Town of Waterford Town of Waterford Takes Action Towards Supporting Small Businesses Impacted by the Pandemic, Launches Grant Program Client Town of Waterford Takes Action Towards Supporting Small Businesses Impacted by the Pandemic, Launches Grant Program Year 2022-2023 Scope of Work Project/Program Management | Administrative Assistance Industry Municipal Here's the Stitch (aka Situation) Using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Town of Waterford wanted to develop and administer a Small Business and Assistance Program that would provide pandemic relief to small businesses. This was the first program directly supporting Waterford small businesses, and First Selectman Rob Brule along with the Economic Development Commission requested assistance. Our Approach We understood that facilitating a program that adequately supports the unique infrastructures, cultures and processes found within small business models requires many interconnected pieces. We took a well-rounded, innovative and customized approach to implementing operations management services that thoroughly assessed the specific needs of Waterford’s small businesses in order to: ensure the shared grant materials align with legal requirements grant information is clearly communicated and promoted to prospective applicants the application process is conducted as seamlessly and fairly as possible facilitate communication so that all relevant parties can be kept knowledgeable on awardees implement administrative support to upkeep maintenance and reporting Our Impact & Client Milestones Our Operations Management support enabled us to build the Town of Waterford's first Small Business program, from end-to-end and specifically: Ensure it followed federal/ARPA policy Facilitated community listening via a survey that gathered quantitative and qualitative data from over 50 small business owners, which was not only useful for the creation of the program but also for long-term use by the Town Curate and host a virtual round table discussion between Town leaders and small business impacted by the pandemic, to de-mystify any concerns about the application process Built a user-friendly submission process, which resulted in 9 complete applications Created a user-friendly application rubric for the EDC to award $78,500 in total funding to all 9 applicants As of January 2023, BRVC is working with the Town of Waterford to facilitate the second cohort for the program, with the remaining $105,000 ARPA funds.

Cheat Code Cheat Code Celebrates Black History Month By Promoting Financial Education and Delivering Free Stock Certificates to Children Client Cheat Code: Black History Month Campaign Year 2022 Scope of Work Brand Messaging Development, Public Relations Industry Start-Up Here's the Stitch (aka Situation) A cause through their non-profit branch, the NVST Foundation, the campaign aims to generate $100,000 in donations from donors who advocate for financial literacy among marginalized families, create early access to wealth in the form of 1000 Roblox stock certificates, and provide a stepping stone to youth. As seen on Yahoo News, Business Insider, MarketWatch and Earn Your Leisure, Cheat Code is a holistic investment and trading company offering software, courses, community and products that make financial education easy and generational wealth a possibility for marginalized communities. Launched in 2021 by co-founders and entrepreneurs, Francis Kway and Jehu Graham, Cheat Code provides beginner-friendly support that is active, affordable and accessible. Designed for traders of all experience levels, Cheat Code ALGO, Cheat Code Academy and the Cheat Code community of 17,000+ members equip communities of color to invest with ease and confidence. Committed to elevating disenfranchised communities through equitable access to financial education, Francis and Jehu wanted to fundraise $100,000 from donors who advocate for financial literacy among marginalized families, create early access to wealth in the form of 1000 Roblox stock certificates, and provide a stepping stone to youth—with the ultimate goal of interrupting deleterious cycles of poverty. Our Approach To ensure we best positioned Cheat Code's efforts and value in a way that was beginner-friendly, we conducted an audit of their existing online presence as well as a competitive coverage analsysis. Then, we used our findings to help rebrand messaging for the Cheat Code brand, including its products and non-profit entity--NVST Foundation. Finally, we used the messaging to help the Cheat Code update all pitchable assets, structure their Accessible Generational Wealth for Your Legacy campaign, and produce a press release. Our Impact & Client Milestones The distribution of our press release on the wire resulted in their campaign launch receiving coverage on 116 media platforms (Estimated impressions: 95 million), which included: 45 AP outlets Notable media coverage: Yahoo and Market Watch Our tailored pitches, resulted in 4 media placements (Estimated impressions: 657.76K). 25% of the coverage shared the brand's story (vs. solely its products or a mention)--which outperformed competitor coverage Notable media coverage: Sheen Magazine, Money Geek, and Media Feed

Traffix'd Project Insightful Guidance, Renewed Confidence Year 2023 Scope of Work Brand Growth Audit Industry Start-Up, B2C The (consultation) service was better than I expected. Not because I went into it believing it would not be valuable but because I was a bit nervous and feeling overwhelmed. In addition to Brianna sharing insightful information, she also shared her story which made me feel confident about the direction I am headed in. Natalie B. Founder

