The Team

MEET THE STAFF

Miki Akil

After working as a publicist in Hollywood, Miki found her calling in consumer/lifestyle PR. She is a Houston native (who you’ll always find watching the Astros or Texans) with a proven track record of developing powerful marketing communications campaigns. After moving to the West Coast more than 10 years ago, she now calls OC home and lives with her husband and two kitties, Gatsby and Fitzgerald.

Carrie Freitas

Carrie hails from a newspaper/journalism family on her mother’s side, and a marketing/ printing family on her father’s — which explains why she is both a published writer and founder of Kitchen Table Marketing. She lives in Newport Beach with her husband and is a proud mom of two, and stepmom of three. Carrie is passionate about giving back to her community and supporting LGBTQ+ rights.

Jordan Kruk

Jordan has had a love of writing from a young age, leading her to pursue a career in PR. She started off in B2B marketing in the commercial real estate industry before joining the Kitchen Table team where she quickly discovered her passion for the restaurant and nonprofit industries. Jordan is an OC native and currently resides in Huntington Beach with her boyfriend and their pug, Franklin.

Becca Stonebraker

Becca’s background and education have revolved around how to tell a good story, something she leverages in the work she does for KTM’s clients. On a daily basis, she taps into her passions for food and philanthropy to serve a variety of businesses in the hospitality and nonprofit industries. Becca is a SoCal native who loves a good meal, the great outdoors, and traveling to new places.

Madelyn Sutherland

Madi found her love for public relations and social media while studying Communications at California State University, Fullerton. After pursuing her degree, she worked for a digital marketing agency overseeing clients in the tech space before finding herself at the Kitchen Table. Born and raised in Orange County, Madi supports a range of locally (and a few national) based food, design, nonprofit and real estate clients for KTM.

CONTRIBUTORS

Kristen Cagatao

Born and raised in SoCal, Kristen is responsible for the beautiful look of Tableau. In addition to being a talented, full-time graphic designer, she enjoys dancing with her Polynesian Group, Nonosina, and traveling.

Sara Hall

Sara has 14 years of experience at daily and weekly newspapers, including the Newport Beach Independent. Her work includes photography, writing, design and layout. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling and spending time with her husband and pets.

Joberto Lee

With two engineering degrees, Joberto Lee — our cover photographer — is not the typical artist. The same analytical thinking and precision which allow him to excel as a controls engineer translate into his photography as unwavering adherence to the science of storytelling. While being raised by a prominent OC restaurateur led him to specialize in food photography, the breadth of his skillset positions him to execute any job like clockwork.

Maisy Menzies

Maisy Menzies was born and raised in Southern California and is a recent UC Berkeley film and media studies graduate. When she is not working as a writer, she is organizing non-profit art fundraisers, painting and learning to surf.

Sarah Mosqueda

Sarah Mosqueda has worked as a freelance journalist in OC and LA for a decade. Her work has appeared in Orange Coast Magazine, Coast Magazine, Hispanic Network Magazine and Bon Appetit Magazine. She is an avid podcast listener, amateur yogi and skilled bartender who enjoys trying new restaurants and cooking at home with her fiancé.

Kim Newett

Kim Newett is a toy expert and writer whose greatest accomplishment has been raising two strong, brilliant daughters. She lives in Santa Ana with her husband and dog and is looking forward to when she can see old friends and resume her quest to find new offbeat venues for food and drinks.

Robin H. Phillips

A born and bred New Englander, Robin moved to Newport Beach this past July. She was previously the editor of Fairfield Magazine and also has worked for House & Garden, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, and Better Homes and Gardens. When she isn’t writing or reading, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teenagers.

Michelle Pulfrey

For more than two decades, Michelle Pulfrey has shaped SoCal’s TV news landscape as a senior producer for Fox 11’s “Good Day L.A.” Always on the pulse of what’s new and noteworthy, Michelle also produced the station’s popular “Style File” segment and has written on fashion, beauty and lifestyle for Modern Luxury OC/Riviera. Now, this OC resident brings her talents to Tableau.

Amy Senk

Amy is a CDM resident and a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. She has worked at the Kansas City Times, Kansas City Star, Contra Costa Times, Coast Kids and Coast Magazines, and is a regular contributor to StuNews Newport. A recent empty nester, she spends her free time with her husband and planning elaborate imaginary vacations.