Built for good.
FiveStone is a strategy and branding agency that amplifies your organization’s positive impact.
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
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.
Read moreBrand 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.
Read moreNarrative 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.
Read moreLeading 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.
Read moreWhat our clients are saying
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
“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
“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
"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
The FiveStone team is now part of Whiteboard.
Since 2001, we have worked with some of the most courageous organizations on the planet. We've walked alongside these organizations by offering strategy, branding, and campaigns to bring about positive change in the world.
As we think about how we might continue to live out our mission—“amplifying positive impact”—over the years ahead, we are excited to announce that we are joining forces with Whiteboard.
Whiteboard is an award-winning creative agency and Certified B-Corp. Like FiveStone, they believe in the power of Design to make the world a better place. It is clear to us that by bringing together the power of our strategic focus with their strong digital offering, we can truly build—as Whiteboard says—”the world that ought to be.”
We are thrilled to join Whiteboard and cannot wait to bring Whiteboard’s full suite of services and offerings to all our partners.
See more about Whiteboard here or visit the archived FiveStone site here.