two interlocked gears

Our Team

Founded by Tommy Richards and Sandra Castro, 1797 Creative is a house united.
Here you won’t have to choose between a strong creative team or a great media team, sacrificing quality and strength in the other half of your agency.

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Sandra Castro

CEO/Media Director

Sandra Castro-Richards has a rich history of agency experience working on many types of industries, including extensive public entity experience. She brings to 1797 Creative an in-depth knowledge of brand marketing research and media strategy. As CEO and Media Director, Sandra oversees the agency direction and working on brand and marketing strategies for clients. With a strong background in consumer research, she delivers efficient and research-driven media purchasing plans that meet and exceed campaign goals.

Sandra would love to learn to sew. She tried once. It didn’t go well, but she’s no quitter! Maybe she’ll make outfits for Jennifer’s dogs!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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Tommy Richards

President/Creative Director

1797 Creative’s President and Creative Director Tommy Richards has over 30 years of experience in advertising and graphic design creating and designing logos, print ads, radio and television spots, internet banner ads, outdoor ads and more for a large range of clients and industries. Tommy is a true artist, bringing his talent to all creative marketing projects. Along with numerous prestigious awards, Tommy has earned Addys at the local, district and national levels. He founded our agency to offer clients a more streamlined, comprehensive, agile and effective choice for our clients.

Tommy admires honesty and humility in his circle of friends. He’s also well down the path of being an oenophile, so you can count on him to bring a bottle he didn’t choose by the graphics on the label.

Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art.

Our Founders' Legacy

Sandra Castro and Tommy Richards have decades of marketing experience between them. Before founding 1797 Creative, they’ve been trusted to manage some of the biggest, most recognizable brands.

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Jennifer Smith

Social Media Director

Jennifer Smith is the Social Media Director for 1797 Creative. With the rising importance of social media in today’s marketing and communication, Jennifer’s role fulfills an integral part of every client’s campaign. We live in an age of cord cutting and receiving news and messaging on mobile devices; having an expert with her finger on the pulse of the latest trend is critical! Jennifer is a UTSA graduate and has experience in the education field. She is married and has two beautiful daughters. Jennifer enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, going on vacations, and reading a good book.

Though she be but little, she is fierce.

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Julie Graham

Writer

Julie Graham is our staff writer and contributes text for everything from social media to campaign speeches to press releases. She has a degree in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations and over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications for state associations and business across several industries.

Julie’s favorite indulgence is cross-stitching under a blanket and a pile of dogs during a thunderstorm. It’s her Nerdvana. Her daughter is a ninja (a combat martial arts black belt) and small enough to pack in Jacqueline’s suitcase.

There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.

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Sabrina Goains

Marketing Intern

I graduated from UIW as a student athlete in May of 2022, with a BBA in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. I’m also a recipient of the Texas Business Hall of Fame (TBHF) award for 2022 at UIW. I primarily work with digital advertising, media buying, social media, event coordination and anything 1797 Creative needs help with.

What stands in the way becomes the way.

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Alejandra Landaluce Lacambra

Digital Marketing Assistant

Born and raised in Spain, Alejandra came to San Antonio 7 years ago to continue her college studies while playing tennis for the university. Graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word with a Bachelor in International Business and Marketing, and an MBA in Marketing and Sports Management, she wants to pursue a marketing career.

“You will be defined not just by what you achieve, but by how you survive.”

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Cynthia Castro

HR and Accounting Director

Cindy has worked in banking for over 25 years and was also an educator who taught physics and biology. Cindy is dedicated to perfecting the billing process and loves to go around the group with her funny stories. Cindy’s favorite pastime is finding things of great value by shopping estate sales, thrift stores, and antique stores and she is quite successful doing it. She once paid $10 for a brand new Louis Vuitton at a garage sale for $10 and it had the authenticated papers inside. Value: $2,500. These types of treasures seem to fall in her lap, and so every weekend she’s on the hunt for that treasure to top the last hunt!

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

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Alexis Contreras

Web & Graphic Designer

Multi principled designer from Texas State University, who started her career as a freelance designer. Currently works with editing websites and creative briefs dealing with advertising and other avenues of communication our clients seek out here at 1797 Creative.

How's it feel to be at the center of magic, to linger in tones and words?