How I Built Action Lab NY's Brand, Digital Presence, and First Campaign from Zero
From brand guide to website redesign — and launching the Take A Breath residency campaign end-to-end — building the digital foundation for a fledgling organization committed to sustaining organizers and driving social change.
Introduction:
Action Lab NY is a nonprofit committed to empowering grassroots activism and driving social and political change — fostering spaces for rejuvenation, community-building, learning, innovation, and courageous action. When I joined, the organization was just beginning to find its footing digitally. There was no social media strategy, no brand identity, no clarity on which platforms to prioritize — and a growing program portfolio that needed to be communicated to the world.
I came in at the very beginning — not to optimize an existing system, but to build one from scratch. That meant starting where every organization should: identity first, then infrastructure, then campaigns.
Background:
Action Lab NY fosters interdisciplinary spaces where organizers, artists, cultural workers, and community leaders can reconnect with purpose, build collective strength, and move forward with clarity. Their work spans leadership development, residency programs, learning initiatives, and grassroots coalition building — all rooted in a vision of racial and economic justice.
At the time of our engagement, the organization had strong programmatic work on the ground — but no digital presence to match. No brand guide, no defined platform strategy, no content calendar, and no communications infrastructure to support the launch of new programs. The opportunity was wide open — and the need was urgent.
The challenge + Objectives :
As a fledgling organization stepping into the digital space for the first time, Action Lab NY needed to accomplish several things simultaneously: build a brand identity from zero; determine which platforms to invest in, given limited capacity; launch an active social media presence; redesign the website into a functional digital home; and launch the Take A Breath residency campaign with all creative assets managed end to end.
Strategy and Implementation
Brand foundation: Identity before everything
Before a single post was published, Action Lab NY needed to know what it looked like and sounded like. I built a full brand guide and kit — establishing visual identity, tone of voice, color palette, typography, and design standards across every platform. From there, I made strategic platform decisions, identifying where the organization's audience actually lived online and focusing limited capacity where it would have the most impact: Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Website redesign: A digital home that matched the mission
I led Action Lab NY through a full website redesign — creating a user-friendly, visually compelling hub that communicated the organization's mission, programs, and values. The revamped site featured intuitive navigation, compelling storytelling, and clear calls to action that guided visitors from curiosity to engagement, all aligned with the brand identity established in the guide.
Social media & content strategy: Building a community from zero
With brand and website in place, I developed and executed a comprehensive content strategy across all platforms — translating retreats, fellowships, and learning initiatives into content that resonated with organizers, artists, and community leaders. Social media followers and engagement grew by 60%, building an active online community that amplified the mission well beyond the existing network.
Campaign Spotlight — Take A Breath Residency Launch
Take A Breath is a week-long residency for organizers, artists, and cultural workers to pause, reflect, and recharge — hosted at The Action Lab's 16-acre retreat center in Ossining, NY.
I managed the full launch campaign end-to-end — developing the complete creative suite, all design assets, graphics, and promotional materials. Beyond the design work, I personally connected with every individual recipient to gather their bios and information for promotional materials — a detail-oriented, relationship-driven process that ensured each participant felt seen and represented in the campaign. The result was a cohesive, professional launch that established Take A Breath as a credible program and set the standard for how Action Lab NY would communicate future initiatives.
Results & Impact
60% increase in social media followers and engagement
Take A Breath residency campaign launched end-to-end — now having served 200+ participants
Results & Impact
LinkedIn platform launched
A 133.3% growth rate. Unique visitors up 214.3%, search appearances up 42.3%, and post impressions up 90.4%.
Reach grew by 72.4% in the final week of the three months, signaling strong momentum heading into the next phase.
Facebook Page reach grew 100% over a 3-month period
twitter/ x
Tweet impressions surged 732.8% in the final 28-day period of the contract, with profile visits up 113.9% and 14 new followers added. Top-performing posts hit engagement rates of 12.5% and 14.3% — well above industry average
100+ graphics and 20+ Instagram and Facebook stories
Conclusion
Action Lab NY came to me with powerful programming and no digital infrastructure to support it. What we built together — the brand guide, the platform strategy, the website, the social media presence, and the Take A Breath launch campaign — gave the organization the tools to show up consistently and professionally in the digital spaces where their audience already lived.
The 60% growth in engagement was meaningful. But the more significant outcome was organizational: Action Lab NY now had a brand identity to build on, a content strategy that reflected their mission, and a campaign launch that proved what was possible when communications and programming worked together.
The foundation was set. The work could begin. And it has — with more than 200 organizers, artists, and cultural workers now having passed through Take A Breath.
