with fellow designers to develop new ideas and approaches that align with brand strategy
  • Illustrate concepts by designing rough layouts of art and copy with attention to arrangement, size, type size and style, and other aesthetic considerations
  • Assemble disparate design elements created by another designer, such as icons, photographs, and other components for digital, print, and environmental graphics
  • Work simultaneously on 2+ projects based on current client workload, and produce results in a faced-paced environment
  • Communicate with peers and producers in a professional, effective manner
  • Stay current in design trends, new software and technologies

Skills and Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience, preferably with a marketing or creative agency
  • A beautiful portfolio showing conceptual thinking, artistic sensibility, and attention to detail in a variety of design specialties such as web design, logo design, motion, 3D, graphic design/layout, deck design, etc
  • Expert proficiency in Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign, specifically with presentations and mockups; experience with XD, After Effects, Dimension, Blender, and PowerPoint a plus
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher in fine art design, marketing or related discipline
  • Exceptional time management and organizational skills
  • Excellent interpersonal and verbal/written communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and also collaborate as part of a team
  • A great attitude: proactive, resourceful, committed to excellence, a strong work ethic; the ability to take criticism as an opportunity to learn and improve 

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Senior Copywriter
Any location (remote)

Overview

No Filter Creative is looking for a versatile Senior Copywriter with agency experience and strong branding, conceptual, and presentation skills.

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Responsibilities

  • Write content for a variety of formats as needed, including print, digital, web, social, broadcast, events, new business pitches, etc
  • Leverage strong understanding of brand tone and voice in all writing
  • Work closely with agency account teams and clients to participate in all stages of the creative process, from brainstorming to concept development to execution
  • Present creative ideas to clients, and communicate with peers and producers in a professional, effective manner
  • Juggle multiple assignments and produce results in a high-pressure environment
  • Manage time and establish priorities while maintaining flexibility to respond to changing demands
  • Stay on top of trends via business/industry monitoring and outside resources

Skills and Qualifications

  • 5+ years of relevant experience, preferably in an agency setting
  • Excellent writing and editing skills with experience in conceptual writing, creative themes and taglines
  • Ability to think strategically and conceptualize creatively with a view towards achieving client and business goals
  • Strong written and oral communication and presentation skills
  • Experience in new business presentations
  • Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and operate in a deadline-driven environment
  • Ability to own projects, take initiative, and be collaborative

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Senior Strategist
Any location (remote)

Overview

No Filter Creative is looking for a seasoned Senior Strategist to lead the agency’s strategy development and new client acquisition efforts.

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Responsibilities

  • Act as agency brand champion, leading strategy development for assigned accounts and aligning strategy with business goals and objectives
  • Lead new client acquisition on an ongoing basis; develop and deliver high quality, compelling presentations and new business pitches
  • Sell in the value of strategic services to client’s business, helping them define needs and ongoing solutions
  • Assist in the development of the consumer journey to identify the right connection points and strategies to meaningfully connect with consumers
  • Develop frameworks and methodologies for approaching major strategic issues, leveraging existing intellectual capital
  • Partner closely with creatives to inspire work that is impossible to ignore; guide internal teams to ensure that brand strategy and objectives are being met
  • Monitor and interpret cultural and social trends relevant to the client’s business
  • All other duties as assigned

Skills and Qualifications

  • 6+ years of experience in marketing strategy or planning with a clear understanding of the consumer journey, preferably in an agency setting
  • Experience managing and coordinating multiple strategic projects across internal teams and client relationships
  • Bachelor’s degree with a business focus such as marketing, statistics, or economics
  • Proven leadership ability with strong client relationship skills
  • Exceptional written and oral communication and presentation skills
  • Expertise within the digital/social environment in aligning strategy with business needs 
  • Strong familiarity with the experiential landscape, including sponsorship and entertainment
  • Knowledge of integrated marketing and CRM, including primary research, segmentation, targeting, direct marketing, and customer care
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and Word 

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Designer
Any Location (remote)

Overview

No Filter Creative is looking for a Designer with expert skills in Adobe CS, a portfolio of breakthrough creative work, and experience in a professional setting.

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Responsibilities

  • Design and produce eye-catching and professional proposal decks
  • Develop thoughtful and tight visual ideas, and execute them via design solutions customized to our clients’ needs
  • Provide innovative, user-centric design recommendations
  • Create beautiful, conceptual logos and iconography
  • Source stellar but appropriate stock photography for proposals and projects
  • Understand and align to our clients’ brand standards
  • Collaborate well with a diverse team of consultants and creatives
  • Communicate design concepts to internal teams and clients
  • Stay current in design trends, new software and technologies

Skills and Qualifications

  • 2 to 5 years of experience in a design firm, ad agency, or in-house creative environment
  • Track record of original breakthrough creative work with the versatility to design in multiple styles
  • Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent practical experience
  • Expert proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, and Adobe Acrobat; as well as Microsoft Office: PowerPoint and Word
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and operate in a deadline-driven environment
  • Strong communication and presentation skills
  • Animation, photo, and video editing experience a plus

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Junior Designer
Any Location (remote)

Overview

No Filter Creative is looking for a motivated Junior Designer with proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, and a strong portfolio of conceptual design work.

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Responsibilities

  • Develop and see through design from concept to final deliverables
  • Scan and crop images in Adobe Photoshop; manipulate to eliminate adjacent images, remove writing, etc
  • Take initiative and move forward on assigned tasks confidently while working independently and competently
  • Write professional correspondences in email, transmittals, and letters
  • Manage time efficiently while working across a range of projects at any one time
  • Maintain an open and transparent team player attitude, while articulating concerns and alerting others to potential problems
  • Stay current in design trends, new software and technologies

Skills and Qualifications

  • Strong portfolio of work demonstrating creative design concepts
  • Proficiency with Adobe XD, Photoshop, InDesign, and Microsoft Office
  • Understand basic branding and positioning concepts
  • Well-developed visualization skills; ability to quickly convey ideas, verbally and visually
  • Strong communicating, listening, and people skills 
  • Willingness and ability to quickly learn, retain, and adapt new ideas, skills, and processes

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Design Intern
Any Location (remote)

Overview

No Filter Creative is looking for a Design Intern with a working knowledge of Adobe CS, preferably a senior design student or recent graduate.

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com

Responsibilities

  • Assist with the general needs of the design department
  • Provide backup to all levels of designers, from creative director to junior designer
  • Develop and see through design from concept to final deliverables
  • Work with entire industrial design staff on projects
  • Seek out feedback for work done

Skills and Qualifications

  • Senior level design student or recent graduate
  • Working knowledge of Adobe XD, InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop
  • Team player attitude and willingness to take direction and learn from others

Send resume and/or portfolio to:
info@nofiltercreative.com