  Neil Brown

  Ideas are the enemy.

—
01

Intro

Ideas have no inherent value independent of execution. Edison said it best, “the value of an idea is in the using of it.” For more than fifteen years, my work (and life) has thrived at the intersection of design and entrepreneurship.

It has been a privilege to lead the growth of multiple agencies, as well as the design and development of multiple brands, products and services that have generated hundreds of millions in investment capital and revenue for early-stage and mature companies.

—
02

Case
Studies

Case Studies and Select Projects

I partner with leaders, change-agents and innovators of all stripes to serve, build and lead cross-disciplinary teams as we create preferred futures — driving immediate outputs and long-term outcomes. I bring ideas to life.

Over the years, I have worked with more than fifty entrepreneurial endeavors, a handful of large-scale corporations, countless brilliant creatives and many non-profits.

View Work →

“

The value of an idea lies in the using of it.

Thomas Edison

Founder of Edison Laboratory

—
03

Article
Series

Article Series: Featuring the leaders of the creative economy.

I have been fortunate to meet agents of change all over the U.S. and am consistently amazed at the ambitions of those crafting our collective future. Throughout my travels, I am meeting new individuals, telling their stories and how their efforts are shaping a developing thesis on the future of the creative economy.

Featured

Embrace Disruption: Key Factors Shaping the Future of Creativity

When standing at the cliff’s edge above a slot canyon, the best course of action is to not look down before willingly stepping off. A short 150 feet to the canyon floor, the only way out of this predicament is to rappel down.

Art is a safe place. One that allows us to step outside of ourselves, to find that we are stranger than we believed. The artist has an inherent desire to be understood, to make an indelible impression in the mind.

As I’m winding my way through an old industrial area on the east side of downtown Cleveland, I pass one amazing building after another, after another — all stunning turn-of-the-century brick warehouses and manufacturing facilities.

The way we work, and ultimately how we live, has been wholly upended. With the rapid increase of independent contractors and on-demand, online talent platforms disrupting the creative industry at large, work is forever changed.

Challenging to understand and even more complicated to define, the proper perspective on value creation is a critical function for the future creative. Settled east of arid salt flats and flanked by the Wasatach mountain range, Salt Lake City is home to a unique, startup academic endeavor at the University of Utah. Multi-Disciplinary Design, College of Architecture + Planning is nestled on the third floor of a brutally minimalistic building in the heart of campus.

Read Article +

The Future of Creativity: The Only Constant in Life is Change

Today the economics of our world are changing — especially for creatives. Many only see the market conditions directly in front of them, overlooking the opportunity to understand, to see the causation. We have met with many brilliantly talented individuals on our journey, each story confirms the shifting sands and echoes the same song. Work and life are changing. Work and life have changed.