Lily Williams
Account Manager
Our fearless Account Manager Lily Williams leads with grace and proactivity. Originally from Bettendorf, Iowa, Lily continues to give back to her Columbia community on and off campus through service and professional positions. Since moving to Columbia, Lily has blended her professional and service passions, making her the perfect asset to any team. Lily is eager to continue her work on MOJO Ad for the second semester, build connections with her teammates and dive into audience segment research. She applied to MOJO because she is passionate about leadership and wanted to experience the real-world application of MOJO. Above all, her favorite thing about her MOJO position is constantly being inspired by the talented members of her team.Even as a student in the accelerated master’s program, Lily still finds time to give back through working at the MU Writing Center, as a Teaching Assistant for the Strategic Communication department as well as being a loyal member of the Mo Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi. Lily has experience serving on the steering committee for Caring for Columbia, marketing as an intern for the River Bend Food Bank as well as volunteering at the Moving Ahead after-school program.
Lily demonstrated her professional leadership through her role as 2022 President of the American Advertising Federation and the Head of Public Relations at Matchbook Marketing Agency. Outside of Mizzou’s campus, Lily has worked as a Public Relations intern for FleishmanHillard and as an IDG Global Communications Intern for Lenovo. Lily’s hyper organization paired with her enthusiasm and collaborative mindset make her the Account Manager of our dreams!
Lily finds peace in her daily MKT walks and podcast binge sessions. When work and school obligations aren’t in full swing, her favorite thing is traveling and escaping to Colorado to hike in the summer and ski in the winter.
After graduating with her master’s degree in May 2024, she’d like to continue supporting clients in the tech industry by utilizing her thesis to offer support in the face of a crisis.
Olivia Haffner
Qualitative Strategist
Olivia Haffner brings an inventive and unique perspective to any organization through curious and explorative research, making her an excellent Qualitative Strategist. Originally from West Chicago, Olivia has thrown herself into all things Mizzou and J-School. She is an active member of the American Advertising Federation, PR Club, Magazine Club and Matchbook Marketing Agency, where she operated as a strategist on the Internal Branding team. Outside of professional activities, Olivia is involved in her sorority, the Theta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She has served as a Homecoming liaison, on the Academic committee and Wellness committee. In addition to these achievements she was also selected as the Kappa Kappa Gamma Founders Day speaker, where she spoke to an audience of 250+ alumni and current members. Contributing to her temporary home in Missouri, she also worked as a Strategic Planning and Execution Intern at the nonprofit Missouri Interscholastic Journalism Association.Olivia pushes herself to get out of her comfort zone by practicing “slow travel,” which is ironic for someone who has visited 12 countries. Fluent in Spanish, Olivia began her international career working as an international Intern at Atrevia Communications, the largest PR firm in Spain. Back in the United States, Olivia spent the past two summers working as a Retail Brand Development Intern at Catalina Marketing, where she developed B2B skills and worked on audience segmentation targeting strategy. When not working, she can be found reading to kids at a local underserved elementary school through the program Reading Is Fundamental.
A kind and free spirit, Olivia believes you can find adventure anywhere, even in the mundane day-to-day. By practicing mindfulness and general gratitude, Olivia leads a fulfilling and passionate life, which she documents on her personal blog, LivInTheRealWorld. Her perceptive nature and attention to detail in all aspects of life are all strengths she brings to Team Aura as a Qualitative Strategist.
Sophie Walding
PR Account Manager
Sophie Walding, our Public Relations Account Manager, loves to experience the world and all it has to offer, which is just one of the many reasons she enjoys traveling and trying new things. This Texas girl grew up playing a variety of sports and also has backgrounds in music and dance. Sophie has played clarinet for more than six years and was in her high school marching band. During this time, she had the opportunity to go to Disneyland to attend a workshop that recorded music from the soundtrack of popular Disney movies. This passion for music and dance taught her about discipline, productivity and time management, which is evident given her experience in the field of strategic communication.Sophie’s ability to multitask came in handy during her time at Tegan Digital. As an Account Management Intern, Sophie worked on clients like Lennox and Safe Harbor Marinas to create strategy and insights to inform their future endeavors. She also had the opportunity to create a new business pitch to Salood to expand their brand awareness to Gen Z. An extremely tactical individual, Sophie also worked as a MU Undergraduate Research Student Assistant. In this position, she managed and branded social media accounts and created content for daily postings, which ultimately increased social media following and clicks by 200%.