My Sister's Keyp'her New York Based Non-Profit Maintains Community Presence with The Launch of a New Initiative for Women of Color Client My Sisters Keyp'her: Community Hub for Women of Color Year 2019 Scope of Work Brand Identity, Brand Messaging Development, Content Creation, Social Media Management, Influencer Marketing, Brand Partnerships Industry Non-Profit, Start-Up Here's the Stitch (aka Situation) Following the success of their 2nd annual fashion show, advocating for breast cancer awareness, Power In Pink Founder, Dafina Morris, launched a new initiative for women of color to engage in activities that spark conversations about "trying to have it all.” Following her 2nd fashion show to raise breast cancer awareness among Black women, Power In Pink founder, Dafina Morris, created My Sister's Keyp'her to expand the ways she could support and uplift Black women. She wanted the initiative to serve as a hub for Black women to enjoy empowering events, engage with educational content and share experiences regarding a variety of health issues. For My Sister's Keyp'her's launch, Dafina wanted to host an intimate an intimate conversation for women of color (millennials to early 40s) to relax under the sun, and engage in activities that spark conversations about: balancing "trying to have it all" with self-care, uplifting one another and the power of networking/mentorship. Our Approach Because Dafina had been known for her breast cancer awareness advocacy, it was essential for us to develop solid messaging and consult on identity qualities (i.e. a logo) that clearly My Sister's Key'her as its own entity. Additionally, it was important that we strategically and gradually introduced this initiative to Power In Pink's audience, with takeaways that still resonated; and didn't cause disassociation with how they've come to relate to the organization within the past 2 years. Our Impact & Client Milestones Through our #PIPShifts soft social media campaign, we produced content that prioritized the transition into My Sister’s Key’pher—and specifically, recaps of the My Sister’s Keyp’her Kickback. 107 posts, 2,199 engagement, 24,733 impressions and 17,984 reach The most effective posts in were: a Michelle Obama quote to emphasize self-check-ins—which garnered 43 engagement and 354 impressions; a giveaway The most effective posts in August 2019 were about: a black-owned construction firm An Instagram advertisement garnered 5,694 impressions (89% from the ad), 4,551 unique accounts and 32 visits to the RSVP link. The audience was 100% women, aged 25 - 34, located in New York Brand promotion for the event, specifically, garnered 9,000+ impressions on Instagram Received 15 new newsletter subscribers; and 16 new followers in less than 60 days With the help of BRVC, Power In Pink produced and hosted My Sister’s Keyp’her Kickback in Brooklyn, New York's Prospect Park which resulted in 12 RSVPs, a 58% attendance rate and a positive share of voice on Instagram post-event—from influencers. Coordinated and secured attendance from NYC influencers, bloggers & Youtubers: Quiana from Harlem Love Birds, Nellie from Brooklyn Active Mama, and Netta Woods (collective following of 32,000+) Secured 2 sponsorships with local businesses: Y7 Studio and Effie's Paper Curated gift box for attendees

RiseUP for Arts Non-Profit RiseUP for Arts Takes Art ManiFESTation to New Heights Client RiseUP for Arts: Project Management to Empower Event Committee Year 2022 Scope of Work Project Management, Systems Implementation, Administrative Assistance, Event Planning Industry Non-Profit Here's the Stitch (aka Situation) Fundraisers, Art ManiFESTation (a collaboration with MAD) and Cocktails for Change, are not foreign events to supporters of RiseUP for Arts. In 2022, the organization wanted to mesh the high-energy of these events, to produce an interactive arts experience in Connecticut. RiseUP was founded in 2012 as a youth development and mentoring program aimed at helping youth develop the skills needed to be the catalysts that inspire and uplift their community. RiseUP for Arts has grown to be the State of Connecticut's only state-wide public art nonprofit. In addition to public art, RiseUP for Arts is still focused on youth development in each community mural project. RiseUP also partners and organizes creative placemaking experiences across Connecticut. In 2021, RiseUP for Arts Founder, Matt Conway, wanted to revitalize the organization's Art ManiFESTation event by forming an event committee and streamlining tasks. Our Approach Excited to bring a unique experience to Connecticut's arts ecosystem, we facilitated the below processes: An assessment of the existing RiseUP team, divided into 6 sub-committees based on superpowers/event Helped teams focus on individual goals and tasks through consistently updated Assisted with Marketing strategy and messaging where necessary. (Framed the event’s interactive elements messaging for sponsorship/marketing purposes) Built out contacts for sponsorship list (up to 40) Team supervision/accountability - attended necessary meetings to ensure teams were kept on track, risks were mitigated, and agendas were moving forward. The below ROI of our support contributed to an organized event that "exceeded expectations by 1,000%!"(Source) Risk mitigation and accountability monitoring Increased productivity levels Time and energy available to complete other tasks (Time Management) Establishment and maintenance of efficient business systems and processes Documented processes (to help plan for next year’s event)

