ABOUT
Get to know us.
WE ARE MOTIVATE
Inspiring Change Through Cultural Alignment
Motivate embraces the cultural differences among us. It is in these distinct perspectives and experiences that we anchor our strategies. With a foundation in segment outreach, we offer our clients the strength of scaled total-market delivery, with deep expertise in the segments that are driving growth in our communities.
From insights to activation, from INSPIRATION to CHANGE, Motivate is your partner for marketing success.
CORE AREAS OF EXPERTISE
LEADERSHIP TEAM
The visionaries leading our insights-to-media activation have built a culture of collaboration, fiercely-focused drive, and devoted commitment and appreciation for our clients.
TREVOR HANSEN
CEO
“What you water, grows.”
Trevor Hansen is the CEO and driving force behind Motivate. Under Hansen’s leadership and direction, Motivate has become the leading insights and media partner in the country for reaching today’s growth markets: Multicultural, Youth and LGBTQ. Hansen credits the company’s success to Motivate’s core values: humility, gratitude, commitment, passion, and teamwork.
TREVOR HANSEN
CEO
“What you water, grows.”
Trevor Hansen is the CEO and driving force behind Motivate. Under Hansen’s leadership and direction, Motivate has become the leading insights and media partner in the country for reaching today’s growth markets: Multicultural, Youth and LGBTQ. Hansen credits the company’s success to Motivate’s core values: humility, gratitude, commitment, passion, and teamwork.
MARCIA HANSEN
Principal & Partner
“Minds are like parachutes; they only function when open.”
Marcia Hansen is the partner and principal of Motivate. With decades of success in the media industry, Hansen’s insight and experience are invaluable as the company continues to lead the change in digital, social, traditional and local media. Hansen started the first senior targeted newspaper in the country and champions the power of strong, local content and community marketing.
MARCIA HANSEN
Principal & Partner
“Minds are like parachutes; they only function when open.”
Marcia Hansen is the partner and principal of Motivate. With decades of success in the media industry, Hansen’s insight and experience are invaluable as the company continues to lead the change in digital, social, traditional and local media. Hansen started the first senior targeted newspaper in the country and champions the power of strong, local content and community marketing.
MARCIA HANSEN
Principal & Partner
“Minds are like parachutes; they only function when open.”
Marcia Hansen is the partner and principal of Motivate. With decades of success in the media industry, Hansen’s insight and experience are invaluable as the company continues to lead the change in digital, social, traditional and local media. Hansen started the first senior targeted newspaper in the country and champions the power of strong, local content and community marketing.
GREGG WITT
Executive Vice President, Youth Marketing
“Gen Z wants transparency. They expect authenticity and demand originality. It’s time to meet Gen Z where they are.”
Gregg Witt is a renowned Gen Z marketing strategist and Youth trends analyst, with an uncanny ability to help consumer brands be more relevant with tweens, teens and young adults. In 2016, Witt was named top 5 Youth marketer to follow by Inc Magazine. Witt has 16 years of experience in consumer insights, brand and product marketing strategy, influencer engagement, and content production. His category leadership and expertise includes: retail, education, action sports, entertainment, consumer packaged goods, technology, fashion, social change, and live themed experiences.
GREGG WITT
Executive Vice President, Youth Marketing
“Gen Z wants transparency. They expect authenticity and demand originality. It’s time to meet Gen Z where they are.”
Gregg Witt is a renowned Gen Z marketing strategist and youth trends analyst, with an uncanny ability to help consumer brands be more relevant with tweens, teens and young adults. In 2016, Witt was named top 5 youth marketer to follow by Inc Magazine. Witt has 16 years of experience in consumer insights, brand and product marketing strategy, influencer engagement, and content production. His category leadership and expertise includes: retail, education, action sports, entertainment, consumer packaged goods, technology, fashion, social change, and live themed experiences.
JOEL SHOEMAKER
Vice President, LGBT Strategy and Partnerships
“LGBTQ became the biggest cultural shift in a generation partly because LGBTQ learned its substantial buying power could secure their place in the community. They’re loyal brand advocates when marketers are loyal to them. Today, LGBTQ marketing is about multicultural within LGBTQ, and millennials and youth, both LGBT and non. Both areas Motivate excels.”
