Knowledge alone isn’t enough. You have to do more than exist and hope.
The key to getting your audiences to connect, act, and share is telling stories with clarity and impact.
We have worked with brands across sectors to reveal and celebrate what makes them essential to their audiences and develop strategies to reach beyond expectations. We bring curiosity, collaboration, and creative spark to every challenge, whether it’s brand launches, market expansion or positioning for investment or acquisition.
We transform insight into action and momentum into results.
Stories in Action
Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism / VEZA
Built the model of cross-discipline collaboration, visual journalism mission, and earned-revenue strategy for a cross-border investigative journalism nonprofit outlet based in the U.S. but primarily covering vital issues in Africa.
STORY FOCUS
CCIJ’s mission is dedicated to improving the skills and marketable opportunities for local reporters and the lives of communities confronting vital, undercovered issues whose impact extends beyond borders by empowering local journalists and small news outlets with A-list support teams and tools to achieve greater impact for investigations through innovative journalistic practices, approaches to collaboration, and experimental publication and distribution models.
Increased Revenue & Membership 3x.
7 international awards
Created earned-revenue strategy and defined value proposition for fundraising and growth.
Conceived and led the development of the naming, editorial and brand strategy for a new publication platform, VEZA.
Developed project management systems and DAM structure and improved operational effectiveness that streamlined workflows across 11 time zones.
IMPACT
Developed the strategy and launch of an experimental XR publication; analysis of utility of and use cases for Web3 and immersive experiences.
Trained African journalists and nonprofit news outlets on visual journalism’s value proposition and visual storytelling skills.
“Scott’s entrepreneurial sensibility, experience and leadership showed up in his ability to identify new revenue opportunities and build pilot initiatives that we would bring to scale. He is willing to go into potentially challenging conversations with candor and respect. As a new non-profit leader, I learned from Scott in many areas. He gave fully of himself to each part of his diverse profile and committed wholeheartedly to helping to establish and build our community's culture.”
Jeff Kelly Lowenstein, Executive Director / Founder
Managed multiple functional areas of an innovative maritime transportation and logistics company providing luxury water transit to the public and consulting for public and private sector clients. Worked in the pre-seed stage and successfully positioned the startup for investment and sustainable growth.
Tideline Marine Group
STORY FOCUS
Tideline was dedicated to improving the quality and efficiency of engaging with the scale and scope of living in the Bay Area through the region’s premier maritime transportation service and strategic solutions-driven platform.
Created and streamlined brand identity, marketing, finance, and business development operations.
Positioned branding as a human-centered experience.
Created an interactive tool that projected operating expenses and maximized profits to inform sales strategies.
IMPACT
Devised and prepared corporate profile, market analysis, and forecasts of revenue verticals.
Led investor negotiations, preparation of company financial analysis, and 3-year revenue projections.
Successfully closed second round of investment.
“Scott has an uncanny ability to understand business processes, identify inefficiencies and implement re-engineered improvements. Moreover, his tactical, strategic, and analytical abilities are impactful.”
Wayne Markowitz, CFO
Developed the strategy for fundraising and business development for a nonprofit cross-media venture to educate, challenge, and inspire the next generation of innovators. Fearless Genius is based on Doug Menuez’s priceless, one-of-a-kind photographic archive, housed at Stanford University Libraries, that documented the geniuses and innovators of Silicon Valley’s digital revolution from 1985–2000.
Fearless Genius
STORY FOCUS
Fearless Genius’ mission is to turbocharge the next generation of innovators’ understanding of the challenges, skills, and sacrifices needed to create world-changing innovations by activating a one-of-a-kind archive of rare and insightful educational content that documents the lives, struggles, and triumphs of the greatest generation of innovators in human history.
IMPACT
Redeveloped and refined extensive business model, pitch material, and financial modeling.
Developed and led business development strategy.
Created targeted pitch decks for various investment and partnership opportunities.
Led collaborations on investment positioning and partnership development.
Secured strategic partnerships with major corporations.
“Scott was extremely calm and focused under pressure, never reactionary or impulsive, unlike Steve Jobs, with whom I spent three years documenting the brutal process of creating the NeXT Computer. Scott’s natural keen intelligence has been honed to a razor’s edge through his accomplishments and experiences as an entrepreneur and award-winning photojournalist.
Scott served as a valuable leader or quiet support player, as required, but was most impressive as a creative problem solver when things got scary. He aced pitch decks, financial projections, revenue, marketing, editorial and investment strategies as well as being an effective sounding board when I needed to work through ideas and challenges. As we built our project relationships with global brands, his asset as a disciplined strategic and tactical thinker came to the fore. His added-value was critical in securing the trust and engagement of our C-suite level partners.
I always learned from Scott and will always be grateful for his endurance, patience, and passion for the work.”
Doug Menuez, Founder
Developed the strategy for selling a successful commercial photography studio. Developed the positioning and value-proposition narrative, created the materials that showcased the studio’s assets, and guided ongoing iterations of a fundraising strategy designed to move a niche opportunity forward in a tough market.
Private Client
STORY FOCUS
SBR is an overperforming regional photography studio with extensive client database and strong ARR with plenty of upside opportunity for growth into new services, products, and markets.
IMPACT
Defined value proposition, positioning and acquisition strategy.
Created pitch decks from concept through to final product.
Ongoing consulting on individual investor relations and specific deal negotiation strategies.
“(Scott) brings a wide ranging experience spun with logic and anecdotes. In the end, he will help you craft a plan that makes sense to you, and to others. That’s what he’s done for me.”
Steve Silverman, Owner
Helped the organization tackle several gaps in their visual storytelling program which included elevating the quality of imagery across their marketing materials, clarifying copyright and licensing practices, designing a digital asset management system, streamlining archive intake and organization, and advising staff and member newsrooms on how to recognize and leverage the value of visual storytelling as a driver of sustainable local journalism.
Institute for Nonprofit News
IMPACT
Researched and proposed cost-effective, cloud-based digital asset management system including asset organization and hierarchy, filename taxonomy, intake strategy, and system for ongoing management.
Identified and commissioned a commercial photographer and managed shoot details including contract, payment, and usage terms for an advertising shoot.
Advised on how to work with copyrighted material and how to better understand and manage dynamics of image licensing concerns.
Advised and presented on the value of visual journalism as a key asset for news organizations.
“Scott's guidance was invaluable as the Institute for Nonprofit News sought to chart a cultural shift toward more visual storytelling. Time has passed, but we continue to apply the changes he developed with INN in our daily work.”
Sharene Azimi, Director of Communications
