Skip to content

Meet the team.

Our award winning audio team is packed with seasoned industry professionals, boasting over a century of combined experience. Each member brings a unique set of skills and fresh perspectives to the table, creating a powerhouse of audio expertise. Passionate about sound and ready to make an impact? We’re always excited to meet new talent—if that’s you, let’s connect!


Audio Branding, Sonic Strategy

Round Profile

Charles Balderston - Founder, Sonic Strategy

Charles is a seasoned product sound designer with over 20 years of experience in sound design, soundscape analysis, and interactive audio. With roots in music production and songwriting, he developed a human-centered approach that balances functionality with emotional resonance. Drawing from his expertise in research and UX design, Charles has collaborated with leading brands such as Lyft, Microsoft, Scotiabank, and Chefman to create innovative audio solutions that leave a lasting impact.

Brians profile

Brian Ostreicher - Audio Branding, Sound Designer

Brian is an award-winning audio creative leader with over 20 years of experience in music, sound design, audio advertising, branding, and strategy. He has crafted sound for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Meta, Samsung, Disney, and Coca-Cola. Brian’s work is driven by his belief in the power of audio to amplify the human experience and create meaningful connections through sound.


Audio UX, Product Sound Design

Gian Profile

Gian Torri - Audio UX, Product Sound Designer

Gian is a UX and interaction sound designer who creates immersive auditory experiences for apps, products, and devices. He has collaborated with industry leaders like Philips in the medical space and designed mobile notification tones featured by Apple. With a background as a live drummer and music producer, Gian’s work is fueled by his passion for crafting meaningful sonic environments that seamlessly connect the digital and physical worlds.

Lucas profile

Lucas Lacerda - Audio UX, Product Sound Design

Lucas Lacerda is a designer with expertise in Industrial Design and Product Sound Design, backed by over 20 years in the UX industry and a Master’s degree in music and innovation. He combines design research, soundscape analysis, and a deep understanding of audio’s role in user experiences. When Lucas isn’t enhancing user interactions, he’s either in the studio recording music or building guitars by hand in his workshop.


Game Audio, Technical Sound Design

Pauline Profile

Pauline Freche - Senior Sound Designer

Pauline is a Senior Sound Designer specializing in video games, with over ten years of experience creating immersive audio for genres like casual games, racing, and FPS titles. She began her career at Gameloft Montreal, where she spent five and a half years mastering audio integration with tools like Unreal Engine and Wwise as well as Unity.
Later, she joined Reflector, dedicating three years to crafting soundscapes for an action-adventure game Unknown 9 : AWAKENING. Known for her collaborative approach, Pauline excels in cross-disciplinary teamwork. Passionate about audio’s role in gaming, she continually innovates to create soundscapes that enhance player immersion and elevate the gaming experience.

Jiahui Profile

Jiahui Li - Sound Designer, Technichal Sound Designer

Jiahui Li is a Vancouver-based technical sound designer specializing in game audio, sonic branding, and advanced audio technologies. Her portfolio includes award-winning film scores, Unity games, and projects like Nocturnes with cellist Sophia Bacelar. Jiahui’s expertise in game sound design, Wwise, and spatial audio enables her to create immersive soundscapes. She has worked with brands like BYD Auto and FORD, delivering audio solutions that enhance storytelling and elevate user experiences.

Emily Priofile 2

Emily Hesler- Technical Sound Designer, VO Designer

Emily is a sound designer and recordist who excels in VO, spatial audio mixing, field recording, and music composition. She blends her passion for nature and sound to craft authentic audio experiences for video games and media. Her work includes VO design for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, an Editor’s Choice immersive audio app, and music for indie projects. As a volunteer with Quiet Parks International, Emily is devoted to preserving the sounds of the natural world.

Amanda Profile 2

Amanda Laven- Composer, Sound Design

Amanda Laven is a composer and sound designer who transforms stylistic inspirations into original scores for video games and other media. With a Master’s degree in Music Composition focused on scoring for linear and interactive media from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Amanda’s expertise spans indie to AAA games, where she has worked as an audio test lead, composer, sound designer, and technical sound designer. She is passionate about using the power of sound and music to tell compelling stories and evoke deep emotional connections.


Audio Post Production, Mixing

Matt

Matt Searle - Audio Director, Audio Post Producer

Matt is a creative leader with 19 years of experience in audio production and team management. His career began in the music industry, where he managed a studio and mentored interns. Later, he led a multimillion-dollar audio production facility, guiding students in their craft. At Apple, Matt has spent eight years driving audio production, with the last four as lead video producer. His expertise spans production, mentorship, and vendor management, making him a dynamic force in creative environments.

Ryan

Ryan Birnberg - Sound Editor, Sound Designer

Ryan Birnberg is an award-nominated sound designer and Director’s Guild of Canada member with over a decade of experience in film, television, and music. He specializes in on-set audio, music composition, and post-production sound design, blending technical precision with creative storytelling. Ryan’s collaborative approach and innovative soundscapes consistently push boundaries, elevating narratives across diverse genres and mediums.


Meet our Partners.

What good is great design if it doesn't work? To guarantee our audio experiences are making the most impact we have partnered with industry leading teams in research to give us unbiased and objective feedback for our clients. Science!

Emotisphere 1

EmotiSphere - Audio Research and Market Strategy

Great sound doesn’t happen by accident—it’s crafted with intention and guided by insights into how people feel and respond. EmotiSphere Insights brings science to the sound design process, providing objective, research-backed data that empowers brands to make more informed, confident decisions. From testing sonic logos to fine-tuning UX/UI sounds, their expertise ensures that every sonic element aligns with your brand’s architecture AND your audience’s emotions to drive measurable results.