domo domo
Who Run the World (as told by Brandery PM Jess Mabis)
Almost two years ago, I was writing a press release about the startups we selected for our Batch 9 program. Counting the number of female founders to male founders on my hands, I quickly realized: we accidentally ended up with a 50% female-led cohort. I remember jumping out of my seat and running around Union Hall telling everybody who would listen. Why was this so exciting? Because we moved the needle just a tiny bit- and that’s huge.
At the time (2018), out of the $130 billion invested that year, only 2.2% went to solo female founders or all-female founded teams. For those of you keeping score, the statistics were the exact same in 2017 meaning the fundraising landscape for women was stuck at an abysmal low. In 2018, The Brandery’s cumulative female funded stat was 24% (decent, but not great by any means). For the first time in our history, we doubled that number.
Our team now makes a conscious effort to keep this statistic. Our most recent cohort (Batch 10) was also 50% female-led. I remember sitting with Jeff (Brandery MD), Danny (gener8tor PM) and Ben (gener8tor MD) during the final round interviews and realizing 75% of the startups we talked to over the last two days had at least one female founder. I was so proud in that moment to work for The Brandery and to have male coworkers who believe wholeheartedly that female founded companies only make our portfolio stronger.
When looking for agency partners to work with our Batch 10 cohort, domo domo was an obvious match. Founded in 1997, domo domo provides branding, design, digital content, packaging and project execution for mainstream and private label brands in the CPG, Pharma and new product development sectors. Not only is their focus perfectly aligned with The Brandery, they’re also female owned and led.
One in One Thousand (information provided by domo domo Founder Deb Adams)
In 1997, Deb Adams founded domo domo and pioneered a virtual
creative agency model that empowers people and builds better
brands.
Only 1 in 1,000 creative agencies in the U.S. are owned and led by
women — so a huge gap exists — along with a tremendous
opportunity. Ahead of her time, Deb saw the disparity between
CPG & pharma brands marketing to female consumers and the
creative agencies that were serving them. Domo domo’s expertise is specifically in leveraging insights and their deep understanding of the female consumer to create emotional brand experiences that transform and differentiate brands, create authentic connections and increase perceived value.
Domo domo’s capabilities perfectly fit our startups’ needs. Their
highly efficient, flexible, and cost-conscious creativity was
essential for our startups needing to quickly pivot their brand
before Demo Day and Investor Swarm. Although we ended up not
investing in the startup paired with domo domo, their long track
record of delivering compelling and culturally relevant brand
experiences that drive real results, speaks for itself.
If you are interested in learning more or working with Icon, reach out to our Program Manager Jess Mabis (jess@brandery.org) to get connected.
About domo domo
domo domo is a full-service creative agency and a certified women-owned business. Domo domo provides Branding, Design, Digital Content, Packaging and Project Execution for mainstream and private label brands in the CPG, Pharma and new product development sectors. We are a diverse team comprised of experienced, talented professionals and specialists all focused on providing exceptional design, project management and client service.