RiseUP for Arts Non-Profit RiseUP for Arts Takes Art ManiFESTation to New Heights Client RiseUP for Arts: Project Management to Empower Event Committee Year 2022 Scope of Work Project Management, Systems Implementation, Administrative Assistance, Event Planning Industry Non-Profit Here's the Stitch (aka Situation) Fundraisers, Art ManiFESTation (a collaboration with MAD) and Cocktails for Change, are not foreign events to supporters of RiseUP for Arts. In 2022, the organization wanted to mesh the high-energy of these events, to produce an interactive arts experience in Connecticut. RiseUP was founded in 2012 as a youth development and mentoring program aimed at helping youth develop the skills needed to be the catalysts that inspire and uplift their community. RiseUP for Arts has grown to be the State of Connecticut's only state-wide public art nonprofit. In addition to public art, RiseUP for Arts is still focused on youth development in each community mural project. RiseUP also partners and organizes creative placemaking experiences across Connecticut. In 2021, RiseUP for Arts Founder, Matt Conway, wanted to revitalize the organization's Art ManiFESTation event by forming an event committee and streamlining tasks. Our Approach Excited to bring a unique experience to Connecticut's arts ecosystem, we facilitated the below processes: An assessment of the existing RiseUP team, divided into 6 sub-committees based on superpowers/event Helped teams focus on individual goals and tasks through consistently updated Assisted with Marketing strategy and messaging where necessary. (Framed the event’s interactive elements messaging for sponsorship/marketing purposes) Built out contacts for sponsorship list (up to 40) Team supervision/accountability - attended necessary meetings to ensure teams were kept on track, risks were mitigated, and agendas were moving forward. The below ROI of our support contributed to an organized event that "exceeded expectations by 1,000%!"(Source) Risk mitigation and accountability monitoring Increased productivity levels Time and energy available to complete other tasks (Time Management) Establishment and maintenance of efficient business systems and processes Documented processes (to help plan for next year’s event)

Alexi Paraschos Singer & Songwriter Pays Tribute to the Virtual Weddings of the Coronavirus Client Alexi Paraschos: Video Tribute to Virtual Weddings Year 2020 Scope of Work Brand Messaging Development, Public Relations Industry Entertainment Here's the Stitch (aka Situation) An album release during the beginning of the pandemic lockdown wasn't ideal, yet award-winning artist, Alexi Paraschos' music celebrated love in the midst of challenges. Called "blue-eyed soul for the 2ist century," Alexi Paraschos is an award-winning soul, R&B, and pop singer/songwriter based in Philadelphia. He is known for his smooth tenor voice paired with original, catchy melodies, which give him his unique and captivating sound. Inspired by a trip to his father's homeland of Greece in 2018, Alexi wanted to bring awareness to his project, "Love Odyssey" which pays homage to his Greek heritage, and his subsequent wedding engagement to his longtime partner. Our Approach In a 3-month "Love Odyssey" campaign we worked alongside influencer and social media marketing agency, DRTR Agency, to craft a compelling narrative that would not only make R&B fans aware of Alexi, but also listen to the album. To lead our strategy, we leveraged Alexi's existing accolades (i.e. awards, playing at SXSW Music Festival, and successfully kickstarting an East Coast Diner Tour) and notable album features (hip hop veteran, Jadakiss; Grammy-award winner, Chrisette Michele, Natalie Stewart from Floetry and more) to push the leading single, "Mine." Since the release was at the beginning of the pandemic lockdown which halted all performances, music videos and in-person opportunities to generate awareness, we suggested that Alexi (whose wedding was pushed back for the unforeseeable future), spotlight couples who had virtual weddings for the release of the single's video. Our Impact & Client Milestones In addition to a press release, our tailored pitches earned 7 placements on local, regional and national platforms (Estimated impressions: 38M+). 29% of coverage were music reviews, 57% were profiles or features highlighting Alexi's brand story The "Mine" music video featured 30 newlyweds representing sixteen states, six countries, and four continents. Notable media coverage: New York Times, Philadelphia Magazine, ThisIsRnB, and Soul Tracks. The story was also picked up by NECN (an NBC affiliate).

