Techstars Startup Community Partnerships: Visual Identity

Case

Techstars launched Startup Community Partnerships, a program that helps cities around the world build and grow their own entrepreneurial ecosystems, backed by Techstars' network, tools, and expertise. As a new product line, it needed a visual identity that stood on its own: distinct enough from the Techstars master brand to signal a different kind of offering, but still clearly connected to it. It also needed to work for the partner communities themselves, with each city bringing its own culture and character to the table.

Role

I built a branding system rooted in the Techstars master brand, anchored by a bespoke badge concept I designed in collaboration with each community's members. Every badge was created to reflect something specific to that city, whether its geography, culture, or the ethos of its startup scene, so the identity felt authored by the community, not imposed on it. These badges extended beyond partner-facing assets: we also used them across our own marketing channels, including social, email, and video, giving each community visible representation in Techstars' broader storytelling.

Result

I delivered a package of 36 logos to each active partner community for use across their own assets. The system now supports 5 active Startup Community Partnerships (including cities like Belfast, Istanbul, Omaha, Sarajevo, and Uzbekistan), giving each a flexible, on-brand toolkit while reinforcing a cohesive identity across the broader Techstars network.

For each city, in addition to doing lots of research, I met with local startup community leaders to understand how they thought their community would be best represented, whether through an element of the physical landscape or a cultural symbol. We worked together to develop a bespoke icon that would be legible at a small scale and still be instantly recognizable as a representation of their startup community.

Istanbul, Turkey

We used the Bosphorus Bridge, as it symbolizes a connection between east and west for business.

Omaha, NE, USA

We used the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, an icon of the city that brings the community together.

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

We used a traditional motif from Bosnian kilim weaving, referencing community tradition and symbolizing the weaving together of community.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

We used a compass rose, referencing the city's maritime commercial foundation and symbolizing wayfinding.

Uzbekistan

We used a pointed arch doorway, traditional in Uzbek architecture, symbolic of welcoming the community in.

I designed a toolkit for each community that included 36 variations of their logo in formats for both print and digital as well as templates for social posts.