Experts United on a mission to help local businesses.
“We thought, what if our small businesses disappear? In any way we can, we will defend Cleveland’s culture, its safety net, and its economy rich, with entrepreneurship and untapped potential. If only the chains survive and the locals don’t, what will Cleveland be?”
– Mike Ozan, CEO and Chief Creative Officer
Spearheaded by the Fearless Thinkers at TWIST Creative, Inc. in the spring of 2020, Brand X is made up of a team of local branding, creative, marketing, culture, business experts who are on a clear mission to help area small businesses, causes, and their leaders navigate through changing economic and cultural times – pro bono.
Through an engaging content platform, Brand X utilizes a centralized online space for information, advice and conversation with its experts. There, guests can ask experts for advice, read answers to previous questions, as well as explore the site’s multiple resources through videos and blog posts. Guests can also listen-in on the Brand X Cleveland Podcast, where industry experts share their knowledge and experience through conversational dialogue. And with an added bonus, guests on the website can also download a free copy of My Pandemic Pivot a downloadable workbook and tool kit created by TWIST that provides a step-by-step process to help brands pivot and navigate the pandemic and beyond.
“Information and resource sharing amongst small industry peers in a market is a recovery essential.”
— Cristine Torek, Brand X member and founder of CMT Consulting, Ltd
The Brand X Cleveland team includes the following partners: Craig Brown at Kalman Pabst Photo Group; Charlene Coughlin of TWIST Creative; Brian Glazen from Think Media Studios; Mary Hipp from Think Media Studios; Scott Moss of M Sales Growth; Connie Ozan and Mike Ozan from TWIST Creative; Sam Sherwood from Heya, LLC.; Cristine Torek at CMT Consulting LTD; Stacey Vaselaney at SLV Public Relations, LLC; Mike Wasserman from Kalman Pabst Photo Group; and most recently added, Jerry E Peña, Victor Cruz and Robbin Hudson from Gradient, a Human Equity Think Tank; as well as Social Media and Community Manager Monina Wagner of the Content Marketing Institute.
