RACHEL WOLAK | CREATIVE DIRECTOR | ART

ABOUT

Hi, I’m Rachel. A creative spirit fueled by a love for design, storytelling, movies, tech, and sports. I thrive on solving problems that weave together captivating narratives and visuals. In my world, the best concepts spark emotion, ignite curiosity, and forge connections.

When I'm not immersed in the world of design and storytelling, you can often find me biking NY’s five boroughs or at B&H loitering around cool camera lenses. 

 
 

Rachel is a hands-on Creative Director and Filmmaker who leads with strategy, curiosity, and an artful eye.  

She sees every brief as a chance to entertain and influence, having worked across CPG, tech, finance, auto, travel, beauty, and more. Her sweet spot is finding the story worth telling, then figuring out the smartest way to bring it to life, from traditional production to AI-assisted workflows. She shapes the work for the right audience, moment, budget, and timeline.

When she's not on set or behind a brief, you can catch her with the Red Cross DAT (Disaster Action Team), biking around NY's five boroughs, or loitering around cool camera lenses at B&H.

 

Experience
PRESENT Havas NY, Young Friday Films, Riverside Entertainment, Bryght Young Things | Freelance Creative Director + Filmmaker

Grey Worldwide | Creative Director

Ogilvy & Mather, NY | Associate Creative Director

Arnold Worldwide, Boston | Senior Art Director

Crispin, Porter & Bogusky, Boulder | Interactive Art Director

Clients
Volkswagen, Old Navy, Burger King, Domino’s, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Microsoft, American Express, New Balance, Carnival Cruise Lines, Jack Daniels Fire, Avocados From Mexico, Aetna, Breast Cancer Index, Huntington Bank, UPS, Lenovo, NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medicine, Philips Norelco, IBM, San Pellegrino, JBL, HARMAN, Nationwide, CryptoFights, MCSI, Comcast, PPG, Signature FD, UPMC, Edward Jones, OGX

Work featured and recognized by
Cannes, Campaign Brief, Creativity, Agency Spy, Adweek, Ad Club Hatch, ADDY Awards, Obie Awards, WIRED, NECN, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The One Club, Times Square, Fenway Park, FastCo, Adrants, Adsoftheworld, The World's Best Ever, Superbowl XLIX

Education
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY / SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising and Art Direction

FEIRSTEIN SCHOOL OF CINEMA / STEINER STUDIOS, NY
Graduate Studies, Film Directing

SUNDANCE CO//AB
Screenwriting

IMPROV ASYLUM / BOSTON, MA
Improv I, Sketch Writing I

DEAF, INC / BOSTON, MA
American Sign Language I

TENRI INSTITUTE / NEW YORK, NY
Japanese 101, 102

Volunteer
Y.E.S. / YOUTH ENRICHMENT SERVICES
Snowboard instructor and mentor, teaching underserved youth to snowboard while building confidence, creativity, and community.

AMERICAN RED CROSS / DISASTER ACTION TEAM (DAT)
Providing on the ground support and resources to individuals and families affected by emergencies and disasters.

FLIGHT ANGELS / PUERTO RICO DOG RESCUE
Coordinating and escorting rescue dogs on commercial flights from PR to their adoptive families in the mainland U.S., supporting safe transport from rescue to furever homes.

Member of
IFP
PANO Network
AdClub NY
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Creative Mornings
New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT)
National Board of Review
NYC Women Filmmakers
SheSays
The One Club
Moonshot Initiative