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Meet the Team
Sebastian Ibel
Founder & President
Known to finish the food off of his friends’ plates. #hangry
Sebastian Ibel
Camika Blackwell
Graphic Designer
Lover of word games & reigning champion of misspelling "restaurant"
Camika Blackwell
Leigh Pittner
Web Developer
Likes coding because it’s like playing with Legos.
Leigh Pittner
Amy Barnhart
Office Administrator
Has been drinking out of the same Jim Thome Indians cup every day for the past 20 years. #goTribe
Amy Barnhart
Sebastian Ibel
Founder & President
Education
Ecole Des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, France
Diplome (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Visual Communication
Q&A
Tell us about a favorite project you’ve worked on.
Our next.
What skills do you bring to the team?
Leadership, Creative Direction, Client Relationships, Management, Problem Solving and Strategic Direction.
What interests you about working in a small agency environment?
Versatility and flexibility.
Who is your favorite designer or idol?
David Ogilvy. He was one of the most influential characters in modern advertising. He was smart, witty and complex, understanding all aspects of marketing, consumer behavior, and very intelligent in translating all this in smart and unique campaigns.
Why do you love what you do?
I have a passion for people, psychology, and design.
Where are you from?
Hamburg, Germany. One of my most unique experiences from there is hitchhiking across Europe when I was 17.
Camika Blackwell
Graphic Designer
Education
Columbus College of Art and Design
Graduated 2015
Degree
BFA in Advertising and Graphic Design
Q&A
Tell us about a favorite project you’ve worked on.
I created paper-crafted cassette versions of a favorite singer of mine! It was my first experience paper crafting and using a Cricut machine but it was a fun time for me to learn the art of paper construction.
What are you most excited to work on/learn about/gain skills on as you grow in your position?
I'm excited to gain more knowledge while working directly with clients and seeing how I can meet and exceed their design needs.
Why did you get into marketing/design/development?
My first experience with design was with Photoshop CS3 designing MySpace layouts and custom CD covers. I realized I enjoyed it way more than the fashion illustrations I created at the time in middle school and here I am! ^_^
What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done? Details please!
Took my first solo trip to Japan for a concert! I was abroad for only 5 days (with barely any time to fight off jet lag), was constantly lost on the streets of Osaka and what little Japanese I knew was atrocious but I loved it. I managed to meet other fans and experience Osaka with them, can't wait to go back!
What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done? Details please!
Took my first solo trip to Japan for a concert! I was abroad for only 5 days (with barely any time to fight off jet lag), was constantly lost on the streets of Osaka and what little Japanese I knew was atrocious but I loved it. I managed to meet other fans and experience Osaka with them, can't wait to go back!
Essential Movie Friday choices:
Genre jumping here but for sure:
Sweeney Todd, Chicago, Spirited Away, 28 Days Later, Friday, and Children of Men.
Leigh Pittner
Web Developer
Education
The Ohio State University
Graduated 2014
Major in English Literature, East Asian Script
Columbus State Community College
Expected Graduation: 2019
Major in Website Development
Q&A
What are your long-term career goals?
I have several goals. I want to continue to make mobile apps like I’m doing now. I would like to do AWS engineering or become a .NET Core MVC web developer and be able to work remotely so that I can travel, do my apps, or whatever else I end up wanting to do. I’m also really into writing, fashion and marketing.
What is your favorite part of the development process?
In general, I love the deep focus that coding demands. I like to start working and hours later, have an interactive piece that works together with other parts to create a virtual mechanism. Coders are the modern-day machinists. It’s like playing with Legos.
What is your biggest source of inspiration?
I get a lot of inspiration when I’m out walking or hiking. Sometimes when I see really good work like art or music, that someone else has done, I get extra energy to work harder on my own projects.
Why do you love what you do?
I think programming is fun and I like how instant the results are. I like that we can do anything now as programmers. Depending on what you’re doing, you can make a game, or start a business, or run a whole marketing campaign, right at your fingertips, all by writing one app. You can tell stories, which as a writer is my favorite thing about coding.
What is the most fascinating thing you’ve ever done? Details please!
A lot of people may not realize that I used to be a high fashion runway model when I was younger. I used to model for American and Dutch teen magazines, and I did Vogue, and I was in a Samsung ad. I was with Elite for seven years, then came to school back in Columbus after I decided I wanted to study there instead of in New York.
What is your favorite place in the world?
I love Norway because I love the black, dark mountains and vast outdoors, and because I think it's the prettiest place on Earth! I also like Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo. The way these cities use spaces – versus somewhere broad and sweeping like NYC or Washington DC – and the way the city just naturally exists makes it such an exciting and organic place to be.
Do you have any pets? Tell us about them.
I have an orange dog name Kitsune who is part husky, part Pomeranian. She looks like a fox, and everyone asks me if she’s a real dog. She was even on TV. I’ve trained her to do all sorts of things and she is really good and receptive, so I take her everywhere with me, including restaurants, stores, etc.
What’s your favorite app on your phone?
I’m a little biased, but my favorite app is the alpha project of my own app that I’m making. My favorite thing I’m doing right now is a mobile game that lets the user make his/her own choices, following a story, and is a simulation.
Join the Team
Send us your resume and portfolio!
Apply NowTimeline
1990
Pre-USA
Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany and educated in visual communication at the Union Centrale des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, France, Sebastian moved in 1986 to New York City to start his career as an Art Director for Arnell & Bickford where he worked on the Donna Karen, DKNY, and Christian Lacroix accounts. In 1990, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Sebastian returned to Hamburg and joined the agency Springer & Jacoby to work as an Art Director on their Mercedes Benz account.
1991
Berlin
In 1991, Sebastian moved with the Ayer Network to found the first satellite office in Germany’s future capital, Berlin. After teaming up with some talented East-German designers under the name of YPS Art, Sebastian co-founded Röttjer Schütz & Ibel in 1993. The agency was one of the first true east/west German agencies. This groundbreaking concept made for rapid growth in a very short period of time. The agency’s clients included Schering AG, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies worldwide, and the State of Brandenburg.
1996
IC Communication Team - Ibel Agency
In 1996, Sebastian moved to Columbus to join his wife Rebecca and founded IC Communication Team in 1997. Set up as a professional networking group, IC Communication Team, Inc. linked highly trained specialists in the communication field to deliver a full service marketing, advertising, and design package on the Columbus market. Sebastian led the marketing and advertising component. In 2001 IC Communication Team, Inc. was rebranded into Ibel Agency.
2013
Short North
The Short North was a long term home for Ibel Agency. In his role of Chair of marketing for the Short North Business Association, Sebastian was instrumental in defining and branding the neighborhood into the “Arts District”. Ibel Agency donated a lot of time and talent to help turn the Short North into the vibrant district it has become today.
2015
Downtown
Downtown Columbus has been home to Ibel Agency since 2015. We are excited to be part of the renaissance of our city and love the energy and diversity of our new home. We are now located at Factory No. 6 in the Warehouse District where we continue to focus on purpose-driven communication and award-winning design.
