Founded by Dhaval Bhatt and Joel Holtby in 2022, Courage is a fully independent, owner operated creative agency that exists for one reason—to help people and brands find their courage.
Because we believe Courage can make you do amazing things.
Our Vision
Courage is a self-fulfilling, one-word business model.
Leadership
Dhaval
Bhatt
Chief Creative Officer, Co‑Founder
Born and raised in Mumbai, Dhaval has spent the last 2 decades steering some of the biggest brands on the planet, at top tier agencies in Canada. His work has been consistently awarded at every major international show, including Cannes Lion, D&AD, One Show, Clio, LIA, and many more. In 2022, Dhaval went after his lifelong dream of starting an agency and appropriately named it, Courage.
Joel
Holtby
Chief Creative Officer, Co‑Founder
Joel is way too humble to tell you this, but he has been recognized as one of North America’s top advertising talents and has been a regular feature in Strategy’s top creative report card. He was named the “Number 1 Art Director in Canada” by Strategy and a “Creative Director of the Year” by AdAge. Joel’s work has driven enduring business results, earning multiple Effies and Effectiveness Lions for brands such as Molson Coors, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, KFC and IKEA.
Niki
Sahni
President & Partner
Born in Ottawa, Niki moved to Toronto to fulfill her marketing dreams after four years in Management at McGill University, where she learned how to flawlessly order a café au lait in French. Today, she serves as the president and partner at Courage. Taking her cues from leadership heroes like Jean Luc Picard and Kermit the Frog, she’s been called “cool, calm, and collected” by clients, which have included Diageo (Johnnie Walker, Grand Marnier, Tanqueray, Cirôc), Bacardi, Bud Light, Molson Coors, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, CIBC, Scotiabank and KFC.
Tom
Kenny
Chief Strategy Officer & Partner
With over 20 years of ad experience, Tom Kenny is CSO and partner at Courage Inc. as well as one of Canada's top-ranked strategists. He has helped shape internationally recognized campaigns for renowned brands like KFC, Dove, P&G, GM, Mars, and many more, establishing him as a driving force behind innovative work that blend creativity and efficacy. As an industry thought leader, his insights have been featured in Muse, Fast Company, and Globe and Mail.
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