There had to be a better way.
Launched in 2018, The Bench was founded to make brand work better, for brands, agencies, and talent alike.
As veterans of traditional agencies, we lived the burnout and layoffs and knew there had to be a better way. So, we rebuilt the model: curated freelance teams instead of over indexed high performers, flexibility instead of overhead, and a system built to work for everyone in it, not just the agency.
Today, The Bench serves brands and agencies of every size, from startups to Fortune 100 companies. We meet the moment of a project-based world.
How we work.
- Managed.
- Every engagement is managed by a member of our core team who knows their client's business, which delivers consistency and builds efficiency.
- Customized.
- The right talent for each unique need, matched on experience, chemistry, and work-style.
- Vetted.
- Our roster is diverse, yet selective by design. Every member is vetted before they ever meet a client.
- Flexible.
- We are built to scale, from one specialist to a complete project team.
- Powered by Lance.Coming soon
- Our own platform for running every engagement, from brief to debrief. More in the coming weeks.
Everything behind the team, handled.
You work with your Bench lead. Behind them, we run the rest.
- Recruitment
- Vetting
- Compliance
- Talent selection
- Contracting
- Oversight
- Roster curation
- Project engagement
That everyone at The Bench belongs, thrives, and does extraordinary work.
Our values guide our decision making, daily. They shape who we hire, how we serve clients, and how we approach challenges.
- Team First.
- Our team prioritizes the collective group and is driven by shared success.
- Solutions Only.
- Every challenge is met with a creative mind-set. Where others see challenges, we see possibilities.
- Radical Transparency.
- Honesty is the foundation of trust. Trust is the foundation of great work.
The core team.
Small on purpose. One of us runs every engagement, from the first call to the last file.
Sarah Musgrove Albarado
CEO & Founder
Started answering "do you know anybody" in 2018 and never stopped.
Erin Kent
VP, Creative Partnerships
Owns the client relationship from first brief to final invoice.
Sophia Patten
VP, Talent & Key Accounts
Decides who goes on the roster, and who goes on your job.
Joey Busse
Director, Programs & Operations
Runs the calendar across every activation team, every year.
Jean-Luc Cavnar
Senior Director of Production
Budget, run of show, and the call nobody wants to make at 4am.
Karen Labucki
Operations Manager
Insurance, permits, onboarding and payment, so nothing ships late.
- Founded
- 2018
- Ownership
- Women-owned, WBENC certified
- Offices
- El Segundo, California and Phoenix, Arizona
- Clients
- Brands and agencies, from startups to the Fortune 100