Available to hire
I’m Tray Epps, a Creative and Marketing Operations leader with 10+ years helping startups and public companies scale creative output, implement robust content systems, and drive measurable growth. My track record at Yelp included building and leading a 30-person creative ops function, managing 100+ campaigns annually, multi-million-dollar budgets, and delivering clear lifts in brand visibility and conversion. I’ve also steered content strategy from beta through acquisition at Moonbeam, and I now blend operational rigor with AI-augmented workflows to help teams move faster and perform better.
Today I focus on shaping editorial frameworks, product-aligned content design, and cross-functional collaboration that accelerates time-to-value and strengthens business outcomes, all while leveraging emerging AI tools to augment creativity and efficiency.
Experience Level
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
Expert
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Intermediate
Language
English
Fluent
Japanese
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Korean
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Chinese
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Work Experience
Curation Director at Moonbeam
January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2022Defined and scaled content identity, user journeys, and positioning as part of the platform's innovation strategy; implemented audience-driven feedback systems and expanded content marketing.
Creative Director Contractor at IAC
January 1, 2022 - January 1, 2022Launched 10+ branded content series and brand experience campaigns for lifestyle and tech brands; directed multi-disciplinary teams and integrated data insights to optimize performance.
Curation Director at Moonbeam
January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2022Built content strategy and operations for a TikTok-style podcast discovery app from beta through acquisition by Audacy. Grew social reach and platform engagement, drove thousands of downloads and creator sign-ups, and defined AI-human curation and creator tooling strategies that supported rapid scale and talent attraction.
Director of Creative Operations at Yelp
January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2024Promoted to lead Yelp's creative operations function, scaling from a 2-person unit to a 30-person team and directing 100+ integrated campaigns annually across product launches, brand partnerships, and category initiatives. Managed $2–$5M in annual budgets and 20–25 vendor relationships. Delivered a 25% lift in brand visibility and a 20% improvement in conversion rates across multiple verticals; directed high-profile campaigns and established platform-wide content systems and brand standards.
Curation Director at Required Watching / Boy Meets East / Emerging Moonbeam
January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2022Brands: Required Watching, Boy Meets East, Emerging Moonbeam. Led brand and content strategy, establishing a consistent narrative framework and discovery experience. Achievements included 12,000+ downloads in three months and a 30% increase in engagement, along with developing content frames and tools aligned with product journeys.
Acting Director of Operations at Yelp
January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2024Led end-to-end content and brand initiatives across 100+ campaigns annually, supporting product launches, seasonal activations, partnerships, and awareness efforts that increased brand visibility by 25% and engagement by 15%. Partnered with Product, UX, and Marketing teams to design scalable content systems, templates, and workflows, improving time-on-page and conversion across multiple business verticals. Managed $2–5M annual budgets and a cross-functional network of 20–25 vendors and freelancers, reducing campaign delivery time by 20% through improved operational processes. Co-developed branded storytelling initiatives across major U.S. markets, establishing a consistent narrative framework across channels and formats.
Moonbeam Curation Director at Moonbeam
January 1, 2021 - January 1, 2022Led content strategy and brand development from beta through acquisition by Audacy for Paul English's podcast discovery app; grew social reach by 35% and platform engagement by 30% with average session times of 23 minutes. Defined product positioning and user journeys for an AI+human-curated discovery feed, establishing tone guides and creator frameworks that drew 400+ podcast hosts and 12,000+ downloads within 3 months of launch. Built audience feedback systems (analytics dashboards, user testing, surveys) to inform product iteration and pivots, including creator-centric features like tipping and clip management tools. Scaled content marketing and influencer outreach from zero to an established creator/listener base, securing coverage in TechCrunch and The Hustle.
Creative Program Manager / Acting Director of Operations at Yelp
January 1, 2021 - PresentScaled creative operations from 2 to 30+ team members while directing 100+ integrated campaigns annually across product launches, seasonal activations, brand partnerships, and awareness initiatives—increasing brand visibility by 25% and engagement by 15%. Partnered with UX and Product to architect platform-wide content systems (CMS infrastructure, templates, and standards) driving a 20% lift in time-on-page and conversion rates. Managed $2-5M annual budgets and an ecosystem of 20-25 vendors/freelancers, implementing cross-functional workflows that reduced campaign delivery time by 20% year-over-year. Co-developed a branded film initiative spanning major US markets and emerging regions, establishing a scalable storytelling framework.
