Origami is an advisory firm specializing in thought partnership, leadership, and management to drive sustainable growth and create lasting change.
Our team of seasoned leaders and operators brings extensive expertise and a proven track record of successfully implementing change across many industries.
Select engagements
2022-2023
Advisors to CMO
“Origami helped us analyse our global content operation, identify and prioritize key opportunities, and recruit the right talent to make those changes come to life.”
Gillian Gorman Round,
CMO
Sector
Art
Luxury
Practice areas
Strategy
Ecommerce
Design
Creative
Marketing
Customer Experience
Executive Search
2021-2022
Advisors to CMO
“Origami brought genuine strategic insight and invaluable execution. I would recommend Origami to anyone.”
Karlyn Mattson,
CMO
Sector
Retail
Health
Practice areas
Strategy
Ecommerce
Design
Creative
Marketing
Customer Experience
2018-2020
Advisors to Founder/CEO
“Origami’s strategy and operating expertise helped us clarify our thinking, improve our execution and realize our goals. Origami is the GOAT.”
Gwyneth Paltrow,
Founder & CEO
Sector
Beauty
Fashion
Wellness
Practice areas
Strategy
Corporate Structure
Design
Creative
Marketing
Customer Experience
Partnerships
2020-2021
Advisors to President
“Origami was a true partner, as passionate about our business and our success as we were. Thanks to Origami’s unparalleled level of experience, talent, and expertise, we achieved our goals and grew as a company.”
Marc Szafran,
President
Sector
Home Furnishings
Practice areas
Strategy
Ecommerce
Customer Experience
Creative
Design
Marketing
2017-ongoing
Advisors to Founder/CEO
“Origami’s been our trusted partner over the years to help us reimagine and evolve our brand, our business and our customer experience.”
Sandra Oh Lin,
Founder & CEO
Sector
Direct-to-consumer
Practice areas
Strategy
Customer Experience
Organizational Structure
Creative
Design
Marketing
2017-2021
Advisors to COO & CEO
“Origami unlocked new opportunities for us to engage with a class of customers every brand dreams of reaching.”
Kedar Deshpande,
CEO
Sector
Retail
Practice areas
Strategy
Ecommerce
Creative Operations
Customer Experience
Creative & Design
Marketing
Partnerships
PR
Sectors
Art & Luxury
Manufacturing
Retail
Health
Media
Hospitality
Clients
Bed Bath & Beyond
Christie’s
Citic Capital
Crocs
Ebay
Elysium Health
F. Schumacher & Co.
Goop
GNC
Herman Miller Retail
Holly Hunt
Hubble Contacts
Il Buco Family
KiwiCo
Knoll
Rethink Foods
Selldorf Architects
Seliger Studios
Tecovas
The Paris Review
US Mobile
Waterworks
Zappos
We collaborate with you to identify and refine high-value opportunities, develop actionable plans, and stay to lead teams in executing these plans effectively. Additionally, we supplement company teams with capabilities they may lack to ensure success.
Our methodology is based on cross-functional task forces, ensuring comprehensive solutions and effective implementation.
Our methodology
Identify Opportunities
Analyze the business, its assets, brand, existing audience, resources and capabilities and identify key, achievable opportunities for strategic expansion.
Establish a Task Force
Organize and lead an internal task force of key cross-functional roles across the organization to execute the strategy and make the change sustainable, providing resources as needed.
Transition Ownership
Transition the task force leadership to internal resources so that the new capabilities become part of the existing operations and culture.
Our work
Origami provides clients with leadership, operational expertise, and the capacity to guide and support from strategy to execution.
Additionally, for a select set of critical areas where we have direct operating expertise, we provide support for key business functions.
Representative examples:
Team
Jed Alpert is the President of Origami, a technology founder, software executive and attorney. Prior to Origami he led the largest and fastest growing division of the NASDAQ listed company which acquired the business he founded. He has closed and integrated over 20 acquisitions and led due diligence and integration planning.
Joshua Liberson founded Origami in 2017 and has been helping brands tell better stories for over 25 years. In 2001 he established Helicopter, a design company that served clients in the arts, media, hospitality, and home sectors. In 2011, Helicopter was acquired by its client One Kings Lane, where Helicopter evolved into a best-in-class, 100 person creative agency, serving all aspects of the customer experience.
Joaquín Alvarado advises leading media companies and nonprofits like Microsoft, Univision, NBC News and the Ford Foundation. He is the founder of Studiotobe, a media production and consulting firm dedicated to journalism, health equity, and community-based impact. His partners have included the California Department of Public Health Office of Health Equity and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Joaquin has served as CEO of The Center for Investigative Reporting, held innovation roles at American Public Media and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and currently serves on Consumer Reports, the James B McClatchy Foundation, and 826 National.
Jeremy Bergstein is a leader in bridging the physical and digital consumer ecosystem. As founder of The Science Project, he has led innovative projects for brands like Nike, Clinique, and UNIQLO, and advised property groups such as SIMON Malls and Macerich on experiential, media and new revenue strategies. His work includes major activations like the BARNEYS Holiday Windows with Lady Gaga and Bloomingdale’s “All Wrapped Up” campaign, the Kardashians + Calvin Klein at Macys, and NIKE’s Flagship Innovation Stores. A recognized thought leader, Jeremy has spoken at top industry conferences, and his insights have been featured in major publications. He currently serves on the board of The High School of Fashion Industries.
