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Built for good.

FiveStone is a strategy and branding agency that amplifies your organization’s positive impact.

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Design can change the world. After all, if great design can sell sweatpants and SUVs, then certainly it can make the world a better place. We live out this mission every day.

Since 2001, we’ve created strategy and branding for more than 300 courageous nonprofits, foundations, Fortune 500s, and startups. We’ve partnered with clients on global poverty efforts, national disaster relief, and education reform. Our work has taken us inside Kenyan schools and Houston prisons. We’ve traveled the world to tell stories of hope and changed lives.

Whether abroad or in our own backyard, we do it because we’re drawn toward making things that matter. And, in doing so, uplifting us all.

Ideas that shape our work

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Beliefs bring clarity.

Without a strong core belief system, directional decisions about brand, strategy, audience, and new products or services are difficult to navigate. We look at five components that make up a solid set of core beliefs.

Brand runs deep.

Today's audiences are more cynical and savvy than ever before. This leads to existing companies examining their values and startups choosing to wear their values on their sleeves. When you think about your brand, consider four key ways your audience is creating a perception about you.

Narrative beats story.

Good brands use story. Great brands use narrative. While stories are an important part of narrative, they will not get your brand far enough. Narrative acts as an overarching ideal that all your stories and brand efforts can live under to give your audience a deeper resonance with your organization.

Leading requires innovation.

Leading requires the ability to predict and create a desirable future. Of course, building a strategy that navigates the unknown is difficult. We believe in four key activities that provide both stability and direction for any organization wanting to move forward to an unknown future.

Leadership

We are strategists, creatives, and designers, each hardwired to leave the world better than we found it.

Kyser Thompson

President

As our fearless leader, Kyser oversees the incredible team and runs every facet of the agency.

He has spent his entire life around strategy, creative, and all things brand. He grew up sitting in creative brainstorms at his father's ad agency, helped build a brand called LesserEvil Snacks, and for over two decades, has partnered with blue chip organizations to wrestle complex challenges through market research, strategy, and innovation.

He considers his most complex challenge to be wrangling his three young kids with his wife – and explaining to people he's not Keyser Soze (though a great movie), nor does he like Kaiser rolls (too chewy).

Bonnie Zimmerman

Director of Strategy

An engineer and statistics nerd at heart, Bonnie brings a unique perspective to innovation and brand strategy. The robust coffee scene, incredible trail access and abundance of interesting conversations make Boulder, CO home. She spends her free time adventuring in the mountains with her husband and their two little ones.

Matt Bassett

Director of Design

Matt’s veteran experience lies at the intersection of strategy, UX, visual design and technology. His areas of focus and specialty include information architecture, design education, graphic and GUI design, applied to interactive media, mobile apps and task-based web applications. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, two sons and spends most of his free time amazed that he actually has some free time.

Katie Allee-Walsh

Director of Accounts

Katie has been managing brand, marketing, and advertising projects for the past 15 years. She lives in Boulder, CO but tries to get home to her native New Orleans as often as she can. You can often find her on a run, walking the dog, or checking out live music. She's been told she makes a pretty good gumbo too!

Jason Locy

Founder

In addition to starting FiveStone, Jason has co-authored two spiritual living books and authored a third book on the power of narrative to shape culture. Jason—along with his wife, four kids, and dog—lives in Brooklyn, where his southern gait often keeps him from making the train.

What our clients are saying

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Ormond Center

"FiveStone listened to us, asked us tough questions, and really understood our unique approach. Because of this they were able to distill what we did in a way that better communicated to our constituents without losing the meaning."

Josh Yates
Executive Director

SitusAMC

"FiveStone helped us define who we are and created a design ecosystem that enabled us to tell our story in a unique and impactful way."

Andy Garrett
Global Head of Marketing

Oberkotter Foundation

"The FiveStone work shaped the way we think about the activities of the foundation in new and unexpected ways and we continue to leverage the insights gained. The work has been invaluable and continues to pay dividends in framing how we carry out our mission."

Amy Newman
Associate Executive Director

Jeremy Lin

"The FiveStone team was phenomenal to work with. They did a great job of capturing the essence of our brand in a way we never were able to get down before. But, what really makes them unique is that they got our DNA."

Patricia Sun
CEO

Princeton Theological Seminary

"Our faculty, students, and alumni are all thrilled with the outcome and we are excited to continue our partnership with FiveStone in the next steps of our strategy."

Dr. Shane Berg
Vice President for External Relations

Princeton Theological seminary flag and building exterior

Spark

"FiveStone helped us identify something we couldn’t see on our own. The value they provided wasn’t only in the ideas, but in changing the way we thought about the problems we were tackling."

Sajan George
Founder

Many Hopes

“The brand is receiving grand reviews from our supporters. You did a majestic job for us and we're looking forward to sharing it with the world. But, more than that, to sharing it so that it motivates the world to do more good. Back slaps, head taps, and thank yous to the team.”

Thomas Keown
Founder & CEO

Bethany

“FiveStone cared about our organization and our campaign, but more importantly, they cared about our cause. It was clear from the passion they brought to the project that we were not just ‘another client."

Marc Andreas
Vice President of Marketing

NGLC

"FiveStone’s secret sauce is their deep capacity for listening to, and learning about, their clients. They hold a mad-scientist, future-learning orientation about branding and the digital landscape that always keeps us looking forward."

Andy Calkins
Director

Over the past two decades, we've provided deep strategic insight, thoughtful brand development, and creative campaigns to help grow a wide variety of world-class organizations