Corporate Brand Maturity from Startup Incubator to Product-Led Innovation Leader
Snapshot
Drove 1871 Corporate Brand Maturity from Startup Incubator to Product-Led Innovation Leader (2019 - 2025): Shaping Brand Identity, Creative, Storytelling, and Partnerships to Disrupt the Innovation Market and Build Community
My Role & Leadership
I led 1871’s full-scale brand transformation, evolving it from a startup incubator into a premier innovation hub. My leadership spanned:
Creative Direction & Execution: Defined and implemented brand identity, messaging, and design systems across digital and physical platforms.
Omnichannel Brand Strategy: Built a cohesive brand presence across web, platform, app, social, email, and events.
Audience Segmentation & Personalization: Applied Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) methodology to develop messaging tailored to early-stage startups, growth-stage founders, corporate partners, and investors.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Partnered with CEO, CPO, CXO, and senior teams to align brand evolution with business growth, product innovation, and membership expansion.
SaaS Product & Digital Experience: Designed UI/UX strategy, platform branding, and creative execution for web, SaaS tools, member portals, and digital products.
Marketing & Content System Development: Built scalable content frameworks, email segmentation strategies, and automation systems to drive engagement and retention.
Key Results & Impact
📈 Led 1871’s brand evolution across four iterations (2.0 → 3.0 → 4.0)
📈 430% social media growth (LinkedIn: 15K → 78K), tripled web traffic, and optimized audience engagement
📈 15x sponsorship revenue increase, expanded membership from 500 to thousands, and boosted program applications by 40%
📈 Developed a scalable omnichannel creative system spanning web, platform, app, content, and digital marketing
📈 Created a cohesive brand experience across digital products, physical branding, and event experiences
Challenge
❌ Brand Disconnect – 1871’s external perception didn’t match its evolving business model and prestige.
❌ Fragmented Audience Messaging – Needed to transition from one-size-fits-all messaging to a segmented brand strategy.
❌ Lack of Digital Cohesion – Inconsistent branding across website, social, email, SaaS products, platform, and app.
❌ Unoptimized Content & Design Strategy – No structured approach for storytelling, brand experience, or conversion-focused content.
❌ Event & Platform Experience Gaps – Needed stronger UX/UI and engagement touchpoints across digital and in-person interactions.
Approach & Execution
✅ Built a unified brand identity to reflect 1871’s multi-stage innovation ecosystem.
✅ Redesigned website, platform, and app to create a seamless brand experience.
✅ Developed audience segmentation & personalization using JTBD framework to refine messaging.
✅ Launched scalable creative systems for content, branding, and digital execution.
✅ Standardized branding across all channels to drive consistency and scalability.
Growth & Iteration
2019: Foundation – Early-stage incubator branding
2020: Expansion – Digital-first rebrand to support virtual engagement
2021: Segmentation – Implemented Jobs-to-Be-Done framework for audience-specific content
2022: Industry Integration – Brought Hub88 & Catapult under the 1871 umbrella
2023: Market Positioning – Elevated 1871’s reputation as Chicago’s premier innovation hub
2024: Digital Optimization – Finalized new member portal, SaaS branding, and audience UX strategy