Sophie is currently a member of MU organizations AAF and Sigma Kappa, the Vice President of PR Club and a Campus Manager at South By Sea. Her attention to detail and organizational skills set her apart from others.
Evanna Momtaj
Quantitative Strategist
Evanna Momtaj, our Quantitative Strategist, is detail-oriented, charismatic and optimistic and has immense experience in several areas of strategic communication, making her a versatile asset to any team.Working as an analytics fellow at Ketchum this past summer, Evanna had the opportunity to work on a variety of high-profile client campaigns, such as Clorox, Pfizer, Cottonelle and Hyundai. Currently, Evanna is continuing her work at Ketchum in a part-time role while simultaneously working as the Director of Insight at Matchbook Marketing, a student-run creative agency. Prior to her current role at Matchbook, she worked as a creative strategist for the agency on a team with MMGY to create a full campaign for Beach Bound. She was also previously a social media intern with the MU College of Arts and Sciences. Through her social media internship at MU College of Arts and Science, she revamped the college’s Instagram from the ground up by integrating social analytics into social media strategy and she is currently focusing on optimizing the college’s LinkedIn. Most recently Evanna was selected as an AAF Most Promising Multicultural Student for the class of 2023, one of 50 selected from across the country. Evanna loves to keep busy, always learning new, innovative strategies, and aims to continue to do so to further develop her skills for career opportunities after graduation.
Evanna is originally from Plano, Texas and, while living there, found a passion for trying fun, new foods. She brought this passion along with her to Columbia, Missouri, and looks for fascinating restaurants in our college town as well. As a foodie, Evanna strives to recreate these foods at home. Even if the recipe doesn’t turn out as planned, though, she continues to love learning about food preparation and the science behind it.
Daniel Napolitan
Digital Strategist
Digital Strategist, Daniel Napolitan, brings a lighthearted nature to any room he steps in. Able to make anyone crack a smile, his humor and creativity shine through in his work and communication. Originally from Lewisville, Texas, Daniel is a hardworking and reliable member of Team Aura and is eager to get to work this semester. Daniel has previous experience in strategic communication when he worked as a digital marketing intern at Surety Bonds. During this time, he was tasked with improving the main client-facing website and worked to improve overall performance and increase conversions. He also gained experience in keyword and SEO research, which helped him write effective content, overall encouraging the website page’s organic growth and rank. Through this experience, Daniel became a master of organization and is always prepared to pitch and discuss his ideas.Outside of the professional world, Daniel is a KCOU Music Staff member, where he attends and speaks on other staff members’ radio shows. On these shows, he participates in weekly staff music picks and decides on the content for the shows and listeners. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music and going to concerts and music festivals with his friends. Daniel hopes to take his passion for music off-campus and find a way to incorporate it into his future career.
In no rush to settle down, Daniel wants to travel and explore before he decides to move back to his home state of Texas, where he hopes to work in advertising or marketing in either an agency or business directly. No matter where Daniel ends up, he is an essential asset to any team he is a part of.
