Award-winning CEO Catherine Lang-Cline, ’88, leveraged her 15-year career in creative marketing to build Portfolio Creative, a niche recruiting and staffing company exclusive to roles in marketing.
Combining her marketing expertise with her love for problem-solving for the last 20 years as co-founder and CEO, Lang-Cline has earned numerous awards. Columbus Business First named her “Most Admired CEO” for three consecutive years, Smart Business recognized her as a top executive of the 50 smartest companies in the Central Ohio region for four years, and Smart Business awarded her the “Smart Woman – Progressive Entrepreneur Award,” to name a few. Portfolio Creative was also recognized as an Inc 500/5000 Fastest-Growing Privately-Owned Company from 2010 to 2014.
Lang-Cline’s successful entrepreneurial leadership, extending her knowledge in creative marketing to match talented professionals with businesses around the world, is why she is the 2024 recipient of the NIU Alumni Association Alumni Achievement in the Arts Award.
Entrepreneurship and human resources were never in Lang-Cline’s career plans. From an early age, after an elementary school teacher recognized her artistic potential, she consistently wanted to pursue a career in art.
The eldest daughter of five children, Lang-Cline was the first in her family to attend college. NIU emerged as the ideal choice based on its Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, proximity to her hometown of McHenry, Illinois, and its value. At NIU, she was introduced to graphic design, and her coursework positioned her as a competitive candidate in a field that was just beginning to embrace digital design tools.
For 15 years following graduation, Lang-Cline worked as a graphic designer, both as an employee and freelancer, for companies ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. She brought her innovative vision and design, strategic mindset, and proven track record in creating high-value business models to businesses in consumer products and services, financial services, and technology.
It wasn’t until she met her business partner, Kristen Harris, that the idea for Portfolio Creative emerged.
“Because I freelanced on and off throughout my career, the idea came up to try to connect marketing professionals like me with clients like Kristen,” said Lang-Cline. “I viewed it as a spin on freelancing, and it gave me a new challenge that, at the time, I didn’t realize I needed. Looking back, I had the tools, I just needed to leap.”
Lang-Cline says the most rewarding aspect of her work is problem-solving, and she began developing those fundamental skills while at NIU.
“NIU expanded my curiosity and interests,” she said. “Although my heart is rooted in art, NIU helped me to understand various career possibilities within the field.”
As a student, Lang-Cline started her days passing by Altgeld Hall and through the courtyard on her way to the art building. She remembers the beautiful walk setting a peaceful tone to her day. While most of her time was spent in the School of Art and Design, Lang-Cline also worked at the Northern Star, manually assembling columns for the latest addition; she also waited tables at Pizza Hut. Lang-Cline credits those experiences, along with her education and exceptional professors, for providing her with valuable skills for her future.
Today, she brings those skills to Portfolio Creative, blending creativity with business acumen and focusing on innovative approaches to achieve success. She has also shared her expertise as a member of the board of trustees for the Greater Columbus Arts Council, advisory board member to the American Red Cross, board member and president to the National Association of Women Business Owners – Columbus, and as a spokesperson for the American Staffing Association, to name a few. She is also a recipient of the Deloitte Board Ready Women certification.
“I find fulfillment in mentoring others, serving on boards, and sharing my experiences,” said Lang-Cline. “Integrating creative thinking with strategic business principles has been critical to my entrepreneurial journey. My proudest accomplishment, aside from raising my exceptional daughter, is establishing a successful business, and it’s rewarding to offer my connections, showmanship, and marketing skills to other organizations.”
In addition to her leadership at Portfolio Creative, Lang-Cline is the principal owner of Catherine Lang-Cline, LLC, which helps business owners and leaders integrate their creative left brains more prominently into the fold.
“Innovation can only happen with creativity, and growth can only occur with great marketing,” she said.
She is also a thought leader and public speaker with past engagements at Ohio State University, The American Staffing Association, the WSBA Women’s Leadership Conference, and was the keynote speaker of the Women’s Conference at The OSU Fisher School of Business. Host of the Illumination Bureau and The Secret Art of Business podcasts, Lang-Cline inspires and informs listeners on entrepreneurship, strategy, marketing, human resources, and culture-building topics.
Lang-Cline’s path far exceeds what she ever imagined, and receiving the Alumni Achievement in the Arts Award is a tremendous honor.
“Being included among this exceptional group of people is an honor that I do not take lightly,” she said. “This award not only recognizes my achievements and career path, which began at NIU, but it also underscores the profound impact that my NIU experience has had on my journey and validates the direction my life has taken. The creativity, curiosity, and continuous learning NIU sparked continues to stay lit, and because of that, I have challenged myself daily to learn more, reach farther, and be a little more fearless in life.”