Creative Program Manager - Acting Director of Operations at Yelp
January 1, 2021 - November 6, 2025Led over 100 integrated marketing campaigns increasing brand visibility by 25% and improving cross-functional delivery; partnered with UX/Product to evolve content systems and boost engagement.
Lead Content & Brand Strategy at Required Studios
January 1, 2020 - PresentLed end-to-end content and brand initiatives across 100+ campaigns annually; designed scalable content systems, templates, and workflows; partnered with product, UX, and marketing to improve time-on-page and conversion; managed $2–5M budgets; built brand storytelling across major markets. Responsibilities also included establishing consistent narrative frameworks across multiple brands and formats.
Creative Director at IAC (Vimeo · Daily Burn · Ask Media Group)
January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2021Operated as an internal creative agency across the IAC portfolio, launching 10+ branded content series and performance marketing campaigns across video, digital, and social. Improved conversion metrics and engagement through analytics-driven optimization, built scalable creative systems, and managed freelance networks to meet demand across multiple brands.
Creative Director at IAC
January 1, 2019 - January 1, 2021Functioned as internal creative and marketing agency across IAC's portfolio (Daily Burn, Vimeo, Ask Media Group, others), launching 10+ branded content series and performance marketing campaigns that drove 35% improvement in key conversion metrics (app downloads, session length, premium sign-ups). Established creative infrastructure (tone guidelines, templates, workflow automation, brief systems) enabling consistent brand execution with operational efficiency as solo creative lead. Directed end-to-end campaign development from concept through execution, leveraging Google Analytics and A/B testing to optimize creative across audience segments. Managed freelance/vendor networks to scale production for lifestyle and tech brands.
Producer & Project Manager at Avenues: The World School
January 1, 2019 - January 1, 2019Managed creative production and cross-border brand rollouts for global initiatives; built automation systems and workflows to improve efficiency.
Associate Creative Director at Avenues: The World School
January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2021Led creative production and brand strategy for international campus launches in São Paulo and Shenzhen; drove enrollment-supporting campaigns, secured press coverage, and improved delivery efficiency through automated content pipelines and cross-functional workflows. Built scalable marketing infrastructure for multiple campuses and launched student-led brand storytelling initiatives.
Branded Content Producer at NBC · CBS · Bravo · HitRECord TV · AGT · Project Runway
January 1, 2017 - December 31, 2019Developed branded entertainment and original content across Emmy-winning productions, delivering segment concepts and overseeing creative production to drive brand alignment and audience engagement.
Producer & Project Manager at Avenues: The World School
January 1, 2017 - January 1, 2019Led end-to-end creative production and brand strategy for global campus launches in São Paulo (2018) and Shenzhen (2019), developing market-specific positioning, admissions campaigns, and launch events that supported enrollment growth and brand presence ahead of Nord Anglia Education acquisition. Architected scalable marketing operations across a 4-person team and multiple campuses, including automated content pipelines, cross-functional workflows, and analytics that improved delivery efficiency by 15%. Developed student-focused initiatives (TEDx series, brand storytelling) that elevated Avenues to a premium global education brand and generated significant press coverage. Implemented performance tracking across departments to optimize admissions funnel health and campaign effectiveness for the 2019 Online launch and expansion.
Associate Creative Director at AOL - Huffington Post
January 1, 2017 - January 1, 2017Directed branded content campaigns and original digital video programming, strengthening storytelling and digital positioning through analytics-driven iteration.
Associate Creative Director at AOL / HuffPost
January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2017Directed daily video production for original digital series and managed a team of 8, including casting and budgeting. Produced 500–1,000 videos, achieving higher engagement and faster turnaround, and optimized content strategy via analytics to boost social shares and mobile view rates. Led sponsor integrations that expanded brand reach and sponsorship revenue.
