TEAM
Hailstorm is comprised of a diverse group of industry experts that bring a wealth of experience and relationships to any project large or small.
We are uniquely positioned to scale, deploying senior level resources to match the changing needs of our clients and their projects.
We have business minds and creative hearts. Sure we geek out over trademark and copyright law, but our North Star is to partner with clients to help them get the best creative work possible out into the world.
MICHELLE MCKINNEY
Michelle’s childhood ambition was to be one of the Fly Girl dancers on “In Living Color”. Ah what might have been? She certainly would have given J-Lo a run for her money, but Hailstorm’s clients are fortunate she chose a different career path. Make no mistake, she still has the moves, but these days usually for an audience of just one
(her husband).
Michelle’s resume is essentially a list of some of the top creative shops in the ad business. An entrepreneur at heart and at times disappointed by the lack of value placed on business affairs in the traditional agency environment, she founded Hailstorm with the goal of elevating the practice while providing a broad range of services for small to medium sized creative shops and brand’s in-house agencies.
While not busy modernizing an entire advertising discipline, you’ll find her enjoying great food and wine, French bubbly, and dreaming of a return trip to Italy, Lake Como perhaps?
PERSONAL MOTTO: Be nice and do the right thing.
POCKET TALENT: She has elevated the packing of a suitcase into an art form.
Learn more about Michelle's professional experience here...
FOUNDER | CEO
CHRISTINA RUST
MANAGING DIRECTOR, PARTNER
CHRISTINA RUST
MANAGING DIRECTOR, PARTNER
“Rusty” hails from a tiny town just outside Ann Arbor. A self proclaimed “free range” human, perhaps it’s her small town upbringing that inspired a lifelong passion for travel, across the US and around the world, for both business and pleasure (usually at the same time). Christina has truly embraced working remotely — the concept of fitting work into her life rather than life into her work. Prior to joining Hailstorm she took part in the Remote Year program, traveling SouthEast Asia, Europe and South America, living and working in a different city each month. In her humble opinion: Best food — Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Cities she’d consider living in — Lisbon, Lima, and Santiago, and Best experiences — bathing elephants in Thailand and learning to play polo in Argentina. She swears she actually did some work too!
All in all Christina has visited 44 countries (and counting) outside of the United States. Her post-Covid trip to Antarctica will check the last continent off her bucket list! Her less lofty passions include theater, live music, art and anything that keeps her moving.
PERSONAL MOTTO: Great things never come from comfort zones.
POCKET TALENT: Christina can wiggle her ears… check it out on your next video conference.
Learn more about Christina’s professional experience here...
Jana has always had an affinity for the law. As a child she wanted to be a Prosecutor. While her friends were playing with Barbie, she turned the house into a courtroom and put her brother on trial for stealing the last pudding cup. We have no doubt he served hard time.
A California native, born and raised in LA’s South Bay, Jana began her career in finance before discovering her north star in business affairs and creative problem solving. With subject matter expertise in union talent matters, celebrity/influencer partnerships, and global compliance for large scale productions, her extensive background brings total market diversity to 15 years of experience spanning a variety of brands from technology to automotive.
Jana has a borderline obsession with driving fast cars. She recently acquired her ‘dream car’, we’ll let her tell you which, that she takes out most weekends in search of a perfect stretch of road and the opportunity to ‘open it up’. This pairs well with her other near obsession, Mexican food. Road trip? Tacos? Sign us up!
PERSONAL MOTTO: “Be the change you want to see.”
POCKET TALENT: Professional hair modeling.
Learn more about Jana’s professional experience here…
JANA NAUMAN
GROUP DIRECTOR, CLIENT PARTNERSHIPS
JANA NAUMAN
GROUP DIRECTOR, CLIENT PARTNERSHIPS
Born and raised in Tashkent, Uzbekistan of the former USSR, Lenny moved with his family to New Jersey at the age of 12. While he never realized his childhood dream of becoming a pro basketball player, sports has always been and remains near and dear. An avid cyclist, triathlete, and sports enthusiast, Lenny graduated from Rutgers with a BA in Communications & Sports Marketing; went on to earn his JD/MBA at Quinnipiac University with a specialty in Sports and Entertainment Law, before heading West to sunny So Cal! He spent over a decade in Los Angeles; then returned to the East coast to be closer to family.
