What She Does at Thinkwell

At Thinkwell Creative, Katherine takes her big-fun-clever ideas and crafts them into efficient, impactful messaging. Her love of words is past the point of no return, and she’s thrilled to be working with a team that’s as creative and dedicated to thoughtful communication as she is.

Early Life

Katherine’s childhood was spent mostly reading. She still remembers her dog-eared copy of Caddie Woodlawn, with its yellowed stain in the upper corners from falling into her mashed potatoes at the cafeteria table. This obsession kept her pretty busy, yet she did manage to make time for piano lessons, her two best friends and arguing with her older brother, John.

With an artist mother and an accountant father, Katherine says of her family, “Basically, if Microsoft Paint fell in love with Microsoft Excel, you have my parents. And if they gave birth to Microsoft Word and a colorectal surgeon, you have the Whitfield siblings.” Her dad encouraged Katherine’s passion for new words and information with an after-dinner encyclopedia game they would play as a family. While she may not know who the Tanners or the Connors are, she knows plenty about the Iran-Contra affair.

Education and Career

At Rhodes College, Katherine majored in, you guessed it, English—with an emphasis in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies. She later attended Memphis Theological Seminary and earned a Master of Divinity in Faith, Health and Social Justice. Keeping in line with her passion for reading, writing and communication, Katherine landed a marketing job at a local bookstore after college.

Eventually, Katherine took her talents to one of the nation’s leading children’s hospitals, where she worked in both the marketing department and volunteer and family support. In these roles, Katherine handled multiple forms of communications and worked closely with stakeholders across the enterprise. Thankfully, she is now wielding her potent brand-messaging and client-storytelling powers here at Thinkwell.

Personal Life

When she’s not gazing adoringly at her husband, Justin, Katherine might be canoodling with her four-legged besties: dogs Roscoe and Husky Spice, and cats Lola and Stripe. Wedded bliss and finding gainful employment in the field she actually went to school for occasionally have Katherine pinching herself. Yet, if she ever feels the need to escape to a different place (or time), Katherine can be found thumping the washboard in a vintage jug band or playing Oregon Trail on Apple Arcade. According to her, she’s about three forded rivers and 90 pounds of bison meat away from requiring an intervention.