From Whiteboards to Demo Days: Creative Direction Inside a Startup Accelerator
Client: ACT House
Role: Lead Content Editor
Services: Video Production, Graphic Design, Brand Development, Campaign Support
Location: Tulsa, OK
Contract Length: 1 Year
When I first arrived at…
It felt like walking into a startup laboratory where ideas buzzed in the air like electricity — only instead of lab coats, there were hoodies, laptops, and whiteboards crammed with the kind of ideas that make you rethink the way companies get built.
ACT House wasn’t just another accelerator. It was the place where founders, dreamers, and “make-it-happen” people came to turn raw potential into ventures that could stand on their own. Their mission was ambitious: utilize their ACT Model to build better teams and unlock founder potential, especially for Black and Latino entrepreneurs who are too often overlooked by traditional funding and support systems.
My role was to help tell that story — visually, strategically, and through live experiences — so that it resonated just as powerfully outside those walls as it did inside them.
-
Unlocking what and who you gravitate to.
The hardest step as an entrepreneur might be your first one. The ACT Assessment makes it easy. You’ll identify your superpowers and optimal team design to create and sustain true momentum for your company.
-
Taking you from idea to prototype in one nonstop day.
Build Day X is a crash course in innovation that leverages design thinking for an optimal learning experience. During a 24-hour sprint, you’ll have the chance to flex your strengths and walk away prepared to make your dreams happen.
-
The average pre-seed round for white founders is $105K. For Black and Latino founders, that number is $35K.
As founders themselves, that fact didn’t sit well. So they built an accelerator model that allows Black and Latino-led startups to scale without compromising their ability to build wealth or give back to communities.
$70k Capital Investment
They’re closing the gap for overlooked founders by investing the difference. This $70,000 disparity maximizes your potential for success.
0% Interest
ACT House knows building takes time and interest can pile up. We don’t take any interest so you can grow faster, untethered to ballooning numbers.
0% Equity
ACT House isn’t interested in owning your company. They are interested in eliminating predatory terms so you can get to work.
-
ACT House uses predictive team models in our due diligence and then provide those same models to portfolio companies to design their dream team.
Better Terms.
Better Partners.
Better Outcomes.Investing capital into community, culture, and powerful teams who can dominate markets.
What They Do: Unlock individuals’ potential and unite teams to accelerate ideas and propel companies forward.
How They Do It: Create a pathway for founders at every stage — Assessment, Pre-Accelerator, Accelerator, and Venture.
Who They Do It For: Entrepreneurs and founders at every stage, from students to retirees — especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.
-
Ever wonder how Apple revolutionized the technological world? Or why the ‘96 Chicago Bulls made magic on the court? They were led by complementary trios.
ACT House believes in the power of three so much that they created an entire model around it. The ACT Model has been a guiding light for team-builders since its genesis. A formula perfected over time, the Assessment is a launch pad for greatness using a shared language that spans multiple applications.
The Assessment helps identify individual strengths and weaknesses within a team by differentiating between three dominant and sub-dominant archetypes:
🏛️ Architects
🎨 Creatives
💻 Techies
A-C-T… Make a little more sense? -
Architects are pragmatic visionaries with a business mindset. 🏛️
Their passion is cultivated from a desire to serve their team, their customers, and their vision. They internalize a competitive spirit and an ambitious drive that fuel their motivation for building relationships and sharing high-level strategy. At the highest level, their ability to dissect human-centric puzzles turns into a superpower that can inspire and lead others.
-
Creatives are prolific artists who manifest visions into life. 🎨
Creative individuals are complex and often paradoxical personalities, characterized by a unique blend of curiosity, imagination, passion, and resilience. They thrive on exploration and innovation, pushing boundaries and challenging conventional thinking, often in the face of societal pressures and personal doubts. -
Techies are obsessed with figuring out why a problem is a problem. 💻
They geek out on all things operational because they need to know not only how things work, but why they work, and if they can be improved. While others take things at face value, Techies are naturally inquisitive and view the world with a systematic lens, so they like to put on their thinking cap to tackle problems.
5 Years
Qualified Research
3,000+
Assessments
56
Innovative Hackathons
If ACT House had a “before” picture, it would’ve been one of those startups with all the right ingredients — brilliant founders, a tested methodology, and programs that actually changed lives — but the brand presence didn’t fully match the vision. The storytelling power existed in every conversation and event, but they weren’t adequately supported to share in a way that could scale their influence.
The challenge wasn’t about creating more content; it was about creating the right content, at the right time, in a format that matched the speed and energy of their startups. Between 24-hour hackathons and a six-month accelerator programs, deadlines were tight and every asset had to make an impact in pursuit of getting “2% better” every day.
