Be the Light:
Branding
Scope of Work
Creative Direction, Branding, Social Media & Team Management
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Year
2015 - 2025
Role
Nonprofit Founder, Creative Director
Collaborators
Board Members & Volunteers
Assets Created
Social Media Strategy & Graphics, Website Design, Event Design, Swag, Cards, Resource Handouts + More
Industry
Nonprofit, Mental Health
Audience
Caregivers & those struggling with their mental health
Creating a nonprofit from the ground up: creative direction & leadership
THE WORK
What started as a single outreach event in Atlanta in 2015 grew into a decade-long creative and organizational effort spanning 25+ events along the East Coast, hundreds of volunteers, and four classes of board members. Be the Light Campaign was founded to create resources and events that I wish I’d had - a way to bring back humanity, hope & compassion to those struggling with their mental health. I designed it all (the messaging strategy, visual identity, event materials, social content, and resources) with a creative and artistic style intentionally built to feel conversational rather than clinical.
Over time, analytics revealed our audience was overwhelmingly female, ages 25–40 and 50–65, many of them caregivers hungry for tools to help the people they loved. We leaned into that insight and shaped our messaging and resources accordingly. On the funding side, I developed pitch decks, led presentations, and secured over $27,000 from two donations alone, while also building out a drop-shipping merch strategy and supportive card sales to generate additional revenue and expand brand awareness.
THE CHALLENGE
Building Be the Light Campaign from the ground up meant navigating the unique pressures of nonprofit leadership with no budget and no paid staff. Keeping volunteer contributors engaged and accountable was a balancing act, and funding the organization fell on my shoulders, from finding opportunities to building the case and making the ask. All while designing the brand, creating resources, and showing up for a community that genuinely needed us.
Success Story
One of the most consistent pieces of feedback we received over the years was deeply human: "I didn't know what to say in the moment" and "I wish I could have done more." That stayed with me. In response, we partnered with a licensed mental health therapist to design a wallet card - a small, discreet resource that fits in your pocket and delivers exactly what you need in the moments that matter most: clear language, grounded guidance, and actionable next steps for both the Warrior and the Ally. The response was overwhelming. People didn't just appreciate them, they held onto them. I still carry one in my wallet to this day.
Creative Leadership
Leading a volunteer Board of Directors taught me about creative leadership. I learned quickly that the best thing I could do was get out of the way and give people real ownership to trust their instincts and succeed.
I made time for one-on-one training, paid attention to what each person was passionate about and tried to align their tasks accordingly. Balancing different personalities and skillsets was a challenge but it helped me grow as a leader. We brainstormed as a full team, recruited through our own events, and made space to be human with each other outside of formal meetings. Watching people grow into their roles was the most rewarding part of the work.
