Our journey
2014
Everyday, in her role of creative director at a global brand agency, Anne Miltenburg sees how her skills can get people excited about products and services that contribute little to the world.
Yet amazing ideas for change fail to get the attention and audiences they deserve. Anne quits her job and goes on the road to Ireland, Zambia, Tunisia and Kenya, to hear from changemakers what’s holding them back from building stronger brands.
2015
The big insight: more than financial resources, changemakers report a lack of knowledge, skills and network to build their brand.
Anne creates a first tool, the Brand Thinking Canvas, and pilots a workshop format that allows her to effectively train people in brand thinking skills.
Anne sets up the education organisation in Nairobi, Kenya - a global hotspot for social innovation. We start training teams and cohorts of brand builders with partners like Amani Institute and Growth Africa.
2016
235 backers help fund our ‘Branding Toolkit for Changemakers’ on Kickstarter.
One of the first users asks if we can open a group to discuss their questions and challenges. The online community is born.
We create custom toolkits and learning programs with partners in Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone and East Africa.
2017
We train the first cohort of certified ‘Brand The Change’ trainers online - with three more cohorts to follow. The trainers bring their own unique skill sets and perspectives, and strengthen the global network.
2018
We turn the crowdfunded toolkit into a complete guidebook under the title ‘Brand the Change’, published worldwide by BIS. Arabic and Korean editions follow in 2019 and 2020.
Patagonia graciously hosts our Brand The Change Live events, where founders and marketing directors of impact driven brands open up their brand building journeys.
2018/2019
Volunteer hosts start meetups in Lisbon, Nairobi and Amsterdam. We pilot collaboration formats that help brand builders get useful feedback and and answers to their trickiest brand challenges.
2020
Covid hits. Luckily, the online community is there to support each other. It’s a time of mourning, but also solidarity and a renewed sense of urgency. We introduce monthly live learning events on different topics.
2022
We bring all the different training programs, courses, tools and cases together in one membership, creating a full support system to build better brands for change. We’re now a team of four!
2024
Anne Miltenburg steps down as CEO. We become a fully community-led initiative!
Join the movement
Are you passionate about using the power of brand to amplify solutions to our social and environmental crises? Become a member, share your knowledge, and let’s make sure the right voices are heard.