J
K
15+
YEARS

Jonathan Kalan

Brand, Marketing & Community Building Strategist. Serial Founder

ex-Unsettled,  

ex-TED Resident,  

ex-BBC Futures 

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past collaborations

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Jonathan Kalan

Experienced track record building and scaling mission-driven brands that seek to challenge conventional thinking. I’ve reported on, advised, built, and grown early-stage ventures in technology, media, hospitality, consumer goods, travel and the future of work across 80+ countries. Passionate about early customer research & insights, and developing thriving communities for go-to-market strategy.

Jonathan’s expertise

Explore Jonathan's key skills, specialized expertise, and industry preferences below.

Skills
Brand Strategy
Communications Strategy
Community Strategy
Copywriting
Customer Experience
Expertise
Communication Design
Community Management & Programming
Strategy & Business Design
Sales & Marketing
Project Management
Industry experience
Communications & Marketing
Wellness
Travel & Tourism
Social Impact
Media
Jonathan Kalan

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PASSIONS

Areas I'm passionate about

As creative leaders with a shared commitment to quality, collaboration, and creativity, we're proud to pursue out most meaningful work and deliver the best every time.

Portfolio

Brand, Marketing & Communications Strategy

You have a company, product, or idea; but you need to root it in a core truth. You need a story, a strategy, and a consistent brand experience to tie it all together. You need to understand who you serve and why you matter

Brand Strategy
Brand Strategy & Positioning
Startup Strategy
Ventures
Jonathan Kalan

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Share your challenge and work together with Jonathan

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showcase

Work in Focus

See Jonathan Kalan's work to see the extent of their creative portfolio.

Smart Bird Feeder's Successful $3M Kickstarter Campaign
Projects
Bird Buddy

Smart Bird Feeder's Successful $3M Kickstarter Campaign

🌳Biodiversity
🪵 Deforestation
Community Management
Creative Strategy
Brand Innovation
+2 more
Led brand, communications, community experience & growth strategy for the launch of Bird Buddy's second successful kickstarter campaign, raising over $3M USD. Company is now doing $40M USD in revenue in its third year, and has won the TIME Magazine's Innovation of the Year Award 2023.
Self-Guided Mobility Aid For The Blind & Low Vision Community
Projects
Glidance

Self-Guided Mobility Aid For The Blind & Low Vision Community

🤗 Inclusion & Accessibility
👨🏼‍🦼Transportation and Mobility
+5 more
I worked with Glidance, which is pioneering the first ever self-guided primary mobility for the blind and low vision community using AI and navigational robotics - to build out their core customer personas, customer journey, marketing copy, website design and deposit program launch.
TED Talk: The Power of Privilege & Perspective
Thought Leadership
TED

TED Talk: The Power of Privilege & Perspective

🎤Freedom of Expression
📣 Human Rights
+5 more
As part of the TED Residency Program, I was selected to give a TED Talk. In this talk, I argue for empathy and how the benefits of a global perspective can broaden one's sense of purpose and understanding.
New York Times | Featured Photojournalism
Projects
The New York Times

New York Times | Featured Photojournalism

🌱Climate Change
📣 Human Rights
+3 more
Spent four years in East Africa and the Middle East covering sustainable development, environmental issues, technology and innovation for multiple news outlets, including the New York Times. This particular story was covering pre-election conflict due to resource constraints between two communities.

Values & Ethos

I came for the work... but will stay for the thoughtful community of humans seeking to challenge the status quo.

Jonathan Kalan
Jonathan Kalan
Brand, Marketing & Community Building Strategist. Serial Founder