Novus
Nonprofit | Mental Health & Workforce Inclusion
Client
Novus
Services
- Brand Strategy & Foundations
- Naming
- Brand Voice Guidelines
- Brand Identity System
- Internal Activation & Rollout
- Website Design & Development
- External Launch Event (Bloom)
- PR Campaign
- Social Media
- Email & Newsletter Marketing
The Challenge
Employment Options had outgrown its name. After years of growth, including expanded services, deeper community roots, and a broader understanding of the people they support, the organization had become something the name could no longer fully hold. They needed a brand that could carry their history forward while making space for everything they were becoming.
The Solution
LRobInspires led a participatory brand process rooted in listening. We brought together voices from across the nonprofit’s community, including employees, board members, partners, and clubhouse members, because the brand had to reflect who they truly were, and the possibilities created by this incredible community.
From those insights, we developed:
- Purpose, personality, and brand voice
- A new name — Novus — drawn from the Latin for new, fresh, renewed
- A tagline — Together, Change Happens
- Brand voice guidelines across five traits: Knowledgeable, Confident, Purposeful, Compassionate, Dedicated
- A new logo and identity system that spans all that their community touches.
The result was a brand that honors the work they’ve always done, and opens up new possibilities for their future.
Results & Performance
With the brand foundation in place, we built everything needed to launch Novus into the world — from the inside out.
We designed and developed a new website, established their digital infrastructure (analytics, SEO, email marketing, donation processing), and created an activation plan.
In April 2026, we led the internal activation, giving the Novus team the first experience of their new brand before anyone else.
In May 2026, Novus made its public debut at Bloom, a community launch event that brought together members, partners, supporters, and media to celebrate a new beginning.
High-performance Website
A high-performance website (94 Performance / 90 Accessibility / 96 Best Practices / 92 SEO)
Community Impact
Hundreds of community partners and supporters filled the venue at the activation event
Social Media
Immediate outperformance of previous press coverage + A social media presence outperforming nonprofit industry averages on Facebook
Final thoughts
A major contributor to this project’s success was the openness of the Novus team. Their leadership invited their community in, listened to what they heard, and trusted it. That kind of courage changes everything. When a client is truly willing to hear their own people, customers, and experts, the brand that emerges doesn’t feel externally manufactured. It feels discovered.
Equally important was bringing internal stakeholders into the process early, rather than as recipients of a finished brand. Ultimately, everyone in the organization owns the brand. Novus launched with something most organizations spend years trying to build: a team that already believes.
“You helped tell our story. You helped honor our roots while giving us the courage and confidence to step into our future… Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for helping us find our voice.”
–Shannon Leary, Executive Director, Novus