Associate Creative Director at AOL - Huffington Post
January 1, 2015 - January 1, 2017Directed daily video production and creative operations for original digital series (2 Point Lead, HuffPost Live, Now What, AOL BUILD Series), producing 500-1,000 videos with a 25% engagement uplift. Led end-to-end production for comedy-sports and lifestyle programming with a team of 8, overseeing casting, scripting, budgeting (thousands per episode), and celebrity/athlete bookings for 1-2 daily releases. Created branded content integrations for external advertisers (DraftKings, etc.) and original web series such as #CandidlyNicole, balancing sponsor objectives with editorial voice and platform growth. Optimized content strategy via analytics-driven iteration and distribution refinements to maximize social reach and mobile engagement.
Creative & Production Roles at NBC, CBS, Bravo, America's Got Talent, Project Runway, HitRECord TV
January 1, 2015 - January 1, 2015Developed branded and entertainment content from concept to delivery for multiple networks, contributing to award-winning outcomes and cross-platform storytelling.
Creative & Production (Earlier Experience) at Various Companies
January 1, 2009 - January 1, 2015Developed and produced branded entertainment and original content for major broadcast networks (NBC, CBS, Bravo) and series including America's Got Talent, Project Runway; managed segment development, on-set coordination, and end-to-end production across multiple Emmy-winning projects. Also provided creative consulting and content development for emerging platforms, including building YouTube channels and podcasts at the intersection of culture, storytelling, and audience growth.
Education
Master of Arts in Creative Writing at Full Sail University
January 11, 2030 - November 6, 2025Master of Arts in Public Relations at Full Sail University
January 11, 2030 - November 6, 2025Bachelor of Arts in English at SUNY Empire State College
January 11, 2030 - November 6, 2025Master of Arts, Public Relations at Full Sail University
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Master of Arts, Creative Writing at Full Sail University
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Bachelor of Arts, English at SUNY Empire State College
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Qualifications
Google Analytics 4 AI for Creative Professionals
January 11, 2030 - November 6, 2025Notion Academy
January 11, 2030 - November 6, 2025Awwwards - Site of the Day & Honorable Mention
January 11, 2030 - November 6, 2025Adrian Awards - Nominee
January 11, 2030 - November 6, 2025InspirED Brilliance Awards - Winner
January 11, 2030 - November 6, 2025BBC Comedy Room Finalist – Page International Screenwriting Awards (×3)
January 11, 2030 - November 6, 2025ISA’s “25 Writers to Watch”
January 11, 2030 - November 6, 2025Google Digital Marketing & Analytics 4
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Google UX Design
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Google Project Management
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Meta Creative Strategy Professional
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Meta Marketing Science
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026HubSpot Inbound Marketing
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026HubSpot SEO
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026HubSpot Content Marketing
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Figma UI Design
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Webflow
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Adobe After Effects
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Adobe Premiere Pro
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026DaVinci Resolve
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Final Cut Pro X
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Adobe Illustrator
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Adobe Photoshop
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026InDesign
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Google Analytics 4
January 11, 2030 - January 15, 2026Google Digital Marketing & Analytics 4
January 11, 2030 - February 9, 2026Google UX Design
January 11, 2030 - February 9, 2026Google Project Management
January 11, 2030 - February 9, 2026Meta Creative Strategy Professional
January 11, 2030 - February 9, 2026Meta Marketing Science
January 11, 2030 - February 9, 2026HubSpot
January 11, 2030 - February 9, 2026AI for Everyone (DeepLearning.AI / Coursera)
January 11, 2030 - April 28, 2026Prompt Engineering Fundamentals
January 11, 2030 - April 28, 2026Google Gemini for Workspace
January 11, 2030 - April 28, 2026Marketing & Analytics — Google Digital Marketing & Analytics 4
January 11, 2030 - April 28, 2026Meta Creative Strategy Professional
January 11, 2030 - April 28, 2026UX, Design & Operations — Google UX Design
January 11, 2030 - April 28, 2026Industry Experience
Media & Entertainment, Professional Services, Education, Software & Internet, Other
Experience Level
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Intermediate
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