Photo by Zach Bauman

Since 2015, Banjo Creative has been rooted in the belief that strong stories don’t just inform. They anchor people to place, purpose, and one another.

Meet Rachel Krause

Owner & Founder

Rachel Krause is a community centered communications strategist who uses storytelling to help people connect, organize, and build stronger communities.

She got her start at the Missouri School of Journalism, where she developed a strong foundation in listening closely and asking thoughtful questions. Since then, she has worked across nonprofits, public agencies, newsrooms, and advocacy organizations, supporting everything from small community groups to large institutions in roles that blend strategy, design, and storytelling.

Her work has been recognized by Nonprofit Connect and has received awards for graphic design, websites, and marketing campaigns.

In her spare time, Rachel is the organizer of the Oddball Hoedown, a queer-centered, gender-inclusive folk dance event based in Kansas City that brings people together through live traditional music, dance, and community. The event was featured by KCUR; and in 2025, received a Rocket Grants project award, a program of the Charlotte Street Foundation and the Spencer Museum of Art.

Photo by Zach Bauman

“Vision Zero Network has collaborated with Banjo Creative on several major design projects, and she’s delivered magnificently on all of them. I can’t say
enough about how much we’ve appreciated and benefited from Rachel’s work.”
— LEAH SHAHUM | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VISION ZERO NETWORK

Sector and Subject Matter Expertise

  • Making complex planning and infrastructure work easier to understand, navigate, and connect to the people it impacts.

  • Designing communications and engagement strategies that invite people into public processes and make participation feel more accessible.

  • Helping community-focused organizations build a compelling story around equitable access, local investment, and neighborhood vitality.

  • Turning research, programs, and public health priorities into communications that are useful, human, and easy to act on.

  • Bringing storytelling, design, and audience development together to celebrate the people and traditions that keep culture alive.

Who We’ve Worked With

Clients, employers, and project partners

  • Black & Veatch

  • Mid-America Regional Council

  • BikeWalkKC

  • Vision Zero Network

  • Propel ATL

  • Missourians for Responsible Transportation

  • Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas

  • The Beacon

  • Hoxie Collective

  • Heartland Center for Jobs & Freedom

  • Missouri Folk Arts

  • Local Motion

  • Columinate

  • California Bicycle Coalition

  • Community Health Council of Wyandotte County

  • True/False Film Fest

  • Friends of the Kaw

  • Tuff Growth

  • Urban Hikes Kansas City

  • Argentine Betterment Corporation

  • Dotte Agency

“We love working with Banjo Creative. Rachel is strategic and makes it extremely easy to collaborate. She’s helped us deliver incredible content marketing results and we’re lucky to call her a partner.”
— Ellen Jantsch | Founder and Growth Marketer, Tuff Growth