The Beginning: Starting with a Clear Vision

Saamra Mekuria-Grillo founded Kindred with a powerful purpose in mind. At an inflection and reflection point in her own career, Saamra realized that social capital had driven almost all of the opportunities in her life, from kindergarten to becoming an entrepreneur. She began learning and thinking about who has access to a group of supportive friends and colleagues and who doesn’t; and how those who are entering the workforce today — facing the slow recovery from a pandemic, a stagnant job market, and an epidemic of loneliness — can build the type of social capital that she benefited from herself.  

This gave rise to Kindred, an AI-powered network intelligence platform designed to support organizations in more effectively connecting alumni with each other, and with the organization, at scale. 

Saamra wanted to create positive change through the social impact organization, but she knew that to reach the right people, she needed a strong brand identity that would truly represent their mission. And, she needed to get it done under a time crunch.

Like many new organizations, Kindred faced the challenge of standing out in a busy world where many voices compete for attention. They needed to find their unique voice and create a brand that would connect with their community.

The Challenge: Finding the Perfect Brand Voice

As Saamra began to have promising conversations with potential program partners and investors, she recognized that she needed to build the company's public profile. She wanted to create an identity that would capture Kindred’s mission and values while also appealing to the people they hoped to serve. Saamra needed a partner who could understand the organization’s goals and help create a brand that would resonate with their audience.

The Turning Point: Finding the Right Partner

When Saamra and her Chief of Staff, Maggie Scott-Weathers, connected with Freedom to Launch in January, they found a team that specialized in helping social impact entrepreneurs bring their visions to life. “We were looking for support to develop our brand in a lightweight but still professional way, and Freedom to Launch came to us at exactly the right time.”

The kick-off meeting marked the beginning of a collaborative partnership. The Freedom to Launch team listened carefully to understand Kindred's mission and the team’s hopes for the brand.

The Work: Creating a Brand with Purpose

Over the following weeks, Freedom to Launch worked closely with Saamra and Maggie to develop Kindred's brand identity. The process was collaborative and thoughtful, with a focus on creating a brand that truly reflected Kindred's values.

The branding work centered on developing a strong identity that would help Kindred connect meaningfully with their community. Freedom to Launch helped translate Saamra's passion into visual and verbal elements that authentically represented Kindred’s mission.

The team worked together virtually, finding effective ways to collaborate and share ideas. Given that Freedom to Launch allows for unlimited revisions, the team at Kindred was able to make sure their feedback was truly heard. While many meetings might feel formal or stiff, the sessions between Kindred and Freedom to Launch were marked by genuine connection and shared purpose.

The Impact: A Foundation for Connection

With Freedom to Launch's help, Kindred developed a brand identity that truly embodied their mission and values. In addition to strategic branding work, Freedom to Launch supported building a new website for the organization so they could quickly showcase their work to potential partners and investors.

The branding process also provided a clear roadmap for how Kindred would present itself to the world. Each element of their brand identity was designed to help them connect more effectively with the people they aimed to serve.

The Journey Continues: Looking to the Future

As Kindred continues to grow, they're now better positioned to communicate their value and mission to the communities they serve.

The partnership with Freedom to Launch demonstrates how the right support at the right time can help social impact organizations find their authentic voice and create meaningful connections.

With a strong brand in place, Saamra and her team can now focus on the important work of fulfilling Kindred's mission, knowing they have the foundation they needed to inspire and engage their audience.

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