Why Us
We are experts in maximizing relationships and revenue to support positive social impact.
Unlike a traditional, outsourced agency that fosters ongoing dependency, we increase your agency to acquire new skills, build enduring systems, and manage change. Our flexible partnership model allows us to work as an external advisor or embedded onsite team member.
All our work is principled, data-driven, and heartfelt.
Who We Serve:
- CEOs and marketers embracing new challenges
- Organizations navigating changes in their leadership, board, systems, and business models
- Teams seeking to optimize short-term vs. long-term revenue and impact
- Anyone passionate about inclusive social progress in unstable times
- Any entity actively leading or challenged by today’s most disruptive technology trends
Typical Roles:
- Consulting Chief Marketing Officer responsible for full-funnel relationships and revenue
- Consulting Head of Marketing and Development responsible for leading and integrating nonprofit relationship and revenue functions and systems
- Leader of complex, large-scale business and culture transformation initiatives
- Brand strategist responsible for all aspects of brand identity, storytelling, and experience design
- Coach for CEOs, high-potential employees, and motivated self-starters
Team
Our network includes some of the world’s best designers, channel marketers, writers, and researchers. For project work, we can assemble an ideal team whose members all have their names and reputations on the line doing work they love. We find this produces an excellent result without the overhead costs of a traditional agency.
Founder

Mark Gibson
Mark is a relationships and revenue expert who for over 25 years has worked with well-known global businesses and pioneers of positive system change. As the founder of The Next Us, he has worked directly with the leadership teams of Synopsys, Omidyar Network, Honeycomb.io, Linux Foundation Energy, OfferUp, eBay, Zazzle, Clinton Foundation, Mindful Schools, LeapFrog, Art Center College of Design, Misnomer Dance Theater, Remix, Community Youth Center San Francisco, FACES SF, Coral Reef Alliance, Moneythink, and Sundance Channel.
Mark began his career as a grant writer for the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities. After several years at small creative and web agencies in San Francisco, he eventually became a Director of Program Management at Sapient Corporation, leading large-scale web projects for Walmart.com, Gap, and Cisco Networking Academy.
In 2002, Mark joined Stone Yamashita Partners as a strategist helping CEOs and executive teams articulate visions for change, build cultures of innovation, and create unique customer experiences. Mark’s clients during his four years at SYPartners included Hewlett-Packard, General Electric, NBC Universal, Lifetime Television, Yahoo!, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
In 2006, Mark started The Next Us to help organizations and individuals achieve breakthrough change.
Mark has served as Board President for BAY Positives, Board Member for San Francisco Suicide Prevention, and Board Member and Development Committee co-Chair for Felton Institute. From June through August 2020, he served as the volunteer Marketing Lead for U.S. Digital Response, helping local governments across the country rapidly scale their technology systems to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
Outside of work, Mark is passionate about the performing arts, anti-racism, and healing individual and societal trauma. He is an opera and classical music fan and amateur singer. mark@thenext-us.com
Collaborators

Todd Schulte
Todd is an award winning creative director and graphic designer who believes in using the power of design for good. With 20 years of experience in brand identity, web/UI, print, packaging, and environment design, he has worked with nonprofits, educational institutions, and tech innovators alike. His list of clients include Apple, Evernote, Facebook, Google, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Micro-Documentaries, Mindful Schools, and many more. Prior to running his own studio he gained valuable experience working at several prominent Bay Area design and innovation firms such as IDEO, Factor Design, SYPartners, and the in-house design team at Apple. Todd holds a BFA in Graphic Design from The Academy of Art University, where he recently taught a level three Graphic Design class on User Experience Design. www.toddschulte.com

Jennifer Bostic
Jennifer Bostic is Creative Director of Paper Plane Studio. Since founding Paper Plane in 2000, she has worked with La Colombe, Apple, Wize Commerce, Chronicle Books, GlobalGiving, and the New Brooklyn Theatre. She led the Creative Direction of the 2010 TED Conference and design of the 2009 HP interactive space at the Consumer Electronics Show. She developed the worldwide HP event and exhibit design system, and traveled the world training local designers on the new brand. Jennifer’s work was featured at the San Francisco Museum of Design as part of an exhibition of the best designers in the Bay Area. Her work has also been showcased in Communication Arts Magazine, Graphis, AIGA exhibitions, Print Magazine, and the Art Director’s Club Annual. She is featured in the books Women in Graphic Design and Graphic Design America. She was named by HOW Magazine as one of the “5 Hot Designers to Watch.” Prior to Paper Plane, she worked at Landor, Pentagram, and SY Partners. www.paperplanestudio.com
Clients
Our clients include well-known global businesses and pioneers of positive, cross-sector change.
ARTS & MEDIA
kontentreal
Misnomer Dance Theater
Sundance Channel
CLIMATE CRISIS
Apollo Alliance
Coral Reef Alliance
Linux Foundation Energy
San Jose Project
Ulupono
B2B/B2G SOFTWARE
Honeycomb.io
Indr Software
Remix
Synopsys Software Integrity
Terrain Data
EDUCATION
Art Center College of Design
Birmingham Talks
Children’s Day School
Global Kids
Izzi Early Education
KnowledgeWorks Foundation
Leapfrog
Millennium School
Mindful Schools
Moneythink
New Tech Network
Prospect Sierra
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Clinton Foundation
Community Youth Center San Francisco
FACES SF
FINANCIAL SERVICES
CRE Income Fund
Bankrate Insurance
Mortgage Cadence
Visa
MARKETS
Honor
Omidyar Network
E-COMMERCE & RETAIL
eBay
McPherson’s
Nextag
OfferUp
Tea Collection
Zazzle

Case Studies
Get in touch
Ask a question, or book an initial call—we'd love to hear from you.