-
Refine evolving brand standards.
Address lack of streamlined content production systems and support.
Communicate the proprietary ACT Model to artists, creatives, and techies.
-
Event-specific timeframes (24-hour Pre-Accelerator, 6-month Accelerator).
Startup budgets and resource limits.
Black and Latino founder focus with primary base in Tulsa, OK.
-
Expand storytelling capabilities to capture messages that stand out in a space keenly important for investment opportunities.
Generate approved brand assets across channels that are repeatable and scalable.
Improve the startup ecosystem for a city and demographic that has faced historical trauma and financial disparities for over a century.
I’m in! How can I help?
My official title was Lead Content Editor — but in practice, I was the creative utility player. My work touched everything from brand guideline development to social media campaigns, keynote presentation design, and multi-camera event video production.
I collaborated daily with the Creative Director (Jordan McNear) and often intersected with every department, including the CEO. In startup terms: no two days looked alike, and that’s exactly how I like it.
-
Creating end-to-end video production and editing.
Designing high-quality graphics for events, campaigns, and social media.
Developing and maintaining brand guidelines.
Building high-impact presentations for C-Suite and stakeholder pitches.
Collaborating with website developers for UI/UX improvements.
Managing content performance tracking and making optimization recommendations.
Jordan
Me
“Clayton brought a rare mix of creativity and pragmatism — every project felt visionary but was still grounded in process. He elevated our content game across the board.”
Jordan McNear • Creative Producer at ACT House
Alright… Let’s get to work!
My first move was to understand the heartbeat of the organization. That meant diving into their mission, programs, and audience so I could see where my work could move the needle.
One of my early realizations was that without a consistent, scalable visual identity, ACT House’s story risked getting diluted across channels. So I pitched and produced their first-ever comprehensive brand guidelines kit — a 50-page document that became the go-to reference for anyone creating ACT House content, from in-house staff to outside contractors.
Data Analysis
This is where my Architect archetype begins to show.
Before I picked up a camera or designed a slide, I worked with the ACT House team to ground every decision in data. Numbers like engagement rates, attendance patterns, and drop-off points weren’t just reports to review later — they were the evidence that informed. This approach created a shared language between creative and leadership, where ideas weren’t just “good” but provably solving problems the data revealed. It also showed me exactly which content resonated at Pre-Accelerator events, which presentation formats held attention at Demo Days, and which design choices worked best across channels. By starting with analytics, the creative process became less of a brainstorm and more of a strategic build aimed at hitting specific goals.
Mood Board
-
PgLang’s imagery style blends human moments with cultural symbolism, creating an unspoken connection with their audience. It’s never about generic stock visuals; it’s about texture, tone, and emotional pull. For ACT House, this means rejecting overproduced, faceless visuals in favor of authentic, high-quality imagery that showcases the founders, the teams, and the community as they truly are. It’s visual storytelling that earns trust by feeling real.
-
From a systems perspective, Apple is a masterclass in brand discipline. Typography, spacing, and hierarchy are never left to chance; they’re part of a locked-in framework that ensures every piece of collateral feels like it belongs to the same family. Bringing this into ACT House means our guidelines define exactly how brand elements are to be used, creating a “plug-and-play” system for internal teams and contractors. Consistency here isn’t just aesthetic — it’s operational efficiency.
-
Wynwood’s visual identity is unapologetically vibrant, a living canvas of color, texture, and cultural influence. It’s a place that thrives on movement and the collision of ideas, which directly mirrors the startup energy ACT House cultivates. The tone here is celebratory, rebellious, and rooted in authenticity — a reminder that innovation should feel alive, not sterile. ACT House can tap into this energy to ensure that even our most strategic communications have a heartbeat.
Brand Board
The ACT House brand guidelines were designed to be as intentional and adaptive as the founders they serve.
Inspired by the mood board, we crafted a tone that invites curiosity without drowning in jargon, making every piece of communication feel like it’s part of a bigger conversation rather than a sales pitch. We borrowed the discipline of clean, consistent systems — setting clear rules for typography, spacing, image treatments, and logo usage so the brand can scale without losing its identity. The vibrancy and cultural depth of the mood board exercise informed our approach to color, texture, and photography, ensuring that while the system is structured, it’s never sterile.
Bold palettes, dynamic imagery, and authentic human moments bring energy to investor decks, social campaigns, and event materials alike. The result is a brand that’s both adaptable and unmistakable — professional enough for high-stakes presentations, expressive enough for grassroots community engagement, and always true to ACT House’s mission of empowering diverse founders.
