Who are we?
A team of digitally savvy designers, developers, copy writers, and social media stars who love the web.
Our strength lies in blending the best of business strategy, design, and project management. We understand how to apply innovation to drive measurable business results.
Founder & Creative Director / Ricardo McRae
He is the Founder of The Ricardo McRae Agency and Executive Director of the Who’s Who in Black Canada.com. As a passionate and creative professional, with over a decade of corporate sales and project management experience, Ricardo is an original Business Artist. He has a unique way of combining the best of art and business to produce remarkable results for his clients.
In his company’s eight-year history, he has led over 175 client projects across virtually all sectors: entertainment, financial services, legal services, b2b, clean technology, consumer services, creative services, health and beauty, as well as media and publishing. His designs have been featured in Canadian Business Magazine, the Photoshop conference in Boston and twice by software developers as cutting edge web design. And Ricardo has been using social media to connect and engage people for over a decade. His blog Hook Me Up Rico.com has 6000 long-time members that network and share with one another. Ricardo was also behind Toronto’s Moon Walk for Michael Jackson in 2009, which drew over 5000 people to Dundas square in less than four hours.
Prior to his dynamic career, Ricardo studied Fine Arts and Business at the University of Windsor, and The Ontario College of Art and Design. He also earned both his Project Management and Professional Sales designations during his years as an Account Executive. Written up in The Huffington Post, he was referred to as a “New Radical”, someone who does good, at work.
The Team
Social Media Strategist / Gloria Roheim
Before launching Gloria Roheim Inc. in 2010, Gloria gained extensive experience working in the private, public and not-for-profit sector. She has worn many hats, including policy advisor, international project manager, and market research consultant. Today, she is a full-time social media strategist, trainer and speaker. A Gen Y native, Gloria grew up digital. An avid blogger since 2001, she was an early adopter of Web 2.0 technology and digital communication. Read more…
Film Director / Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis began his career after graduating from Sheridan College’s Media Arts program with a major in film and digital video production. Projects created in college won the attention of MuchMusic – Canada’s number one hub for Youth and Pop Culture – who actively recruited him. First working on their flagship show, The New Music, he went on to work for MuchMusic’s Creative Department as Senior Writer/Director, and was responsible for a decade’s worth of many of the most recognizable images and branding strategies to have appeared on the station to-date. This included collaborations with Pharrell, Jay-Z, and Harrison Ford. Trevor’s work at MuchMusic went on to win several gold, international Promax and BDA awards.
Developer / Michael Dedrick
Michael Dedrick is an animator, graphic designer, website developer and art director. He received his education from Sheridan College’s Classical Animation program, and has taught 3D Animation at the International Academy of Design and Technology. He has worked with brands such as Georges St-Pierre, MMA Canada, YTV, 4 Kids Entertainment, Webkinz, Service Ontario, Proline, MacLaren McCann and many others.
Mobile Developer / Darren Baptiste
So, you say you don’t know what a mobile developer is? It’s the best job in the world, according to Darren. We bring him our problems, he dreams up solutions, and brings them to life on killer websites for companies needing to manage a lot of content. And, he designs mobile applications for Blackberry, iPhone, iPad, devices.
Intern / Haley Chiappino
Proactive, organized, and a reliable self-starter, Haley is a fourth year B.A. candidate at Wilfred Laurier University. She is specializing in public relations and media, and is a huge asset to all administrative and logistic responsibilities at The Ricardo McRae Agency. She helps manage and coordinate timelines, deliverables and client relations.
