Stanford Seed

Turning global impact into an identity.

Group of diverse people smiling at a Stanford Seed Network event on stage, some wearing scarves with Ghana's flag colors, standing behind a colorful sculpture and a large screen displaying 'Welcome 2025 Seed Global Summit'.
Group of women in red blazers standing in front of Stanford Graduate School of Business banners during a Seed program.
People writing on a blackboard with the title 'Stanford Seed Transformation Network'
Brian Lowery giving a presentation in front of an audience at Stanford Seed Graduate School of Business, with a red backdrop featuring the Stanford logo and text.

They needed a brand that moved as boldly as their mission, empowering entrepreneurs in emerging markets to shape the world.

Brand strategy
Advertising campaigns
Videography 
Sound + music design
Brand refresh
Ambient advertising
Icon development
Brand Architecture
Social Media Strategy
Photography
CopyWriting
Experiential Events
Website Prototype
Motion Design
Internal Brand Identity
Print Design
The Brief

Stanford Seed grew exponentially in only five years, offering even more programs and making an incredible impact around the world. They came to us to create a brand system that feels purposeful and human with a structure to sustain their rapid growth.

THE Challenge

Stanford Seed’s rapid growth led to siloed initiatives and undefined partnerships, which caused confusion for their various audiences. Their brand structure was lost. So off kilter in fact, that they were using off brand logos that were muddying the integrity of the Stanford brand which created inconsistencies and confusion all over the world.

A man in a black blazer and red shirt speaking into a microphone at a conference, standing in front of a large screen with a presentation, with attendees sitting at round tables, some taking photos or notes, in a well-lit conference room with chandeliers and banners for Stanford Seed.
A Stanford Seed student standing in front of a black banner with colorful interconnected Network graphics and the text 'Stanford Seed Transformation Network'. There are brightly lit Seed branded posters and banners in the background.
Two indigenous dancers in leopard print costumes performing with drums at a Stanford Seed Transformation Network event, with a black banner in the background displaying the event's name.
Multiple Seed Network badges with black lanyards laid out on a black surface, each badge displaying a person's name and their professional affiliation.
Printed brochure for Stanford Seed with summit of cohorts, including a booklet titled "MISSION" and a sheet with country codes and a quote about systemic impact, on a wooden surface.
A young woman wearing a black headscarf and red blazer smiles at an indoor Stanford Seed event, surrounded by others in similar attire.
Portrait of three students smiling, two standing and one sitting on a beige couch, in a lobby or hotel reception area with decorative vases on shelves and a striped blue and gray carpet for Stanford Seed.
A Stanford Seed student wearing glasses and a red patterned shirt sitting at a STP conference table, with other attendees in the background in Indonesia.
Portrait of a smiling man with glasses and a bald head in a green puffy jacket standing in lush green foliage for Stanford Seed. 
Our Approach

We brought structure and created guidelines zooming out and looking at their brand holistically instead of in segments. 

  • Built a simplified visual system designed for rapid growth 

  • Revamped their narrative so impact wasn’t just reported, it’s shown by weaving real stories with impressive data

  • Rolled out global templates and guidelines making the brand accessible to all team members

  • Provided a seamless rollout of these new processes, starting with the refresh of their Network communications, including their highly visible global events to excite the entire Seed community

Outdoor beach lounge area with colorful seating, palm trees, a view of the ocean, and a sign that says 'Stanford Seed.'
Portrait of a woman with long dark hair, wearing a black sleeveless top, sitting on a beige marble countertop in front of a plain off-white wall for Stanford Seed.
Woman in red blazer speaking into a microphone at a Stanford Seed event with banners in the background.
A couple at Stanford Seed Network event holding hands and walking through a colorful, illuminated archway with red carpet; other people are visible in the background.
A pink sofa with a black pillow on a sandy beach. Behind it is a green hedge with white handwritten text: 'change lives change organizations change the world'. To the left is a sculpture of the Seed Network Graphic and palm trees in the background.
A man in a red Stanford Seed shirt stands with a microphone in hand in a classroom, smiling and speaking to the audience. The audience members, wearing matching red Stanford shirts, are seated at tiered desks with nameplates engaging attentively.
A man DJing at a Stanford Seed Network event with a black background featuring the logo for Stanford Seed Transformation Network, which includes connected multi-colored graphics. 
The Result

Seed’s brand now has the infrastructure to carry their diverse and vibrant brand into another decade of growth by meeting new global audiences where they are. 

  • Launched a multi-phase ad campaign that increased applications for all programs by over 55% 

  • Created and updated 200+ templates and resources so the greater Seed community could represent the brand clearly and consistently

  • Template use has reduced rogue off brand design by 95%

  • Increased donor interaction by 70% with launch of interactive impact reports highlighting program participants improving the lives of people in their communities while growing their businesses

Grit & Growth Full Length
Grit & Growth Introduction
Grit & Growth Outro
Smartphone screen displaying a podcast titled "Grit & Growth" from Stanford Business, playing a segment called "Growing Internationally." The interface shows playback controls, progress bar, and sharing options.
Animation displaying Grit & Growth podcast design by Brand-ish LLC
Two women in red jackets engaged in a discussion at a conference table, with a red banner in the background that reads "CHANGE THE WORLD" and "CHANGE ORGANIZATIONS." for Stanford Seed.
An outdoor digital advertising billboard promoting a business-building program by Stanford Graduate School of Business, featuring a photo of three diverse people looking at a table, with texts about program outcomes and application details.
Group of diverse people posing with smiles and gestures at the Stanford Seed Transformation Network event, standing behind a colorful logo display.
Portrait for Stanford Seed: woman wearing a sheer black blouse with white embroidery and black wide-leg pants standing against a wooden wall.
Group of eleven people wearing red shirts with Stanford Seed Graduate School of Business logo, standing on red carpet in front of a red backdrop with Stanford logo, surrounded by potted yellow flowers, smiling and posing for a photo.
Two women in red blazers standing close together smiling in front of a red backdrop with the Stanford University logo and the text "Stanford Seed Graduate School of Business".
A woman with glasses writing on a blackboard with white markers, surrounded by people at a Stanford Seed event. The blackboard has a prompt 'What is the biggest impact' for a Stanford Seed Network interactive display.
A person in a red Stanford polo shirt and beige pants speaking into a microphone at a Stanford Seed Graduate School of Business event, with audience members seated at tables and banners in the background.

"Brand-ish has a rare gift for bringing complex concepts to life in beautiful, meaningful ways. They helped us redesign our visual identity while working within strict brand guidelines, a balance that's harder than it sounds. Their commitment to quality, thoughtfulness, and detail made them a perfect fit — and their genuine care for the work made them truly wonderful creative partners."

—Kendra Gladych, Associate Director, Communications & Program Delivery

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