Shelby Barnes

Communication Consultant // Mile 23 Strategies

For more than 20 years, Shelby has provided strategic communication counsel to business leaders, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs. Before starting her consulting firm, Mile 23 Strategies, Shelby spent more than 14 years at Intellectual Ventures where she led corporate communications and marketing. She was also Nathan Myhrvold’s personal publicist for nearly 17 years. Prior to Intellectual Ventures, Shelby provided corporate counsel to a variety of Microsoft clients including Microsoft Research for whom she established and managed the first communications outreach Her areas of expertise include: business strategy, crisis communications and issues management; storytelling; media relations; values-based branding and positioning; executive and employee communications; social media marketing and content creation as well as building, leading and managing integrated teams.

Shelby graduated from the University of Oregon with a BA in Journalism and received a Master of Communication and Digital Media from the University of Washington where she is currently part-time faculty in the Communication Department. She has guest lectured on the subject of values-based branding and crisis communication. Her hobbies include boxing, ultramarathon running, improvisational theater, cooking and traveling.

Theresa Stone 

Partner + Creative Director // Monster Design 

Theresa Stone, well-known for her strategic imagination in aligning business goals with creative strategy and expression, has successfully led brand design and marketing engagements for clients such as Rachael Ray’s non-profit foundation, Yum-o!, Microsoft, University of Washington, The Fearey Group, Global Partnerships, WithinReach, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Life Science Washington, Qualcomm Life, John Legend’s Show Me Campaign, Clubhouse International and ParentMap. Her experience across a variety of industries—including technology, healthcare, retail, consumer products, professional services, education, foundation, and non-profit organizations —enables Theresa to bring real-world understanding and results-proven perspective to clients who seek to develop deeper relationships with their customers. 

Committed to elegant solutions and powerfully simple communications, her areas of expertise are sustainable design solutions, logo design and integrated brand identity systems, brand design and strategy, print design, web design, digital media strategy, site architecture, and site marketing. She is an award-winning designer, featured in How, Print and Communication Arts magazines. She earned her Master of Communication in Digital Media (MCDM) at the University of Washington and holds Bachelors degrees in Communications from the University of Washington.