Serving the academic middle.
Mentors have the power to change the entire trajectory of a young person’s life—especially those who experience poverty, discrimination, and racism on a daily basis. Spark The Journey (originally named Capital Partners for Education) has seen the impact of its mentoring programs over the past 30+ years. Its program fills a critical access gap for students who do well enough in school that they don’t qualify for academic support, but who also graduate at much lower rates. These students are in “the academic middle,” and a mentor can be the catalyst for their success later in life.
Challenge
Capital Partners for Education saw multiple challenges to their ongoing success in 2022. The first was their name, which led people to believe they were in finance or ed tech. Secondly, there are hundreds of mentorship programs and nonprofits across the country—many of which are well-known and nationally recognized. How would this differentiate itself from the rest? Lastly, how would the organization’s brand evolve to appeal to a new generation of students?
Research, Assessment, and Blue Ocean Strategy
After interviewing staff, funders, mentors, and students, we found that the mentoring relationship was more of a coach, champion, and friend than a formal mentor. While the end goal is for students to continue their education after graduation, mentees consistently mentioned that no matter what their decision was, their mentor supported them and continued to help them after graduation. We knew this needed to be a clear aspect of the brand, and we still needed to explore its positioning in relation to other organizations.
We researched peer mentorship organizations and conducted a Blue Ocean Strategy exercise to reveal that their focus on the academic middle served as both a differentiator and represented a group of students who are often overlooked in other mentoring organizations. Instead of competing, the organization was serving an underserved group of students.
Naming, Brand Strategy, and Design
Naming is never easy. After much exploration, the organization chose the name Spark The Journey, which positioned the brand as a catalyst in the lives of young people. It emphasizes the igniting power of mentorship, honors the individual’s unique journey, and challenges funders and donors to be part of the organization’s mission and vision.
We developed a brand strategy and messaging framework that organized the ideas, values, and truths that are essential to the organization, how it talks about its work, and helps shape the public’s understanding of Spark The Journey.
The visual identity system is built from a deep blue, emphasizing thoughtfulness, trust, and wisdom with a balance of coral red to add warmth and depth to the palette and gold for achievement.
KEY INSIGHT
From Magician to Sage
Previously, Capital Partners for Education’s Brand Archetype was the Magician. While Magicians inspire as catalysts, they transform reality through secret knowledge and mystery. The Magician holds all the power and derives strength from keeping secrets.
Spark the Journey’s brand persona is the Sage. Like the Magician, the Sage uses great knowledge to make the impossible possible. But instead of playing tricks, the Sage reveals truth and empowers people to transform their lives. The Sage focuses on the common good—a collaborative mentor who helps others see their inner greatness to create a better world. The Sage offers wisdom, perspective, and gentle prodding on life’s journey, standing beside us to share truths we need to realize our dreams. The Sage builds trust-based relationships, remaining available whenever called upon. As a Sage, Spark the Journey empowers young people and supports them in the hard work of growth and dream realization, making the world better.
Significance
Spark The Journey’s branding received a 2023 Silver Indigo Award in Branding for Social Change.
Spark The Journey was also a recipient of a $2 million grant from Mackenzie Scott. The organization’s request for $1 million was doubled upon receiving the highest peer review scores.
My Role:
- I oversaw the plan for how we would approach research, discovery, and the development of a new brand strategy.
- I oversaw and contributed to the brand assessment, establishing a baseline for where the organization is today, where it might go in the future.
- I both oversaw and helped conduct interviews, surveys, peer research, and workshops and contributed to building insights from the data.
- I conducted a Blue Ocean Strategy exercise to examine the organization’s positioning relative to peers.
- I co-authored the Brand Strategy, positioning, and messaging platform.
Other Contributors:
- The design team created a new logo and identity system and the mockups for the website.
- The engineering team developed the website on WordPress and connected Stripe for the e-commerce functionality while also developing a backend portal for managing carbon offset credit inventory.
My Role:
- Developed the project plan and strategy while providing oversight across its implementation throughout the project.
- Conducted an in-depth brand assessment to establish a baseline and explore new opportunities for the brand.
- Conducted interviews, surveys, and peer research and oversaw the development of insights and learnings.
- Developed a Blue Ocean Strategy Canvas to identify areas where the brand could refine its audiences and messaging.
- Co-authored the Brand Strategy, positioning, and messaging platform.
- Provided strategy during naming and the development of the brand’s new visual identity system.
Other Contributors:
- The agency’s design team created a new logo, identity system, and brand book that communicated both its brand strategies and visual brand guidelines.
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