Openbox Design Studio

When I met its founder, Openbox was a partner-led social impact investment firm with a portfolio of startups and social enterprises. I was hired to rethink their portfolio strategy and determine whether it made sense for them to build out a new business vertical that offered strategic design and management consulting services as a full-service design studio. Together, we discovered that the opportunity was larger than that.

Fifteen Months Later

I was initially hired to spend three months working with Openbox founder Marquise Stillwell to understand the existing impact investment business and the opportunity he envisioned in expanding their services. I also evaluated whether there was a strong opportunity for successful market positioning and entry starting with its existing portfolio.

I then spent the following year working closely with Stillwell to restructure the company from the ground up, embracing a new design-driven philosophy and enhanced set of capabilities. By the end of 2013, Openbox had adopted the new brand and service model centered on design for impact as part of its primary identity alongside impact investing.

As a further testament to our work, Openbox has since moved entirely away from impact investing and fully embraced its core identity as a research and design studio working at the intersection of people, cities, and planet.

The Lowline Young Designers Program

The Lowline was an ambitious effort to build an underground park in an unused Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal. While at Openbox, I served as an advisor for the Lowline’s Young Designers Program on content, outreach, fundraising, and exhibition strategy.

I also helped with visual documentation and produced and edited audio interviews for a sound installation for the Lowline Young Designers exhibition held at the Mark Miller Gallery in the Lower East Side.

Team:

  • Eli Rosenbloom

  • Davey Baron

  • Garance Choko

  • Deepthi Welaratna

The Haiti Report

In the chaotic wake of the Haiti earthquake, an inspiring collaboration between a Haitian grassroots group and a NY-based tech nonprofit defied the odds. While spearheading its relaunch, I led an impact evaluation for Digital Democracy investor Openbox to understand the how and why of their success as a potent lesson for the field.

The Digital Democracy-KOFAVIV partnership focused on low-cost, high impact solutions such as replacing a damaged data reporting system and adding a 24-hour national hotline. We developed a toolkit of new methods for the agency to analyze the partnership and its value.

Launched at the Clinton Global Initiative, the Haiti Report provided a blueprint for innovative problem-solving on a global stage and helped reposition Openbox as not only an impact investor but as a global design for impact agency of note.

Team:

  • Garance Choko

  • Eli Rosenbloom

  • Deepthi Welaratna

Randi Zinn

In 2012, Randi Zinn was the author of a newly established lifestyle blog for NYC moms who was at the start of her journey to grow her brand and business.

While at Openbox, I assisted Randi Zinn with developing the long-term vision for her brand and company. I helped her launch her first website, develop a social media strategy, and build a team designed to help her meet her goals.

Team:

  • Maria Arrington

  • Jason Linzer

  • Eli Rosenbloom

  • Deepthi Welaratna

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