Kona AI Rebrand & Launch
Industry
Audit & Compliance
Client
Kona AI
Service
Brand Designer
Date
2021 - 2023
Originally brought on as a social media manager, I quickly realized that the company’s branding was holding it back.
After a deep audit, I recommended a full rebrand, including a name change, to help it stand out in a saturated market and better reflect its strengths.
That recommendation sparked a broader transformation, one that expanded my role into branding, web, event marketing, and team coordination.
My Role
Though I started on social media, my role quickly evolved into Brand and Web Designer, and eventually into cross-functional lead across design and marketing initiatives.
Expanded responsibilities included:
Brand name + identity development
Site design and messaging
Creation of event collateral and booth design
Event coordination (representing the company at industry conferences)
Managing two external teams (one domestic, one offshore) for web/dev support
Collaborating with marketing on customer journeys and onboarding flows
The Strategy
The original name, Spectrum, was heavily saturated. Competing with a national cable company and dominating local SEO in Irvine.
It created brand confusion and weakened credibility. I proposed we rename and reposition around something truly distinct: Kona AI leveraging the founder’s name & good reputation and the metaphor of the “leeward” side (Kona) as a brand of clarity and protection.
The Build
Visual Identity
Led logo exploration and refinement with a small internal team and external contractor
Built the core brand system, typography, and iconography
Retained original color palette for continuity
Web & Messaging
Designed and built a new website aligned with the new identity
Rewrote messaging to reflect AI-driven solutions and founder-led credibility
Collaborated with marketing (Jacob Ernst) to align with HubSpot flows
Event + Coordination
Designed booth collateral, handouts, and slide decks for industry events
Attended conferences to represent the brand
Coordinated with offshore dev teams and U.S. contractor partners to keep projects moving on time
The Outcome
Successfully rebranded the company from Spectrum to Kona AI
Launched a new brand identity and redesigned website
Developed event collateral and supported in-person outreach at key conferences
Helped clarify brand messaging across touchpoints—from site to sales
Collaborated with leadership and marketing to support growth from $100k partnerships to multimillion dollar enterprise deals
Strengthened positioning in the AI + compliance space and enabled clearer conversations with clients and investors
Reflection
This was one of those rare projects where I could grow alongside the brand itself. I joined to manage social, but over time, worked hand-in-hand with leadership, marketing, and external teams to rebuild how the company presented itself to the world.
With a clear brand story, sharper messaging, and a stronger visual identity, we empowered the team to go after bigger opportunities. Helping scale the business from smaller partnerships into the multimillion-dollar space.