I took a coaching class with Brianna and it was amazing! I developed a better marketing strategy, received feedback on my online presence, defined my target audience and so much more. Plus I had great interaction with the rest of the class. Would highly recommend. Dawn F. Founder Beauty by Dawn Project Elevating Strategy & Engagement Year 2023 Scope of Work 60-Day Pow Wow Industry Lifestyle, B2C

My Sister's Keyp'her New York Based Non-Profit Maintains Community Presence with The Launch of a New Initiative for Women of Color Client My Sisters Keyp'her: Community Hub for Women of Color Year 2019 Scope of Work Brand Identity, Brand Messaging Development, Content Creation, Social Media Management, Influencer Marketing, Brand Partnerships Industry Non-Profit, Start-Up Here's the Stitch (aka Situation) Following the success of their 2nd annual fashion show, advocating for breast cancer awareness, Power In Pink Founder, Dafina Morris, launched a new initiative for women of color to engage in activities that spark conversations about "trying to have it all.” Following her 2nd fashion show to raise breast cancer awareness among Black women, Power In Pink founder, Dafina Morris, created My Sister's Keyp'her to expand the ways she could support and uplift Black women. She wanted the initiative to serve as a hub for Black women to enjoy empowering events, engage with educational content and share experiences regarding a variety of health issues. For My Sister's Keyp'her's launch, Dafina wanted to host an intimate an intimate conversation for women of color (millennials to early 40s) to relax under the sun, and engage in activities that spark conversations about: balancing "trying to have it all" with self-care, uplifting one another and the power of networking/mentorship. Our Approach Because Dafina had been known for her breast cancer awareness advocacy, it was essential for us to develop solid messaging and consult on identity qualities (i.e. a logo) that clearly My Sister's Key'her as its own entity. Additionally, it was important that we strategically and gradually introduced this initiative to Power In Pink's audience, with takeaways that still resonated; and didn't cause disassociation with how they've come to relate to the organization within the past 2 years. Our Impact & Client Milestones Through our #PIPShifts soft social media campaign, we produced content that prioritized the transition into My Sister’s Key’pher—and specifically, recaps of the My Sister’s Keyp’her Kickback. 107 posts, 2,199 engagement, 24,733 impressions and 17,984 reach The most effective posts in were: a Michelle Obama quote to emphasize self-check-ins—which garnered 43 engagement and 354 impressions; a giveaway The most effective posts in August 2019 were about: a black-owned construction firm An Instagram advertisement garnered 5,694 impressions (89% from the ad), 4,551 unique accounts and 32 visits to the RSVP link. The audience was 100% women, aged 25 - 34, located in New York Brand promotion for the event, specifically, garnered 9,000+ impressions on Instagram Received 15 new newsletter subscribers; and 16 new followers in less than 60 days With the help of BRVC, Power In Pink produced and hosted My Sister’s Keyp’her Kickback in Brooklyn, New York's Prospect Park which resulted in 12 RSVPs, a 58% attendance rate and a positive share of voice on Instagram post-event—from influencers. Coordinated and secured attendance from NYC influencers, bloggers & Youtubers: Quiana from Harlem Love Birds, Nellie from Brooklyn Active Mama, and Netta Woods (collective following of 32,000+) Secured 2 sponsorships with local businesses: Y7 Studio and Effie's Paper Curated gift box for attendees

By uncovering my strategic steps I’ve been landing longer term contracts, which I was never really focused on before. I wanted to hit $10k - $20k months faster, doing 1 or 2 projects a month. Thinking strategically about my approach, I was able to hit 50% of my goal within 3 months. I also figured out a way where I don't have to be completely present on my business’ Instagram and can still introduce people to my story and the brand which has been working so far. Ashli F. CEO, Creative Director Ashli F. CEO, Creative Director Exhibit B Agency Project 50% Revenue Goal in 3 Months Year 2023 Scope of Work 60-Day Pow Wow Industry Start-Up, B2B

