By Eric Ranks on January 23, 2026
In Lake Villa and the greater Chicago-Milwaukee area, there’s a family business making waves with its creative flair and community spirit. Brabender Creative, co-founded by April and Keith Brabender, blends strategy, design, and heart to help businesses define and share their unique stories.
April and Keith’s story is one of love, resilience, and collaboration. High school acquaintances who reconnected later in life, they married in 2009 and began building both a family and a business grounded in creativity and care. Today, they are raising three boys while growing Brabender Creative, a brand strategy and design studio that reflects their passion for creativity and dedication to others.
April’s path into branding began after leaving her teaching career in 2011 to care for their first son. Parenting three boys—including one with special needs—reshaped her priorities and opened the door to marketing and brand strategy. As Keith’s creative work expanded, April joined him, bringing her strategic expertise to complement his artistic eye. Together, they’ve built a family-run business that’s as personal as it is professional.
Brabender Creative isn’t just about creating logos and websites. As April often reminds clients, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” With that perspective, they partner with service-based businesses—especially in wellness, healthcare, and mental health—to turn passion into brands that connect and inspire. Their signature process blends strategy and design, ensuring clients walk away not only with polished visuals, but with a brand identity that attracts and resonates with the right audience.
What makes Brabender Creative stand out is the way April and Keith approach every project as if they were part of their client’s team. They remain curious, hands-on, and deeply invested in each brand’s success. April leads strategy and messaging, while Keith brings design to life through logos, websites, and graphics. Together, they offer a complete brand foundation—blending strategic clarity with creative artistry—to give entrepreneurs the confidence and tools to grow their business with purpose.
April continues to invest in her growth as a brand strategist. In 2024, she completed Disruption, an advanced course within the global Level C branding program created by Marty Neumeier. The course focused on how brands can stand out in crowded markets—a perspective she now weaves into her client work, guiding businesses to differentiate themselves with clarity and confidence.
Beyond their client work, April and Keith are committed to the community. April serves on the board of Kindred Life Ministries, a Christian nonprofit that supports teen parents through mentoring, counseling, and life education. She also stays active in local networking groups, including Grateful Connections and Engaging Speakers. For her, these aren’t just professional circles, they’re opportunities to build genuine relationships and encourage other leaders along the way.
For April and Keith, Lake Villa is more than where they live, it’s a community they love. They’re close to several towns, with easy access to both Chicago and Milwaukee since they’re halfway between the two. Surrounded by forest preserves and lakes, the area offers plenty of opportunities for family time and outdoor adventures.
At home, the Brabenders enjoy pizza and movie nights, strategy games, and time outdoors together. In collaboration with their boys, Keith is bringing his first comic book to life this year, adding another layer of creativity to the family’s story.
Brabender Creative first opened in 2009 and has grown steadily through referrals and word of mouth. Rather than chasing volume, April and Keith focus on building long-term partnerships with service-based businesses that share their values. For them, success means seeing their clients thrive and knowing they’ve played a meaningful part in that growth.
Brabender Creative is more than a design studio. It’s a family-run brand strategy and design studio obsessed with helping you connect your story to the clients you most want to reach. April leads with strategy and messaging, Keith brings it to life through design, and together they craft brands that not only look beautiful but inspire people to say “yes.” Grounded in family, faith, and community, they’re proof that local businesses can make a lasting impact, one meaningful brand at a time.
Brabender Creative believes local businesses can change communities for the better. If you’re looking for a partner who brings strategy, creativity, and heart to your brand, April and Keith are just a click away. Visit brabendercreative.com to start the conversation.
Website: brabendercreative.com
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
WhatsApp: 18478735666
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