The Through Line

I'M JESS

CREATIVESTRATEGISTSTORYTELLER

Jess, founder of The Through Line, in her studio
Your ideas are good. Now let's make them look the part.

Strategy · Visual Storytelling · Innovation

Selected Work

6 Projects

What I do

Most people with big ideas can't get them out of their heads. I fix that. I'm a strategist and designer, so I think in arguments and work in visuals. I'm the person you call when you have great content, but no idea what to do with it. Often, people think they just need better-looking slides, but it's the thinking and the logic behind them that's broken.

I work with founders, executives, researchers, and sales teams who are sitting on a big idea (an investor pitch, a board update, a brand narrative, a complex decision that needs buy-in) that isn't landing the way it should. Maybe it's too long, or unclear, or it looks like a PowerPoint template from 2003.

I figure out what you're actually trying to say, then shape it into a compelling, defensible story. Then, I design the whole thing into something you'd be proud to put in front of anyone. My favorite way to work is end-to-end, owning the deep thinking, the writing, and the design, but my goal is always to make your work look and sound as good as it actually is.

  • Brand Strategy
  • Category Strategy
  • Pitch Decks
  • Keynotes
  • Innovation Strategy
  • Executive Storytelling
  • Presentation Design
  • Strategic Problem Solving

Services

Design & Strategy

  • The Full Build

    YOU HAVE

    Maybe you have a pile of insights, a hunch, or a big idea, but you don't know where to go next, or you don't have the time to figure it out.

    YOU GET

    I find the through line, pressure-test the logic, and build the argument from the ground up. Then I design it.

  • The Ruthless Edit

    YOU HAVE

    A deck that's been touched by too many hands. Mismatched layouts, borrowed slides, a story that's lost the plot somewhere along the way.

    YOU GET

    I cut what doesn't serve the story, keep what does, and rebuild it into one cohesive idea that reflects your brand and your goals.

  • The Visual Polish

    YOU HAVE

    The thinking is done. Your story is clear, the argument is tight, and you know exactly what you want your audience to think, feel, and do.

    YOU GET

    A design that finally matches the quality of the thinking behind it.

Fractional Brand & Innovation Strategy

I work with brands who need senior strategic thinking but don't yet need a full-time hire. Drawing on over a decade of experience — from finance, to category management, to whitespace innovation, most recently as an embedded strategist for Starbucks — I step in to help solve the specific problems stalling your brand's growth.

  • Brand & Category Strategy

    Architecture, positioning, and whitespace mapping that clarifies where to play and how to win.

  • Investor & Partnership Narratives

    Pitch decks and business cases that make complex ideas land with investors and partners.

  • Innovation Pipelines

    Turning market signals and consumer research into actionable briefs.

My story

Two things have always competed for my attention: the need to make sense of things and the desire to make them beautiful. My analytical side showed up early. I majored in Accounting, the practical choice, and did well enough to earn a master's degree, pass the CPA exam, and land a job at KPMG. It wasn't the right fit, but it gave me a foundation I've used ever since: how to find the signal in the noise and how to think rigorously about what a number is actually telling you.

The creative side was always there too, just waiting for the right outlet. I was the kid making art by melting crayons on a hot plate, getting lost in Microsoft Paint on my family's first PC, or playing with wild background gradients and WordArt combinations in early versions of PowerPoint. Design was the first thing I'd found where you could Edit > Undo your way to something "perfect."

After KPMG, I spent over a decade at Starbucks, moving from finance into innovation strategy—getting closer to the work I actually love: defining a problem, structuring a tight argument, and bringing it to life with stunning visuals. The Through Line is what happens when the analyst and the artist finally work together.

Jess typing at a wooden desk

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Jess in her studio, ready to hear about your project

© 2026 The Through Line — Strategy and visual storytelling.