About

Hi, I'm Ivy

Journalist by training. Brand strategist by conviction. Founder of Nalo Collective, working from Nairobi with organisations across five continents.

The strongest brands are not defined by how they look. They are defined by how clearly they communicate.

I studied journalism at USIU-Africa, and it never left me. Journalism teaches you to find the real story, cut what does not matter, and write for the reader, not the writer. That is brand strategy. The medium changed. The discipline did not. I have applied it across 320+ engagements over eight years, on five continents.

Over eight years I have delivered 320+ consulting engagements for organisations across North America, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Middle East, spanning corporate, technology, consumer, nonprofit and public sector. In 2019 I founded Nalo Collective, a brand strategy and creative consultancy that helps organisations solve complex branding and marketing challenges and build consistent brand experiences.

Along the way I have led strategy, product and design as Co-CEO of a creative agency, developed communications platforms for pan-African science convenings, built market-entry brand positioning for international companies expanding into Kenya, and partnered with public sector institutions, all while maintaining Top Rated status on Upwork. The through-line: brand as a strategic driver of growth and long-term business value, not a coat of paint.

One more thing worth saying plainly: my practice has been distributed from day one. Eight years of engagements across North America, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Middle East, run from Nairobi across every major time zone. Remote is not an accommodation. It is how I work.

The path

How I got here

2017

Global Brand & Marketing Strategist · Upwork

Started consulting internationally. What began as freelance design became a global practice spanning strategy, identity, positioning and communications for clients worldwide.

2018

Early operations years · Insignia Productions & MOOKH Africa

Social media management, digital campaigns and customer operations. Learned how brands behave under real commercial pressure, not just in guidelines.

2019

Founded Nalo Collective · Nairobi

A brand strategy and creative consultancy serving corporate, B2B and professional services clients. Strategy-first, editorially minded, built for organisations that treat brand as a business tool.

2020

BA Journalism, PR & Broadcasting · USIU-Africa and Co-CEO · The Veld Agency

Graduated, then led strategy, product, design and commercial initiatives at a creative agency: 21% lift in customer satisfaction, 25% faster design delivery through AI-enabled capabilities, 13% higher average transaction value.

2024

Full focus on Nalo Collective

Consolidated everything into the studio: 320+ engagements delivered, strategic work spanning international development, public sector and corporate clients, Top Rated status maintained on Upwork.

Now

Strategy, direction, and the next chapter

Moving deeper into research, problem-solving and creative leadership: the work AI cannot replace and clients cannot skip.

Clarity before craft

If the message is muddy, no typeface saves it. Every engagement starts with what the brand needs to say and who it needs to say it to.

Strategy leads, design follows

Aesthetics without positioning is decoration. I frame every design decision around who the brand needs to win over before touching visuals.

Editorial thinking

My journalism training shapes everything: find the real story, cut the noise, respect the reader. Brands that communicate like good editors get believed.

Trust is the deliverable

Logos launch. Trust compounds. The real output of brand work is an organisation that customers, partners and markets choose with confidence.

Education

BA Journalism & CommunicationsUnited States International University – Africa · 2020
Google UX Design CertificateGoogle

Certifications

Foundations of Project ManagementCoursera
Foundations of User Experience (UX) DesignCoursera
Conduct UX Research & Test Early ConceptsCoursera
Build Wireframes & Low-Fidelity PrototypesCoursera
Start the UX Design Process: Empathise, Define & IdeateCoursera