October 2, 2026, ATLANTA – Agency veteran Henry Riggall is joining Chalkboard Ventures, the parent of Trade School and 22squared as Chief Growth Officer. Reporting directly to Chalkboard Ventures CEO Genna Franconi, Riggall will lead the independent agencies’ growth strategy, client expansion and capability development. He replaces Christy Cross, who left the agency earlier this year.
Chalkboard Ventures’ 100% employee-owned portfolio includes Trade School, a modern creative agency built to deliver ideas that endure, and 22squared, a full-service media agency.
“From our first conversation, Henry shared our vision for an agency model that combines the agility and entrepreneurial spirit of an independent agency with the robust offering of a network,” said Franconi. “We are excited to have Henry leading our new business engine and showcasing our integrated offering to fuel our agency’s expansion.”
Prior to joining Chalkboard Ventures, Riggall served as EVP, Growth and Partnerships at Omnicom’s Merkley+Partners, having previously led New Business teams across holding company agencies including JWT, Wunderman Thompson (now VML), Havas and Elephant. He also launched Single & Fat, a non-GMO olive oil in the US and UK.
“Genna and the Chalkboard Ventures leadership team are building a different kind of agency model, and that’s what drew me here,” said Riggall. “In such a fragmented media landscape, clients are increasingly looking for agility and the ability to connect brand love with business results. Trade School and 22squared have the independence to connect audience-first strategy, bold creative and advanced analytics in ways that can make a real difference for clients.”
Riggall is Chalkboard Ventures’ second major leadership hire this year. In June, Trade School named Justin Bilicki Chief Creative Officer, reinforcing its role as Chalkboard Ventures’ full-service creative hub as sister agency 22squared evolves into a full-service media agency. Bilicki leads Trade School’s nearly 40-person creative and production team, serving clients including The Home Depot and Baskin-Robbins.
Founded in 1922 and with more than 350 employees, the sister agencies currently work with industry-leading clients such as The Home Depot, Grammarly, Southeast Toyota, Baskin-Robbins, and Old Castle APG.