Joel Shoemaker brings a depth of knowledge based in hard-to-find LGBTQ research and insights, key learnings, best practices, case studies, media insights and broad community relationships. Joel has 13 years advertising and marketing experience, including 6 years dedicated specifically to the LGBTQ market while at Here Media and iHeartMedia. He has helped develop campaigns nominated by IABMIXX and ANA Multicultural Awards. Part advocate and part marketer, Joel is able to connect a brand’s diversity policies and community support to its marketing and brand message and deliver ROI.
JOEL SHOEMAKER
Vice President, LGBT Strategy and Partnerships
“LGBTQ became the biggest cultural shift in a generation partly because LGBTQ learned its substantial buying power could secure their place in the community. They’re loyal brand advocates when marketers are loyal to them. Today, LGBTQ marketing is about multicultural within LGBTQ, and millennials and youth, both LGBT and non. Both areas Motivate excels.”
Joel Shoemaker brings a depth of knowledge based in hard-to-find LGBTQ research and insights, key learnings, best practices, case studies, media insights and broad community relationships. Joel has 13 years advertising and marketing experience, including 6 years dedicated specifically to the LGBTQ market while at Here Media and iHeartMedia. He has helped develop campaigns nominated by IABMIXX and ANA Multicultural Awards. Part advocate and part marketer, Joel is able to connect a brand’s diversity policies and community support to its marketing and brand message and deliver ROI.
JOEL SHOEMAKER
Vice President, LGBT Strategy and Partnerships
“LGBTQ became the biggest cultural shift in a generation partly because LGBTQ learned its substantial buying power could secure their place in the community. They’re loyal brand advocates when marketers are loyal to them. Today, LGBTQ marketing is about multicultural within LGBTQ, and millennials and youth, both LGBT and non. Both areas Motivate excels.”
Joel Shoemaker brings a depth of knowledge based in hard-to-find LGBTQ research and insights, key learnings, best practices, case studies, media insights and broad community relationships. Joel has 13 years advertising and marketing experience, including 6 years dedicated specifically to the LGBTQ market while at Here Media and iHeartMedia. He has helped develop campaigns nominated by IABMIXX and ANA Multicultural Awards. Part advocate and part marketer, Joel is able to connect a brand’s diversity policies and community support to its marketing and brand message and deliver ROI.
RANDY GUDIEL
Vice President, Media Strategy
“You don’t choose your passions. Your passions choose you.”
Randy Gudiel brings a decade-long record of developing and implementing integrated media programs, including online, mobile, social, print and broadcast, with an emphasis in Multicultural markets. He is responsible for driving Motivate’s strategic digital and social initiatives, while managing direction of digital campaigns, programs, and client relationships.
RANDY GUDIEL
Vice President, Media Strategy
“You don’t choose your passions. Your passions choose you.”
Randy Gudiel brings a decade-long record of developing and implementing integrated media programs, including online, mobile, social, print and broadcast, with an emphasis in Multicultural markets. He is responsible for driving Motivate’s strategic digital and social initiatives, while managing direction of digital campaigns, programs, and client relationships.
RENE SANCHEZ
VP, Client Strategy & Insights
“The growing multicultural consumer continues to be the biggest opportunity for brands. To drive brand growth and deliver on ROI, it’s essential to anchor strategies on relevant consumer insights and data-driven marketing.”
Rene Sanchez brings over 15 years of experience in brand management and strategy, media targeting, and consumer research. His wealth of knowledge on the dynamics of the multicultural consumer allows him to deliver thought leadership to the industry. For two consecutive years in a row, Rene co-presented with Nielsen at the AHAA Annual Conference. He delivered ground-breaking consumer insights studies, leveraging primary and secondary data and research solutions, to help marketers optimize brand strategies and effectively engage the multicultural consumer.
