Four years ago, we had a crazy idea:
Creative people deserve creative gifts.
So we started designing gifts for people like us. People who are into products that are beautifully made, thoughtfully packaged and visually stunning.
Our Mission is Simple:
To make gifting as easy as a couple of clicks on your beloved Amazon Prime, but for it to feel as personal as if you'd spent hours creating a gift just perfect for your friends, clients, family, or your robot-loving coworker (true story).
We obsess over finding the perfect packaging, the best products, the most delicious chocolate (real hardships!!) and the verrry best way to combine bubble wrap and packing tape, so that you can go back to doing what you're awesome at!
From the first design to the last piece of bubble wrap, we’ve assembled a team that can do it all (or knows someone who can!) We have backgrounds in design, event planning, logistics, graphic design, coding, and marketing … but it’s our unanimous obsession with focus on the client experience that really gets us out of bed in the morning (and the free chocolate doesn’t hurt).
Torrance Hart
Torrance Hart
Founder
Hi, there! I’m Torrance: Virginia-native, homebody, veteran, boy mom, lover of plaid and serif fonts, a sometimes-minimalist, and a big fan of podcasts and checklists (must. check. all. the. boxes!). I usually have a cat in my lap and crinkle paper stuck to my socks… and I am convinced that it’s my professional duty to taste test ALL of the chocolate.
I founded Teak & Twine because I noticed that a lot of creative entrepreneurs and businesses had these amazing brands, with websites and collateral that was thoughtful and original… but that their options for gifts were either a generic cellophane wrapped basket, or the same old branded swag. As a long time admirer of products with great packaging, and as a wannabe entrepreneur with a creative streak, I knew that there was room to create a gift that was more beautiful, fun, cohesive, and unique! For the next year, I spent my days secretly reading business books under my desk, and my nights nerding out on spreadsheets and design sites. Finally, after serving for eight years in the Air Force, I decided it was time to start day-doing my day-dreaming! It’s been an amazing four years ever since!
These days, my focus is on product sourcing, marketing, team building, building a community of gift box babes and passing on what I've learned to other entrepreneurs.
Alyson
Creative Director & Manager of Corporate Accounts
Alyson is originally from Richmond, VA, but she spent time in both New York City and Boston until she joined us here in DC! With a background in fashion and time spent as a researcher at Harvard Business School, she's equally at home with an excel spreadsheet as she is putting together some of our favorite gift designs. Her favorite part of working at Teak & Twine is watching the careful logistics and planning behind an order come together as we start to put together the first gifts in an order (and the gummy bears don't hurt!) When she's not making beautiful gifts, she's checking out the great restaurant scene here in DC with her husband, shopping for antiques in Old Town Alexandria, and on the hunt for the world's cutest golden labradoodle puppy!
Christina
Director of Operations & Public Relations
Christina came to us from California (but ask her about living in Florida and Guam) and has a background in Public Relations. She joined our team as a holiday hire, but kept everything so organized and meticulous (and fun!) during our most insane season ever that we knew she just had to stay! She handles it all- from making sure every order heads out looking perfect to managing our inbox- but she can also design a gift that becomes an instant bestseller on our site at the drop of a hat.
Christina's favorite gift is The Christina (can't blame her!) and when she isn't at work she's renovating her beautiful townhouse and in search of someplace sunny.
Nancy
Special Projects
It's hard to encapsulate all that Nancy does for us: a little operations, a little planning, some growth-hacker ninja-ing with some party planning mixed in! Nancy met Torrance when she was one of T&T's very first customers, purchasing a custom Thanksgiving gift for her now mother-in-law wayyyy back when we first launched (we didn't even have a website!!) When we relocated to the DC area, hiring Nancy was a no-brainer!
When she isn't a #teakette she's busy with the company she founded Tiny Little Goodness, renovating her new Washington DC home, and nerding out on all things podcasts, business and Game of Thrones with Torrance!
Jaselle
Marketing Manager
Jaselle spends her nights at Georgetown Business School, and her days here with us, doing all things marketing! You know when our weekly emails went from "ok" to "ohhhh-hayyyyy?" Yep, that was her! She's the genius behind our Pinterest boards and some of our most fun Instagram stories (remember the March Madness competition? All her!)
Her favorite gift is The Jaselle (of course- have to root for the home team!) and when she isn't being a #teakette she's hanging out with her husband and family, studying like crazy, and exploring DC.
Christine
Graphic Design
Christine is our go-to-girl for all things website and design. Whether it's creating special packaging for custom gifts or designing mock-ups so clients can visualize their carefully curated boxes, she can whip up just about anything as the need arises. With a background in fine art, graphic design, and coding, she knows that good design isn't just about making things pretty – it's about function and user experience too.
When she's not working, you can find her wandering Target (in search of a latte), online shopping, working out, or hanging out with her sweet toddlers Otto and Sylvie.
