About Vael
Meet the Team
We're operators, strategists, and creatives who've built and scaled brands at the world's most innovative companies.
Brian Hughes
Co-Founder & CEO
Former GM at Hims & Hers, where he led growth initiatives reaching millions of customers. Led business strategy for Spotify's Music Product. Ran Uber's Northeast and Midwest multi-billion dollar rideshare business after launching and scaling markets. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a graduate of West Point, bringing both strategic rigor and operational excellence to every client engagement.
Chris McDonald
Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer
An accomplished audio engineer turned creative strategist, Chris has shaped the sound and vision of some of the world's most innovative music and media companies. His experience spans scaling sales Epidemic Sound, Artlist, and UnitedMasters, giving him unique insight into how creative content scales while maintaining quality and authenticity. He's the quiet visionary, always drumming up the next big idea...usually in the shower.
Our Story
Why we started Vael
After years of building and scaling consumer brands at rapidly growing companies like Uber, Spotify, and Artlist, we saw a consistent pain point: getting high-quality creative at the pace modern brands need.
Traditional agencies are slow and expensive. Freelance marketplaces are inconsistent. In-house teams can't always keep up with demand. And while AI tools have exploded, they often produce generic, off-brand content that still requires significant human refinement.
We founded Vael to bridge this gap. We combine the efficiency of AI with the taste and judgment of experienced creative directors. Every piece of content is generated using your brand assets, then curated by humans who understand what great looks like. We lead with technology while centering on the human.
“Premium creative at startup speed. Content that's on-brand, performance-ready, and delivered faster than you thought possible.”
Ready to see how we can help your brand? Explore our services and packages.
Let's build something great together
Ready to see how Vael can transform your creative workflow? Book a discovery call and let's explore what's possible.