Tina Turtle x Steve Madden Boosting Tina Turtle’s Brand and Revenue Client Tina Turtle Year 2024 Scope of Work Branding, Influencer Marketing, Influencer Management Industry Lifestyle Here's the Stitch (aka Situation) With nearly 1 million followers, viral moments, and cultivated influence, Tina Turtle has reached a pivotal point in her brand journey, that involves solidifying her as a fashion and lifestyle content creator. Our Approach Over the past 8.5 months, we focused on solidifying the packaging and presentation of Tina’s brand to elevate her as a go-to collaborator for brands looking to connect with Gen-Z and millennial women who live confidently, appreciate nostalgia, and aim to make the most of life. Branding & Strategy: Updated social media bios and created a streamlined brand kit and one-sheet to establish a consistent and clear brand identity. Marketing & Communications: Defined partnership goals, conducted market research, and analyzed past efforts to identify strategic opportunities. Set up a Brand Correspondence Tracker to manage inbound inquiries. Operations Management: Managed inbound inquiries with response templates and directed to Tina’s management. Pitched outbound to relevant brands, securing partnerships and increasing revenue. Our Impact & Client Milestones Revenue Growth: From October 4 to December 20, Tina's revenue nearly doubled compared to the previous 1.5-month period, and almost tripled compared to the first 4 months of the partnership. This demonstrates a significant increase in both the average deal size and overall revenue performance. Social Media Milestones: Tina reached 100k+ followers on Instagram, significantly expanding her reach and influence. Brand Partnerships: She attended her first festival, the Broccoli City Music Festival, with travel compensation. Tina became the face of a summer campaign with Paper Planes, which resulted in ongoing engagement with the brand. After participating in gifting campaigns, Tina secured her first paid Steve Madden deal and a paid partnership with Adore Me, showcasing her ability to leverage event content into paid collaborations. Gained partnerships with Fashion Nova, Readyhubb, Kenner, Nike, PUMA and more. With nearly 1 million followers, viral moments, and cultivated influence, Tina Turtle has reached a pivotal point in her brand journey, that involves solidifying her as a fashion and lifestyle content creator.

CT Office of The Arts Connecticut Office of the Arts Bolsters Economic Opportunity in the Arts with Workforce Initiative Client CT Office of The Arts: Improving Economic Opportunity in the Arts Year 2017-2023 Scope of Work Project Management, Systems Implementation, Administrative Assistance Industry Municipal, Non-Profit Here's the Stitch (aka Situation) A paid apprenticeship program that gives Connecticut college students, emerging creatives, formerly incarcerated individuals and military veterans an opportunity to gain high-level professional work experience with not-for-profit arts and cultural organizations throughout the state. Since its inception in 2017, more than 100 Connecticut college students, emerging creatives, formerly incarcerated individuals and military veterans have been placed in apprenticeships at non-profit and cultural organizations. In return, they have explored various job opportunities in the arts, developed new passions, enhanced their skillset, received professional development support and, for some, long-term employment. Additionally, host organizations have provided apprentices with engaging experiences in arts administration, visual arts, arts presenting/curating, media arts, performing arts, visual arts, arts education and literary arts. In an effort to scale the program with an intenton of curating a well-rounded summer apprenticeship experience that attracts more talent as well as fosters job opportunities, the Connecticut Office of the Arts requested assistance to achieve the following outcomes: Maintain retention of apprentice placements in selected organizations Show that AWI/employment in the arts contributes to the economic growth in CT Be able to gather accurate apprentice demographics, and use data to further improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the program Build trust as well as organic & ongoing relationships between COA, apprentices & organizations (receive genuine trackable & quality feedback from organizations & interns in regards to their experiences with one another, as well as COA/AWI) Instill professional development workshops/trainings for intern applicants & selected organizations Long-term: Receive applications that align with the cross-sectors of the arts' community (i.e. public relations, marketing, etc.) Our Approach Worked with COA’s leadership to thoroughly assess and update internal messaging for the program to ensure it maintains its integrity of following state policy as well as its READI principles Provided messaging and counsel for public information sharing via newsletters, social media and directly with stakeholders Strategically and carefully implemented communications and operational practices/counsel to COA, stakeholders and apprentices as they navigated COVID-19 Facilitated implemenetation and supervision of the developed processes Our Impact & Client Milestones Since 2020, a total of 35 apprentices were provided job opportunities in 35 non-profit organizations within 2 years, resulting in over $131,250 being distributed to apprentices. (Please view our reports for details on the impact of our work and how we met/exceeded required outcomes: 2021 and 2020. Kindly note, each of our client collaborations include frequent check-ins, agendas and recap reports.) Additional Reference Links: AWI Website (Kindly note, BRVC is a part of the program’s redesign for 2023. Our work involves: brand development, social & digital strategy, public relations and project management.) 2021 Selected Apprentices 2020 Selected Apprentices