Rene possesses a unique blend of data analysis and statistics expertise, coupled with strategy and creativity. He has led strategic and innovative multicultural marketing campaigns, driving significant growth for a wide range of partners and verticals, including auto, CPG, technology, retail, wireless, finance, and entertainment.
RENE SANCHEZ
VP, Client Strategy & Insights
“The growing multicultural consumer continues to be the biggest opportunity for brands. To drive brand growth and deliver on ROI, it’s essential to anchor strategies on relevant consumer insights and data-driven marketing.”
Rene Sanchez brings over 15 years of experience in brand management and strategy, media targeting, and consumer research. His wealth of knowledge on the dynamics of the multicultural consumer allows him to deliver thought leadership to the industry. For two consecutive years in a row, Rene co-presented with Nielsen at the AHAA Annual Conference. He delivered ground-breaking consumer insights studies, leveraging primary and secondary data and research solutions, to help marketers optimize brand strategies and effectively engage the multicultural consumer.
Rene possesses a unique blend of data analysis and statistics expertise, coupled with strategy and creativity. He has led strategic and innovative multicultural marketing campaigns, driving significant growth for a wide range of partners and verticals, including auto, CPG, technology, retail, wireless, finance, and entertainment.
RENE SANCHEZ
VP, Client Strategy & Insights
“The growing multicultural consumer continues to be the biggest opportunity for brands. To drive brand growth and deliver on ROI, it’s essential to anchor strategies on relevant consumer insights and data-driven marketing.”
Rene Sanchez brings over 15 years of experience in brand management and strategy, media targeting, and consumer research. His wealth of knowledge on the dynamics of the multicultural consumer allows him to deliver thought leadership to the industry. For two consecutive years in a row, Rene co-presented with Nielsen at the AHAA Annual Conference. He delivered ground-breaking consumer insights studies, leveraging primary and secondary data and research solutions, to help marketers optimize brand strategies and effectively engage the multicultural consumer.
Rene possesses a unique blend of data analysis and statistics expertise, coupled with strategy and creativity. He has led strategic and innovative multicultural marketing campaigns, driving significant growth for a wide range of partners and verticals, including auto, CPG, technology, retail, wireless, finance, and entertainment.
HATSUKO OHNUMA
Director of Marketing
“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
As the Director of Marketing, Hatsuko Ohnuma leads the planning, development and execution of Motivate’s marketing strategies and identifies brand-building opportunities for the company. Ohnuma and her team are responsible for developing the company’s public-facing marketing and communication materials. She is passionate about growing and evolving companies to effectively tell their brand story.
HATSUKO OHNUMA
Director of Marketing
“Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
As the Director of Marketing, Hatsuko Ohnuma leads the planning, development and execution of Motivate’s marketing strategies and identifies brand-building opportunities for the company. Ohnuma and her team are responsible for developing the company’s public-facing marketing and communication materials. She is passionate about growing and evolving companies to effectively tell their brand story.
FEATURED Clients
You are who you hang around — and we’re proud of the company we keep.
WE GOT KUDOS
Our hard work has won us honorable and humbling awards. We are proud to be recognized in both our industry and community.
#BEAUTHENTIC: MOTIVATE NEWS
Our ideas, news and resources that help brands solve growth-market challenges.
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Washington Post: Retailers are marketing directly to kids shopping on their smartphonesby Motivate on August 13, 2024
“Snapchat and YouTube have become a way for brands to market right to tweens — in fact, it’s one of the only ways to get to them directly,” said Gregg L. Witt, executive vice president […]
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Live Roundtable Discussion – Gen Z: A Phenomenon Without Bordersby Motivate on July 24, 2024
Join us for a live roundtable discussion on youth marketing trends, engagement strategies, and activism from a global perspective. A topic that hasn’t been addressed enough in the industry or among […]
Read more → -
5 Reasons a Total Market Approach Doesn’t Drive Marketing ROI with Gen Zby Gregg Witt on July 2, 2025
Youth culture is complex and as Gen Z comes of age, the job of consumer engagement doesn’t get any easier than previous generations. In fact, youth, lifestyle and multicultural marketing is more nuanced […]
Read more →
READY TO GROW?
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