Meet the Team

Maureen Ballatori is the founder and CEO of Agency 29, an award-winning creative agency for food, beverage and agriculture brands. Her experience in brand strategy helps companies scale business growth, define their unique marketing message, and attract their ideal audiences.

Maureen’s rural roots are the source of both her passion for agriculture marketing and food. She is an active member in the startup community, participating in a number of entrepreneurship incubators and accelerators and playing a key role in Upstate NY economic development. 

Maureen was nominated for an ATHENA award in 2019. She is a graduate of Nazareth College of Rochester with a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration and has won multiple international awards for branding and design.

View Our Founder’s Story

Jenny brings a storyteller’s heart and a strategist’s mind to her role at Agency 29. With over a decade of experience leading marketing and communications for mission-driven organizations, she’s passionate about helping food, beverage, and agriculture brands grow with intention.

Before joining Agency 29, Jenny served as Director of Marketing and Communications at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. There, she led high-impact brand initiatives and multimedia campaigns that elevated research and innovation in sustainability and food systems.

Her career spans higher education, hospitality, and creative agency work, all grounded in a foundation of journalism, where she learned the power of asking the right questions.

A Southern Tier native and former California resident, Jenny holds a journalism degree from California State University, Long Beach. Outside of work, you’ll find her exploring Finger Lakes trails and wineries, sipping (too much) coffee, and making music with her husband and two daughters.

Jennifer is our go-to marketing strategist and we often find her knee-deep in research with her nose in a book. She’s always ready to put her nerd hat on for any data-driven analysis, excited to dig deep into any brand’s challenges.

As an independent contractor and a Jenn-of-all-trades, she has experience in many industries from agriculture to tourism to health and safety. We look to her for insight on all things marketing, from content ideation to development to promotion to evaluation and all the spaces in between, to amplify our clients and their work.

Jennifer graduated from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Radio and Athabasca University in Business Professional Arts: Communications Studies. She is also a Certified Associate in Project Management by the Project Management Institute. She currently resides in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Matt is often thought of as a “Swiss Army knife” of creative thinking and he brings over two decades of experience to the Agency 29 team. He has executed campaigns for major brands including Wegmans, Constellation Brands, Ray-Ban, DICK’s Sporting Goods, and MassMutual, blending high-level strategy with hands-on skills in motion design, video, performance marketing, and branding. Matt excels at steering the ship for clients while maintaining the nimble creative spirit that drives results.

Off the clock, Matt captures the world as an experienced photographer and budding drone pilot. He’s talented musically and has commanded the stage as a drummer for audiences of thousands. Matt enjoys giving back to the community, lending his expertise and support to the American Advertising Federation Greater Rochester, Habitat for Humanity, and various high school and college student mentorships.

Multi-talented creative Olivia Sun has a unique background, having worked in Liberia, West Africa for 4 years. Her professional experience is multifaceted, having worked on in-house marketing departments and within multiple creative agencies. Prior to her time at Agency 29, Olivia worked with major brands including The Strong National Museum of Play, Health Systems for a Tobacco-Free NY, and Wegmans.

Olivia excels in taking a vision from ideation to execution through thoughtful design and art direction.  She is a true self-starter – with the innate ability to pick up new techniques, styles, and disciplines of design effortlessly.

When she isn’t working, you can find Olivia getting into anything creative, soaking in the outdoors, and finding the coolest live music around.

Heather is deeply passionate about creating beautiful work backed by a powerful story. She strives to push the boundaries of what is expected in design, infusing fun into her work while ensuring the message remains effective.

Heather graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA in Graphic Design and a minor in Advertising + Public Relations, and has nearly five years of professional graphic design and art direction experience under her belt. Prior to Agency 29, she gained experience conceptualizing, directing, and executing everything from photoshoots to brand systems to magazines (and more).

Outside of work, Heather loves cooking, fashion, sports, painting, writing poetry, and being outdoors. She is constantly curious and finds beauty in the ordinary no matter where she goes.

Kelsea approaches her role at Agency 29 with the eye of a designer, the curiosity of a strategist, and a genuine enthusiasm for helping brands grow. She arrived at Account Direction through the ranks of design, where she developed a sharp eye for detail and a love for helping teams turn big ideas into clear, thoughtful, effective work.

Kelsea’s previous experience includes serving as Marketing Director and Multimedia Designer, leading client accounts across manufacturing, technology, construction, and healthcare, as well as over a decade in hospitality. She credits that history of service with shaping her people-first approach to account management, making her return to food and beverage clients feel like a natural homecoming.

A Rochester transplant by way of Rhode Island, Kelsea earned her BS in Experience Design from RIT. Off the clock, she’s usually seeking out great food, starting a creative side project, or finding any excuse to dance.

Blending creativity with organization, Shawna adds structure, positivity, and ease to the everyday flow at Agency 29. Her background in Public Relations and Business Administration fuels her love for creating structure that supports the team and keeps projects running smoothly. Outside the office, Shawna finds balance through pilates, long walks, and a good iced coffee.