In a series of tweets on Aug. 4, Undercurrent co-founder Spear said that his team tried to back out of the sale once it figured out how bad things were. (Quirky and Undercurrent’s founders did not respond to requests for comment.) Clay Parker Jones, who was managing partner, released a “transparency report” right after the Quirky sale divulging revenue, headcount and other metrics. Every Saturday morning he sends out the Weekend Briefing - an email on the impact of innovation on society. He is a Board member of Young Chicago Authors, & the Chicago Center for Arts and Technology. hello@undercurrent.uk.net Kyle is the author of Profit & Purpose, Managing Partner at Westaway - an innovative Brooklyn law firm - and a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School and Cornell Tech, where he teaches on social entrepreneurship. Capitalism has shown its fragility and we're overdue for an upgrade. John has won more than 250 design awards in his career, including the AIGA Gold Medal for leadership in the design for good movement. He thus founded NOBL, a global organizational design and transformation consultancy that helps leaders make change in an increasingly uncertain world by fusing design thinking with organizational psychology. The company measured its progress in “trimesters” instead of quarters as it doesn’t think three months is a long enough period to tell a story. Kerrie founded FutureFactor (formerly FinchFactor) in 2009, and has worked with major global brands. He has acted as a creative director and strategic consultant for governments, mayors, developers, social landlords, local authorities and curated exhibitions to promote innovations in sustainability. Want to sign up for the latest news and updates? Where peers and governments fear to tread, these leaders answer the call to transform their companies into a greater force for good while realizing the benefits for their workforces, and the world. It has been translated into a more than three dozen languages and summarized in Harvard Business Review. Follow @Digiday for the latest news, insider access to events and more. The strategy firm billed itself as “born digital,” filled with young people expert at connecting with their peers. Lucy has been focused on building legendary cultures for over a decade. Brian is a world class innovation strategist with over a decade of experience partnering with purpose-driven Fortune 500 and startup leaders on high-impact global growth agendas. The company, which billed itself as a business and strategy firm, was born out of founding partner Josh Spear’s “trendspotting” blog. Thomas is the creator of FabLab and the “Maker Mile’ in London, and is a well known speaker who keynotes at conferences including Techonomy, Singularity Summit, and the UN General Assembly. We are an independent brand experience agency founded in 2001. Jen Prince, managing director, media and entertainment, Twitter Bridget Harvey, head of media and entertainment strategy, Twitter Next Whether it’s finding new shows, rewatching old favorites or tuning into a history-making world premiere, watching movies and TV at home brings people together during times of isolation. Quirky had a round of layoffs the first week Undercurrent was in its office. Undercurrent: An autopsy of a once-hot agency’s demise August 7, 2015 by Shareen Pathak “They’re smart as hell and massively talented” is how one agency CEO described it. She has led repositioning work for such organizations as Microsoft, MetLife, The Climate Reality Project and many others. Prior, Kerrie was PR Director at Wieden+Kennedy, working on brands such as Nike, Heineken, Coca-Cola and Electronic Arts. It garnered credit (alongside ad agencies) on work like the award-winning “Refresh” campaign for Pepsi and the relaunch of the Fiesta for the auto brand where 100 young people test-drove the car and posted reviews directly on social media. Undercurrent would become the “rocket fuel” corporate partners could leverage, Kaufman said at the time. With a strong heritage in the technology, retail, and charity sectors we pride ourselves on delivering innovative campaigns that push the boundaries of experiential marketing. For eight years, she ran NY-based management consultancy Undercurrent (V1), successfully guiding the firm through multiple pivots and periods of growth. Dagny is Co-Founder of Fearless Unlimited, a social impact consultancy that helps organizations and executives create cultural shifts and capitalize on opportunity in rapidly changing times. Our consultancy helps courageous leaders in four ways: Undercurrent is a passionate community of world-class domain experts with experience across organizations of every size, stage, and industry. GENERAL. We specialise in delivering integrated experiential-led marketing campaigns (both virtually and physically) that deliver tangible results for our clients. Former-monk Greg Burdulis is a speaker, trainer and expert on mindfulness and team relationships. (After all, it said it could help brands improve internal processes, so often used its own success as a case study.) He has inspired audiences worldwide into their highest impact and personal fulfillment and has impacted over 100,000 students from over 50 countries around the world through his global human potential company, WarriorSage, a living synthesis of eastern wisdom and western pragmatism. Xavier Ramey is the CEO of Justice Informed, LLC, a social impact consulting firm based in Chicago, IL. Diana Walker builds impact initiatives and partnership alliances around engagement and measurable impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the related complexities of changing investors, consumer and board demands, and dynamic risk mitigation. Her book, Creating a Lean and Green Business System again won the Shingo Prize. In 2016, John co-wrote a now iconic book called Think Wrong that inspires people to conquer the status quo and do work that matters. He harnesses the power of design, technology and entrepreneurship to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the UN. We serve an emergent breed of business leaders who feel a responsibility to confront global crises with the full weight of their organizations and the collective passion of their people. Greg also creates and leads powerful processes and practices at major conferences to drive self-awareness and group coherence. From equitable workplaces, to universal healthcare, to sustainable supply chains, to the end of the commercial office; society is demanding change. You must filter by at least one of the following: Service, Location, or Agency Name. A renowned author and champion of sustainable development for over 35 years, Hunter has consulted on business, economic development, sustainable agriculture, energy, water, security, and climate policies for scores of national governments, communities, and multinational corporations worldwide. Hunter has co‐authored fifteen books and hundreds of articles. A former Undercurrent employee said that for Quirky to keep Wink, possibly its only product with some growth potential, it had to get rid of some of its other operations. PRIVACY POLICY. Mark also helped entrepreneurs and high level creatives unleash deeper creativity to produce outstanding results through innovative business strategies as a principal at UFUSE Visionary Strategy Management. Schuyler is a futurist, facilitator, and communications consultant dedicated to the emergence of truly regenerative commerce on the planet. Prior to NOBL Collective, Bud was a Partner at the original Undercurrent. Undercurrent - New York Digital Strategy Agency. Rob has also worked on cultural narratives and storytelling in the climate and social impact spaces for over a decade, having created or co-created numerous global media platforms for the The Climate Reality Project and other progressive causes and brands. A newsletter sharing insights on how conscious organizations conduct business and identify their unique role in the world. Adding influencers will likely help the company reach millennial and Gen-Z consumers with insurance products as those demographics mature. Hunter is the President and Founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions(NCS). If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. He is on a quest to activate creators and generate stories that bring about a more flourishing world. There were 35 employees. If you have a new brief to discuss then contact our team and let us know how we can help you. Mark was also an ordained Zen Priest. At the time of the deal, Dignan lauded Quirky as “the invention platform that will power every company on the planet someday.” So it was surprising to outsiders that saw the shuttering of Undercurrent three months after its acquisition.