Abby Kimball
Media Planner
Abby Kimball is Team Aura’s passionate and ambitious Media Planner. Originally from Normal, Illinois, Abby has dedicated her time and talent to many different corners of campus, from chemistry to club hockey. Abby has experience working as a Social Media Intern for Mizzou’s Chemistry and Strategic Communication departments, where she created content for and managed their Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts. Additionally, she has done videography for Mizzou Greek week and Mizzou Club Hockey, as well as manages their TikTok account. Professionally, Abby was a Digital Media Intern at EquipmentShare where she discovered her interest in media planning. Abby’s creativity and out-of-the-box thinking are catalysts for productive brainstorming sessions and engaging media management.Aside from being involved in a diverse set of organizations, Abby is a squirrel micro-celebrity on Mizzou’s campus – yes, you read that correctly. What began as daily pictures of campus squirrels to her mom eventually grew into @squirrels.mizzou, an Instagram account with almost 2,000 followers dedicated to documenting the activity of Mizzou’s beloved squirrels. Other students are able to submit their own pictures to be reposted, sharing timeless moments such as squirrels in the library, squirrels climbing buildings, and squirrels eating pizza. This account is not only a great outlet for hundreds of squirrel pictures, but also a way for Abby to continue to practice media management, get to know her campus community, and interact with students, staff, and alumni. But of course, she still takes her own pictures to share with her mom.
Bella Hatzigeorgiou
Content Manager
Known for her reliable work and optimistic outlook, Content Manager, Bella Hatzigeorgiou is an essential member of Team Aura. A St. Louis native, Bella has experience in social media and public relations, having worked in her home city as well as overseas in Barcelona, Spain. Bella has worked as a Social Media Intern at Isite Media in St. Louis and as an International intern at Atrevia, one of the largest public relations firms in Barcelona.Using her passion for traveling and exploring the world through communication, Bella hopes to widen her global perspective by discovering new cultures and meeting people from different backgrounds. During her 10 weeks in Barcelona, Bella was able to travel to six different countries in Europe. Keeping travel high on her list of priorities, Bella hopes to continue to explore the intricate inner workings of cultures and how those elements fit into the lives of others. Bella is eager to see how her future career as a strategic communicator will allow her to see a new side of herself and other cultures.
Her ambition doesn’t stop there, as she is an active member on the University of Missouri campus where she serves the student body through relevant communication-based work. On campus, Bella is the President of the Delta Xi chapter of Delta Delta Delta, the Director of Public Relations and Marketing for Greek Week, as well as a member of the American Advertising Federation and Public Relations Club. In her free time, she is a member of Mizzou Club soccer and can be found dedicating time to Lizzie’s Walk of Faith or St. Jude or out with friends. Team Aura is honored to have a content manager as talented and empathetic as Bella!
Delaney Ehrhardt
Copywriter
Delaney Ehrhardt, a native of Glenview, Illinois, always comes prepared to meetings with fresh ideas and a bubbly attitude. As a MOJO Copywriter, she approaches all she does with authenticity and ambition. Delaney has experience in content creation, social media management, and PR + marketing duties which she developed over the course of her internship and part-time employment at C|Louise PR + Marketing Agency in Chicago. Recently, Delaney received an American Advertising ADDY award for copywriting and is ecstatic to continue her MOJO journey and dive into the State of the YAYA report. Outside of the professional world, Delaney is a proud part of the American Advertising Federation, a member of the Epsilon Mu chapter of Sigma Kappa and serves on their PR committee, Communications committee as well as Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee. Delaney is honored to be a part of MOJO Ad for her last year and is stoked to continue working with her team and management.Often described as outgoing, Delaney’s proudest moment was when she taught herself to ride a unicycle in sixth grade – yes she can still ride! When she’s not writing, she can be found playing the ukulele, exploring Columbia with friends or going for a hike. Through her involvement in Sigma Kappa, Delaney has developed a passion for the Alzheimer’s Association and has walked in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s since she was 16 years old. Delaney’s most memorable experience was when she flew to Peru by herself to teach English to kindergarteners, which sparked her love for traveling and communication.
After graduation, Delaney plans to move back to Chicago and work for an environmentally sustainable company – if the intrusive thought to move to Costa Rica and put her Spanish minor to work doesn’t win. Delaney is eager to continue to show what she can do and make her parents proud. With her father being a CMO and her mother a PR freelancer – strategic communication is quite literally in her blood.
