We are thinkers, doers, and practical practitioners,united in our commitment to a more connected planet.
With a unique range of leaders from the worlds of strategy consulting, public affairs, and behavior design – a new approach to consumer engagement that comes out of Stanford – SocialxDesign is helping organizations around the world to grow, reduce costs, and increase their market value by engaging and empowering the people in their ecosystems – customers, employees, partners, and citizens alike.
We are bridging a number of worlds, helping them to work better with one another and learn from their diverse experiences:
- East (DC) and West (Silicon Valley)
- Communications consulting and business consulting
- Online engagement (digital, social, mobile) and offline experience (social movements, interactive events, workplace experience and retail)
Co-founder & CEO | @giorodriguez
Who Bridge-builder, gap-filler, cultural re-mixer; former Deloitte Consulting eminence leader and pioneer in social consulting What Organizational design and marketing strategy; multicultural engagement Where San Francisco and Silicon Valley When Longer than he can remember Why Commitment to a connected world and global democracy How Contributor to Forbes and frequent public speaker; Advisor to many organizations, including the New York Stock Exchange, NBC, Unilever, Alcatel-Lucent, and The White House.
Co-founder & Chairman | @barbbq
Who Veteran communications strategist and technology specialist What Strategic communications and business management Where Silicon Valley and San Francisco When 20+ years as co-founder of Eastwick Communications Why Sees need to bridge social and communications in a way that creates movements How Successful track record creating value for technology’s biggest and brightest brands; Respected industry strategist and connector; Former media professional and broadcast journalist with deep Valley roots; 2011 Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for her impact on Silicon Valley.
Co-founder & CSO | @TobyChaudhuri
Who Strategist and Award-winning consultant; Advisor to the White House What Strategic communications and high-impact engagement campaigns; Politics and public affairs Where Washington, D.C. When 15+ years Why To help visionary leaders and organizations inspire and engage the public, motivate action and achieve ambitious goals that benefit people How White House advisor on race-based initiatives and global democracy and governance campaigns; Strategist behind State Department, European Commission, major civic engagement campaigns and inspiring movements around the world.
Communications Design | @chep2m
Who Acclaimed communicator and strategist, Google and Apple veteran, recognized as one of technology’s top five marketers What Audience activation and high-impact communications Where San Francisco and Silicon Valley When 30+ years Why Commitment to the creation of online communities and engagement How Creator of earliest Apple-customer communities, social media/web pioneer, Facebook application developer, Google communications and strategy lead.
Senior Consulting Fellow | @msquihuis
Who Social entrepreneur and mentor capitalist; Researcher and member of Stanford’s Persuasive Technology Lab; Director of Stanford’s Peace Innovation Lab; Named Influential Latino in Silicon Valley What Social media strategy and innovation; Business incubation Where Silicon Valley and San Francisco When Long enough to know what doesn’t work Why Dedicated to innovation, collaboration and the potential of social networks to change society for the better How US State Department Consultant on Entrepreneurship; Industry resource to Asian Venture Capital Report, NewsHour, US News & World Report, Forbes ASAP, CNN and CBS Market Watch; Board member of UnaMesa, Women’s eNews and James Burke Institute.
Senior Consulting Fellow | @mark__nelson
Who Researcher; entrepreneur; Advisor; Co-founder, Stanford Peace Innovation Lab What Persuasive technology and Behavior Design; Mass collaboration; Mass interpersonal persuasion; Collective human behavior change Where Silicon Valley, World When 30+ years, 4 of persuasive tech Why To measurably increase positive human behavior, especially across conflict boundaries How Speaker and advisor to businesses, universities, governments, and NGOs; Founder, EPIC Global Challenge; Member, Kozmetsky Global Collaboratory; H-STAR affiliate.
Senior Consulting Fellow | @DonMilagro
Who Mobile Team Lead for the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, Mobile Behavior Designer What Behavior Design; Mobile Where Silicon Valley, Bangalore, NYC When 3 years Why To enrich lives by designing for positive behaviors while empowering others How Refined user experience for Juntos Finanzas; Various work alongside startups, Fortune 500 companies, handset makers; Advisor to medical non profit Anjna Patient Education.
Graphic Designer | @CarolScheffler
Who Visual communicator What Reveals and strengthens stories through creation and use of effective graphics Where Silicon Valley and San Francisco When Since I first used a crayon Why Believes in design as an investment in innovative communication media that creates value for business How By helping a portfolio of 25 leading Silicon Valley companies show (and tell) their stories.
Strategic Advisors
Richie is the co-Founder of Men’s Wearhouse (now retired), and co-founder of HatcherySF, one of the Bay Area’s most innovative co-working facilities. He is widely recognized as the marketing mastermind of MW, from his insistence on using TV as the main form of advertising as far back as 1975, to his careful nurturing and managing of the MW brand and image as the company expanded from one part of the country to another. In January of 2009, Richie released his book, Luck by Design…Certain Success in an Uncertain World. The book, aimed at the children of Baby Boomers, received praise from educators, fellow authors, and reviewers. It won “Best General Non-Fiction” at the San Francisco Book Festival in 2009 and was a Finalist in the “Self-Help: Motivational category at the National Best Books 2009.
Chris is co-founder and CEO of Guidewire Group, the software and services company building the global innovation network to help large and small companies identify opportunities, connect with confidence, and do business together more effectively. A leading technology analyst for more than 25 years, Chris is passionate about entrepreneurship as the driver of innovation, economic growth, and job creation. She has built a career identifying innovative startups that create emerging market trends, and as the executive producer of the DEMO conference from 1996 to 2009, helped more than 1,500 companies — includingWebEx, VMware, Salesforce.com, TiVo, Xfire, Ribbit, and Ironport — make their market debut.