A record store with shelves full of CDs and vinyl records. A man with tattoos is taking a photo with a small digital camera, while a person in a black beanie is sitting and looking at his phone. In the background, a young man is sitting on a chair reading a comic book. The store has a carpeted floor and various music-related items on display.

about

Black Collar is a collaborative creative studio built in Cleveland, OH, serving brands across Northeast Ohio and beyond. We focus on branding, marketing strategy, creative production, and campaign development.

We built Black Collar as the anti-agency, a response to traditional agency structures that separate strategy, design, and execution into rigid lanes.

No one here is confined to a single role or a cubicle-shaped box. Our team is made up of multi-disciplinary creatives who move fluidly between ideas, tools, and execution. Strategy overlaps with design. Design overlaps with production. Production overlaps with problem-solving. The work is better when skills collide.

We work together to bring solutions to life. That means ideas are shaped collectively, challenged openly, and improved through real collaboration. If someone sees a better way, they step in. If something needs support, it gets it. The goal is not ownership of a task. The goal is the outcome.

Our process is visible and active. Conversations happen in real time. Decisions are made with context. Adjustments are fast because everyone involved understands the bigger picture and is trusted to contribute beyond a title.

This environment creates momentum. It keeps the work sharp, adaptable, and grounded in reality. It also keeps us invested.

We value range and curiosity. People here are encouraged to stretch, experiment, and sharpen skills outside their comfort zone, keeping the work evolving instead of stagnant.

Ideas move freely, and the work is shaped by the people doing it.

Abstract digital swirl with glowing green and blue colors
Series of computer error message windows with a red X icon and a "Fix" button.
Child wearing green hat skating on a keyboard with a world map background, surrounded by kids on skateboards and rollerblades, with the word 'Internet' at the top.

S.P.e.c.i.a.l

Every build is unique. Check the stats before you commit. No npcs allowed.

  • Visual taste turned up to max. Knows how to make things hit hard, look right, and still age well after the hype dies.

  • Screen-tested confidence. Whether on camera, in a meeting, or online, people pay attention without being told to.

  • Powered by caffeine, deadlines, and bad ideas that somehow work. Always moving, always building, rarely offline.

  • Clicks everything. Breaks things on purpose. Constantly digging for better tools, better ideas, and smarter ways in.

  • Years of reps compressed into gut calls. Knows when to push, when to pull back, and when to hit publish.

  • Thrives when the plan falls apart. Switches gears mid-project and still sticks the landing.

  • Keeps the chaos survivable. Makes sure the cool idea actually ships, functions, and does not implode on launch.

The Misfits

  • A woman with curly hair, wearing glasses and earrings, smiling in an indoor setting.

    Draven

    Founder // Managing Director

  • Cory standing by an open car trunk at night wearing a black beanie and jacket

    Corey

    Director of Operations

  • Close-up of a smiling woman with glasses and curly hair, wearing hoop earrings, layered necklaces, and a striped shirt, in an indoor setting.

    Kathy

    Head of Search