Meet Our Team - AR Workshop Franchising

Meet The leadership team

Meet Maureen (Anders) and Adria (Ruff). These two are the designers behind the 2010 design company Anders Ruff®, a popular graphic design, party styling, DIY blog and online shop. Anders Ruff® quickly evolved from an Etsy shop, to their own branded e-commerce platform and blog where thousands would visit and shop their online store for printable party goodies. They coined the blog column, “Ruff Draft”, which was a source of DIY inspiration and ideas for many years. 6 years later and many creative ideas completed, these two had demands from fans and clients to offer hands-on workshops where they could teach their skills to others. Their dream of coming out from behind the screen to offer DIY workshops for home decor and other creative skills came true! The vision was to create an inspiring and charming boutique workshop that not only offers classes but sells unique and beautiful retail items that Maureen and Adria use in their styling jobs and photoshoots for magazines and celebrities! AR Workshop® was born! Their DIY loving audience quickly noticed the AR Workshop® brand and concept, and started asking to open their own locations. Now here we are, over 3 years later with more than 150 franchise locations across the country

The AR Workshop Team

Maureen Anders

CEO/Founder

Maureen works hARd by getting involved in every aspect of our business to ensure we grow as the best DIY workshop experience! She plays hARd by entertaining friends, decorating her home, baking and gardening!

Adria Ruff

Co-founder / Creative Director

Adria works hARd by creating fresh and on-trend designs and projects and taking AR to the next level. She plays hARd by hosting parties, playing with her many pups and enjoying a glass of wine!

Libby Martels

VP of Customer Experience

Libby works hARd by being the best "Shop Mom" possible for the flagship store and training new owners. She plays hARd by learning new things outside of the workshop to help keep her balanced, fresh and never frozen!

Kasey Wright

VP of Franchise Development

Kasey works hARd by guiding prospective owners through the discovery process to becoming a Franchisee! She plays hARd by spending time on the lake with her family, on the fields cheering on her kids and entertaining her friends.

Ryann Fairweather

VP Business Development

Ryann (aka the Data Queen) works hARd to help our franchisees see their full potential & learn from each other. She plays hARd by traveling and is always up for an outdoor adventure with friends and family!

Kellie Smith

Operations and IT Manager

Kellie works hARd to onboard all new franchisees and supports them through all technical aspects of the business. She plays hARd by adventuring outdoors, traveling to new places and reading with a cocktail in her hammock.

Jillian Russel

Franchisee Operation Manager

Jillian works hARd by helping new Franchisees get off to their best start! She plays hARd by enjoying time with her new baby and family and trying new homemade recipes each week.

Melissa Bowen

Design and graphic assistant

Melissa works hARd by producing impactful graphics that move our brand forward! She plays hARd by playing with her dog Lulu and baking sweet treats!

Hannah Sessoms

Marketing Coordinator

Hannah works hARd to provide fresh creative content and email marketing for our workshops and franchisees. She plays hARd by paddle boarding, playing with her pug, Phoebe and meeting new people.

Emily Ostrowski

Director of Brand Partnerships

Emily works hARd by driving brand awareness through strategic partnerships and collaborations with brands! She plays hARd by spending time with her family and playing tennis.