-
ACT House’s visual identity blends disciplined structure with cultural energy, reflecting its mission to pair strategic execution with bold, human-centered innovation. Built on clean typography hierarchies, stylized storytelling techniques, and an intangible human element, the design framework ensures clarity and professionalism across every medium. This minimalist foundation keeps the focus on the messages, ideas, and achievements of ACT House’s founders while providing the flexibility to adapt to any platform or format.
-
ACT House’s brand tone of voice is rooted in clarity, authenticity, and momentum. Every message is designed to speak directly to founders, investors, and community members without unnecessary jargon or fluff. Using conversational subtlety, it prioritizes human connection over corporate polish, making communications feel like a trusted conversation between peers. The tone blends confidence with inclusivity — bold enough to inspire action, yet grounded enough to be relatable. It speaks with purpose, guiding audiences toward opportunity while celebrating their individuality and potential.
-
ACT House’s brand graphic asset ecosystem is built for versatility, scalability, and speed — the three essentials for a fast-moving startup accelerator. The system includes a library of video storytelling styles, iconographic systems, and presentation frameworks designed to maintain visual consistency while allowing for rapid adaptation across platforms. Every asset is optimized for multiple formats, from widescreen event screens and social media reels to pitch decks and printed collateral. This ensures that whether the message is delivered in a boardroom, on a stage, or in a 15-second Instagram clip, it always looks like ACT House.
“His calm under pressure, especially during Demo Day, gave me confidence that no matter the challenge, the show would go on.”
Dominick Ard’is • CEO at ACT House
Putting Brand Into Action
Execution at ACT House was high-tempo and high-stakes. My deliverables had to work across multiple dimensions — some needed to live online, some on stage, and some in a boardroom with investors.
Video Productions
-
For this mini-doc, I took raw footage from the Creative Director and shaped it into a complete visual story of the Pre-Accelerator journey. I cut hours of material into a tight, engaging narrative that followed participants through collaboration and the winner’s advancement to the Accelerator program. With smart pacing, selective storytelling, and branded motion graphics, I built a film that captured both the intensity of Build Day X and the human connection at the heart of ACT House’s mission.
-
For this hype trailer, I filmed on the ground in Miami to capture the energy, teamwork, and innovation of the AI-driven hackathon, then worked with the creative director to cut a fast-paced final edit. The video spotlighted the ACT House x Tech Equity Collective partnership and framed the event as both a creative sprint and career opportunity. Through sharp visuals, motion pacing, and branded elements, it became a rallying call that reinforced ACT House’s mission to #ACTDifferent.
-
For this live stream, I directed the full production — from designing on-brand slides to managing A/V contractors and running the show for ACT House’s biggest Demo Day yet. I produced and edited a polished two-hour broadcast that highlighted the cohort’s six months of work while featuring the Build Day X winner in a powerful full-circle moment. Through tight coordination and elevated storytelling, the event delivered the vision on the most important stage.
Graphic Designs
-
For the 24 Hour Hackathon AI Edition poster, I created a sleek, futuristic design that blended Photoshop layouts with MidJourney-generated characters to embody the event’s AI theme. Neon accents, holographic figures, and grid-wave linework delivered a tech-forward look while strong typography and clean callouts kept the details clear. The result balanced visual impact with easy readability, tying back to ACT House’s innovative brand while showing how AI influenced both the event and the design process.
-
For this flyer, I created a bold and culturally inspired design for the No Pressure Pitch Competition hosted during Miami Art Basel, in partnership with LVMH, Black Ambition, and Adidas. Using Photoshop for structure and MidJourney for the illustrated figure, I centered the design around a confident performer with sunglasses and a microphone to embody expression and ambition. Large, textured typography emphasized the competition’s high stakes with over $20,000 in prizes, while gradients and silhouetted crowds built a sense of atmosphere. The final poster captured both the creative energy of Art Basel and the aspirational spirit of the pitch event.
-
For Cohort 5’s Demo Day poster, I created a minimal design that emphasized clarity and balance while letting the atmosphere of the event speak for itself. The layout centered on a strong photo taken at Notion Tulsa, featuring a community supporter whose energy and expression helped capture the excitement surrounding the pitches. I kept the typography bold yet understated, ensuring the focus stayed on the curated art installation in the background and the overall creative spirit of the venue. This approach resulted in a poster that felt authentic, modern, and reflective of the anticipation leading up to the showcase.
Brand Elements
-
I designed a comprehensive welcome packet for ACT House that served as both an onboarding tool and a brand primer. The packet combined clean layouts, consistent typography, and branded graphic elements to create a professional yet approachable feel. It was structured to guide new members step by step, balancing practical information with motivational visuals that reinforced ACT House’s mission. The project highlighted my ability to translate brand values into functional design assets that were clear, inspiring, and visually unified.
