EKIBEN

from 2020 to 2025, i ran content and creative for ekiben — a wildly beloved asian fusion restaurant in baltimore with a cult following and no interest in playing it safe. as director of content, i led the charge on all things brand. i designed merch that sold out in minutes, designed every social post and flyer, wrote captions that felt more like bits than marketing copy, and turned limited-run drops into full-blown cultural events.

i built and scaled their voice across every platform: instagram, tiktok, email, in-store. every piece had to feel human, funny, and five steps ahead of the algorithm. i concepted and directed video shoots, rolled out citywide ad campaigns, and ran collabs with baltimore staples like clavel, la cuchara and alma cocina. i designed everything from event flyers to gift cards to halloween posters that parodied 80s horror movies.

i helped turn a local shop into something people cared about. a brand you root for, repost, and show up in costume for on a random tuesday just to get a $4 bao. it wasn’t luck. it was strategy, taste, and a little bit of chaos.