The Ideation Team

The Opportunity

Oregon State had a perception problem. Despite championship-level programs, standout student-athletes, and a fiercely loyal fanbase, the broader story wasn’t landing—on the West Coast or nationally. Athletics leadership wanted to fix that, but they didn’t want to outsource the solution. They wanted someone to build it from the inside. I was hired specifically to launch an internal creative agency aimed at aligning perception to reality.

The Team

I created something new in college athletics: a fully in-house creative agency embedded within the athletics department. We started from scratch and built what became known as the Ideation Team. I brought graphic design, video, social media, digital, PR, and storytelling into one collaborative department. I recruited and hired experienced professionals, tapped into campus talent with a paid internship program, and gave the team a clear vision and culture to grow within. We didn’t just execute requests—we shaped the voice of the university’s most visible brand. Oh, and we had a sweet championship belt for each week’s MVP.

The Culture

We turned the inside of Gill Coliseum – Oregon State’s on-campus basketball arena into our creative lab. We hung whiteboards, created post-it walls, turned the music up, and always kept the door open. We had fun, moved fast, and punched above our weight. Every project was an opportunity—for someone to grow, for an idea to land, for the university to be seen in a new light. I prioritized mentorship, creative freedom, and collaboration. Our retention numbers were unmatched, and team members went on to land top roles across sports, entertainment, and brand marketing.

The Results

We revolutionized the way an industry used creativity – applying it offensively to produce outstanding creative results, spend less money, and increase direct revenue from social media and sponsorships.

• All previously outsourced creative costs were brought in-house, included the creation of team intro videos, marketing campaigns, visual identity and event marketing, resulted in over $500,000 in savings annually.

• Launched and completed the largest capital campaign in Oregon State history - raising $85 million to complete Reser Stadium.

• Created the now-universal "Best College Town in the Pac-12" campaign.

• Led content strategy for Oregon State’s first College World Series championship and a Women’s Final Four run.

• Rolled out The Terrace at Reser Stadium with immersive storytelling.

• Unified more than 30 sport-specific accounts under one social media voice.

• Became a national model—other departments and conferences began copying the structure and approach we pioneered.

The biggest win? We changed the way people talked about Oregon State. We closed the gap between perception and reality. And we did it all from inside the house.