HABITABLE

Repositioning a legacy research nonprofit as a global voice for planetary health.

MY ROLE

Brand Strategy + Positioning

Strategic Messaging

Cross-Functional Leadership

Organizational Transformation

Creative Direction

THE TEAM

Brand design / Bunk

Graphic Design / Raphael Cala

SEO + SEM / 7RPM

PR / J Brennan Associates

The Challenge

In 2023, I joined Habitable (formerly Healthy Building Network) as Chief Brand and Communications Officer—the organization's first-ever C-suite communications leader. After 25 years as a respected environmental nonprofit, the team needed more than visibility—they needed transformation.

My mandate: evolve a niche, technical authority into an accessible, global thought leader capable of influencing markets, philanthropy, and policy in a rapidly shifting landscape.

The Transformation

I led a comprehensive rebrand to align Habitable’s identity with its next phase of impact. This spanned strategy, storytelling, and identity development—including a new name, mission/vision, brand architecture, message platform, website, and collateral. Working within tight constraints, I built the brand for scalability from the start, leveraging innovative solutions to sustain creative excellence under resource constraints.

As a department of one, I built foundational communications systems and workflows to sustain this transformation, while advocating for a brand and marketing perspective at the leadership level. The real work was translating my expertise across organizational functions to create clarity, alignment, and integrated strategy. I evolved not only how Habitable communicates, but how it operates—enabling a small team to work with greater cohesion, strategy, and influence.

“Nicolette transformed our communications. Just compare a report from before she joined to one after—the improvement is undeniable. She helped us appeal to a much broader audience.”

Rebecca Stamm, Senior Researcher | Habitable

Proof of Concept

A key outcome was developing two communications assets for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Beyond Petrochemicals Campaign (BPC)—one of several new funders that the rebrand helped attract. The first, a policy brief, translated Habitable’s complex research on plastics in building materials into an accessible, visually-driven format. Promoted at the UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations (INC 5.2) in Geneva, Switzerland and translated into French and Spanish, it marked the organization’s shift from technical authority to global thought leader.

I also worked closely with the internal team to translate their research into a systems-change framework for Beyond Petrochemicals leadership—advising on how the campaign could deploy philanthropic capital for systemic impact on petrochemical reduction. Habitable and BPC leveraged this framework to mobilize additional funders, catalyzing sector-level momentum. The framework’s accessibility and compelling visuals I developed supported both the internal team’s research recommendations as well as our partner’s pitch.

The Impact

Following the rebrand, Habitable attracted four new philanthropic funders and unlocked $250K in dedicated communications funding in the first year after launch. Beyond monetary outcomes, I led a shift in internal capacity and culture — equipping the leadership team with frameworks and narrative architecture to sustain innovation.