He joins the team having held both Business Affairs and Associate General Counsel roles at the likes of Disney Pictures, Disney Interactive, KBS, Forsman & Bodenfors, Publicis, Saatchi, and Ogilvy. His combined business affairs, motion picture, and advertising law experience make him particularly well suited for navigating the complexities of the ever-changing advertising world as well as influencer and branded partnerships.
Favorite pastime — reading, his all time favorite book is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Favorite cocktail — vodka soda lime juice. Favorite food — pizza, though he says the only food he actually hates is anchovies! At the top of his bucket list — more world travel. He’d like to see a new country every year!
PERSONAL MOTTO: Nothing to it, but to do it!
POCKET TALENT: Triathlete (70 triathlons, 6 Ironmans, 10 half-ironmans, so far!)
Learn more about Lenny’s professional experience here...
LENNY MAYZEL
DIRECTOR
LENNY MAYZEL
DIRECTOR
As a child Alice wanted to be a veterinarian but quickly realized she preferred to hug and love all the dogs rather than poking them with sharp objects. A lover of animals and funny ladies, she named her dog ‘Penny Marshall’ — “She has her eyes and she makes me laugh”.
Alice joins Hailstorm after a lengthy stint at The Martin Agency, working with a broad range of brand partners including: Old Navy, CarMax, Pizza Hut, Discover Card, Oreo, Ritz, ESPN3, Penske, UPS, Midas, Subway, Buffalo Wild Wings, DoorDash, Moen, Benjamin Moore, TIAA, to name a few. It is this breadth of experience and her passion for the work that makes Alice such a valuable addition to the team.
Favorite pastime — Hanging with her boys (3 including her husband) and petting Penny Marshall's ears. Activities which she points out are not mutually exclusive. Favorite cocktail — WINE! Favorite food — Cheeseburger with fries. At the top of her bucket list — Italy. Yes… the entire country! When not rubbing someone’s ears (boys or dogs) she takes time out to address some of life’s bigger questions. This week: “If I find eggplant peculiar, why do I love a good babaganoush?”
PERSONAL MOTTO: "If you tell the truth, you won't have to remember anything." - Twain
POCKET TALENT: Balloon animals… dogs are her specialty!
Learn more about Alice’s professional experience here…
ALICE ISNER
DIRECTOR
ALICE ISNER
DIRECTOR
Jaime’s pet peeves… “Shops that serve tea at the temperature of the sun.”, “Rules that don’t make sense.”, and “People who leave the pizza box open”. A self proclaimed Pizza lover she says, “If there’s pizza, it's a party!” Born and raised in Rochester, New York, an early interest in teaching led her to a Red Cross Certification as a lifeguard and swim instructor. It is also where she admits to her mother’s regular application of Dial soap for talking back. Perhaps something to do with those pesky rules that didn’t make sense?
Despite being a 'rule breaker', Jaime graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University where she studied sociology and public relations and also participated in an International Study Abroad Program (London, Amsterdam, Geneva) on Comparative Health Policy and Law. Eventually settling in San Francisco she ‘fell into business affairs' at Goodby Silverstein & Partners and never looked back, logging nearly 10 years on the agency side at GS&P, Pereira & O’Dell, and 72andSunny Amsterdam. She joins Hailstorm after brand-side stints with Google’s Brand Studio and Facebook’s Creative X teams.
Jaime loves creative challenges, negotiating, and music licensing. She lives for live music and spends most of her time eating pizza and subscribing to all content streaming platforms while she patiently waits for concerts to return.
PERSONAL MOTTO: "If you can't be yourself, there's just too much to be." - Dr. Dog
POCKET TALENT: Dancing (think - back-up dancer for Britney Spears!)
Learn more about Jaime’s professional experience here...