-
For social media announcement carousels, I built a modular design system that could adapt to different event updates, speaker highlights, and key milestones. Each carousel balanced bold typography with visual rhythm, making it easy to swipe through while maintaining strong engagement. I incorporated ACT House’s brand palette and graphic motifs consistently, but allowed flexibility in layouts to keep the content fresh. The result was a repeatable design style that made ACT House announcements instantly recognizable while staying dynamic and eye-catching.
-
As part of a playful social campaign, I created graphics featuring famous trios reimagined through the lens of ACT House’s brand identity. This series emphasized fun and relatability while still keeping the visuals aligned with the overall design ecosystem. I experimented with illustration, photo manipulation, and bold typography to give each piece its own personality while staying cohesive as a set. The campaign stood out because it humanized the brand, inviting the community to engage with ACT House in a lighter, more conversational way.
Live Event Support
-
I supported ACT House as videographer and editor at LG NOVA InnoFest in San Francisco, a two-day innovation festival hosted by LG Electronics. Using a rented FX3 with audio kit, I filmed CEO Dominick Ard’is presenting the ACT Model to one of the largest audiences yet and edited the footage in Adobe Premiere into a highlight reel that captured ACT House’s impact and presence on a national stage.
-
At Cohort 5 Demo Day, my main role was live event A/V director, managing a multi-crew production that included a livestream team, in-house videographers, and full audio support. I also designed the branded marketing assets and founder pitch decks leading up to the event. On show day, a failed HDMI splitter threatened to derail the presentations, but quick problem-solving got us a replacement in time to keep everything on track. The result was ACT House’s largest Demo Day yet, flawlessly executed and a proud final milestone of my contract.
-
For the 24 Hour Innovation Bootcamp, I supported ACT House with both event promotion and live production across five bootcamps during my contract. Each event required unique flyers, video content, and day-of execution, where I handled videography and technical support through the full 24-hour sprint. These projects sharpened my skills in fast-paced storytelling, event direction, and troubleshooting, while also deepening my connection to ACT House’s founder community. I still return as a volunteer, continuing to film, mentor, and support these hackathons that remain some of my proudest work.
Results that speak for themselves.
In my year with ACT House, we sharpened their visual presence, leveled up their live event production standards, and built a foundation that still supports their marketing efforts today. The brand guidelines alone created an efficiency ripple effect across the organization, reducing asset creation time and improving message clarity.
On the program side, I contributed creative and production deliverables to 5 Pre-Accelerator events, 2 Accelerator cohorts, and multiple high-profile speaking engagements. These assets became essential tools for fundraising, recruitment, and stakeholder reporting.
-
Supported 7 Pre-Accelerator events with full A/V management and content creation.
Supported 2 Accelerator cohorts, including multi-camera Demo Day production.
Produced hundreds of individual creative assets.
-
Elevated brand perception in local and national startup ecosystems during resistant times.
Increased internal and external confidence in mission impact through content execution and impactful storytelling.
Contributed to diversity-forward positive community culture.
Before my involvement, ACT House’s marketing and event execution were energetic but inconsistent. They had a strong, personable voice in the startup-for-startups space, but no clear blueprint for how that voice should look, feel, and sound in both content and live production.
After our work together, they had a scalable visual identity, clearly documented event production workflows, and assets that matched the quality of their programming. This alignment boosted both internal efficiency and external credibility.
Personal Takeaway
Working with ACT House was a front-row seat to the unfiltered energy of innovation. Being in rooms full of people who believed they could change the world pushed me to believe it too. My work became less about editing videos or designing slides and more about creating the conditions where ideas had the best chance to thrive. Each project was an opportunity to amplify a founder’s vision and make sure their story reached beyond the previously possible.
One of the biggest lessons I learned was that structure doesn’t stifle creativity — it enables it. Furthermore, with a solid foundation in every direction, ACT House reinforced something I’ve always suspected: great teams are built, not found. Whether you’re pairing an architect with a techie and a creative, or syncing a content editor with a a live-event crew and CEO, success happens when the right roles are aligned around a shared mission — the very thing ACT Model was built to do.
Even though my formal role has wrapped, ACT House still holds a permanent place on my calendar and in my heart. I’m honored to continue showing up for their 24-hour hackathons—not just as a videographer, but as a mentor for incoming participants and a cheerleader for the next generation of builders. As someone who fancies himself an entrepreneur, I soaked up every insight from my year with ACT House, applying lessons about team dynamics, resourcefulness, and adaptability to my own ventures. The experience left me sharper, more inspired, and more committed than ever to building things that matter. That is how you #ACTDifferent.
“Clayton was the teammate you wanted on every project — reliable, collaborative, and never short on creative solutions.”
Maria Kim • People Analytics at ACT House