Anna Buturla
Video Producer
Anna Buturla, our Video Producer, is a creative individual with big goals for her future. The Texas native has had many previous work experiences at the University of Missouri.Currently, Anna shoots and edits game footage as a Mizzou Athletics Creative Video Producer. In this role, she works with a variety of college sports in order for them to publish footage for their social channels. Anna also helps run and create photo and video content for Mizzou’s Strategic Communication social media accounts as a Strategic Communication Social Media Coordinator. Additionally, Anna works with the Office of Advancement to produce meaningful videos that reach Mizzou students, faculty and alumni across different platforms during her time as a Mizzou Digital Ambassador.
Anna has also been involved in campus organizations. She is one of the Executive Producers for student-run film club, Shot Reverse Shot, and held leadership positions in Mizzou’s multimedia outlet, MUTV23, for two years.
Anna enjoys her time spent at the University of Missouri, and in the state of Missouri, but is constantly looking to explore elsewhere, inspired by her desire to experience other cultures. This past year, Anna had the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica and to travel to Israel with the Mizzou Hillel. Her goal is to travel as much as possible, these two experiences having sparked her passion for travel and cultural immersion. She will definitely be adding more passport stamps to her collection in the years to come.
Samantha Novak
Art Director
Samantha Novak, our Art Director, is creative and artistic but, most pertinent to our work this semester, is also able to carefully articulate her imaginative thoughts and ideas to paint a picture in the minds of others. These attributes led to her acceptance into her current multi-media position.As a Multi-Media Senior Intern at MU News Bureau, Samantha writes feature stories, takes photos and edits audio and video for the Show Me Mizzou website. Samantha is also currently working as a Lab Monitor at Mizzou’s Fine Art Photography Lab.
In Samantha’s downtime, you most likely will find her doing one of two things, snuggling up to her cat, Pippin, or taking photographs. Pippin is a 15-pound black cat who doesn’t shy away from a road trip. In May, Samantha took Pippin on a 15-hour drive from Columbia, Missouri to Virginia and successfully beat the stereotype that cats hate cars. Samantha has also had a passion for photography since she was 13 years old. She is a creative at heart and has the talent to express herself in a variety of different ways. Her interest in photography started with her dad. When he was Samantha’s age, he was also a photographer, which piqued Samantha’s interest in the medium. Her dad originally learned about photography from his uncle, who was a photographer for the U.S. government and had his own darkroom. It’s apparent that having a keen “eye for photography” runs in her family. Samantha’s dad has given her all of the cameras she has used for almost 10 years, two of which were once his own. The second camera her dad gave her was a gift when she first left her home in Virginia to study at the University of Missouri.
Samantha Johnson
Graphic Designer
Samantha Johnson, our Graphic Designer, is a divergent thinker with a passion for creativity. This isn’t a surprise to the people that know Samantha well, though. Samantha comes from a family of artists of many mediums. Within her extended family, she grew up around sign and traditional painters, tattoo artists and photographers. She often attributes her artistic ability and adaptation of her hobbies in calligraphy and bullet journaling, unique mediums of artistic expression that remind her of home, to her exposure to such diverse mediums.Samantha is driven and dependable, making her an asset to any team. Previously, she worked as a Graphic Designer at Relevant Youth and has since been promoted to Creative Lead. Samantha has also worked at AOA Dx, a Boston-centered medical start-up seeking to provide the first non-invasive, early-stage ovarian cancer test to medical facilities across the country, as a Marketing Intern. In this role, she primarily created social media graphics along with posters, flyers and other presentation materials. This past summer, Samantha worked as a Teaching Assistant for the Missouri School of Journalism. In this position, she co-facilitated the Strategic Communications and Public Relations workshop and led high school students through a variety of big idea, logo and other design exercises.
Throughout this school year, Samantha hopes to grow her graphic design skills and build off of the experience and knowledge she’s gained in previous positions.