Britt Borlinghaus has extensive experience supporting executives across diverse business environments. She honed her organizational skills managing a college wrestling team and applied her Psychology degree in the Kansas/Missouri school system. A tested problem-solver, Britt is known for her strong professional relationships and positive disposition. Her art has also been published in veterinary science journals, contributing to discussions on liver biopsies and immune system interactions of cows.
Greg Fant is an e-commerce veteran with extensive experience in General Management, Brand Management, Product Management and Marketing Strategy development and operational Planning. Greg has +25 years of marketing experience at a wide range of early stage and late stage private companies, and public companies, including Thumbtack, One Kings Lane, eBay, and The Coca-Cola Company. Greg has significant experience managing all qualitative and quantitative marketing channels and has a deep understanding of the universe of the most effective marketing, analytics, and site optimization solutions, as well as the universe of “emerging” marketing channels.
Howard Goldkrand is an Innovation Catalyst. He’s designed award-winning storytelling strategies for Fortune 500 companies and impactful customer experiences for startups and brands like Zappos, Indeed, Lululemon, and Nike. He helped create the first “pop up” experience for Song Airlines and an Emmy-nominated ARG for the TV show DEXTER. He has exhibited works worldwide and held residencies at PS1, Chinati Foundation, and Recollets Foundation Paris.
Richard Hansen is an executive and consultant with 25+ years of experience in the retail, marketplaces, and subscription industries. His primary focus is creating growth and profitability through strategy, analytics and customer insights. Richard has led consulting teams at Bain & Company, held senior leadership roles at Walmart and eBay, and been on the management teams of both rapidly growing startups and publicly-traded companies. He is passionate about helping businesses achieve their full value potential.
Rammy Harwood is an entrepreneur who co-founded and led brands like Cosi, Kidville, and Club Sports Group (CSG), the largest F45 Training franchisee. Rammy’s passion for cultivating dynamic teams and fostering authentic cultures drives sustainable ventures, leaving a profound impact on industries, communities, and team members. He excels in finding elite corporate ‘athletes’ and positioning them for success, with experience at all company stages, from entrepreneurial to professional.
Thaddeus Kromelis is a seasoned executive from the advertising, marketing, and media industries. He advises companies on their content and marketing efforts, including how to build successful teams that drive revenue. From 2015–2024 he built and led the in-house creative agency at Business Insider, a team that generated millions in revenue during his tenure. Prior to that he worked at WPP, Edelman, and Condé Nast.
Kirk Larson is General Counsel of Origami and advises on corporate issues. He is an experienced mergers and acquisitions executive, with nearly all of his career in-house at technology companies. He worked with Jed Alpert as General Counsel of a NASDAQ listed company that grew via acquisitions. Prior to Origami, he led Corporate Development for a PE-backed international software company.
Frederik Roikjer is Finance Lead of Origami with 15+ years of experience in strategic finance. Most recently he was CFO of a Private Equity owned logistics business. Prior to that, he founded and ran a VC fund. Before that, he was a technology investment banker at Morgan Stanley in London and New York, where he worked on $7.5B+ M&A, equity and debt transactions. He started his career in mid-market Private Equity.
Representative client engagement
2021-2022
Advisors to CMO
Strategy
Ecommerce
Design
Creative
Marketing
Customer Experience
Reimagining a global retail brand as a partner in health
Challenge
Despite having lined up several adjacent strategic investments with the intention to plug them into the brand’s existing distribution channels and customer base—GNC’s expansion efforts were met with operational challenges. Mired in the daily complexity of the existing business, the ability to move quickly, think cross-functionally and imagine new futures was diminished. GNC was stuck.
Origami worked to clarify GNC’s strategy and operationalize the transformation. Origami quickly identified a set of existing business capabilities within GNC that could be reframed to substantiate the evolution, persist as a platform for further expansion into health and set up and deployed our Task Force methodology to move from audit to implementation in only 6 months.
Solution
Our audit identified existing GNC assets which required minimal operational changes and could therefore be executed upon quickly. Since 2017, GNC had offered automatic product replenishment under the rubric of Auto-Deliver & Save. Origami identified that the lifetime revenue from these customers was 5X the conventional retail customer and focused the strategy on reframing the narrative from a product emphasizing functional delivery attributes into a service supporting the goals of an ongoing health routine over time. Introducing: GNC Routines
Task Force
With a new narrative in hand we organized and led an internal task force of key cross-functional roles from across the GNC organization to execute the strategy both online and in-store and make the change sustainable. To execute quickly, Origami resourced gaps in GNC’s capabilities in program management, strategy, marketing, design & creative, operations, customer experience, and technology.
Transition
The hybrid Origami / GNC task force built a new digital experience for the reimagined subscription service, established the in-store customer experience and trained over 5,000 associates across all 2,600 US-based stores, including franchisees, to establish GNC Routines in July 2022 as the platform for growth and expansion into further health services.
Impact
GNC Routines delivered a 49% increase in YoY subscription sales in under 5 months from launch and provided a clear narrative framework for expansion including the further addition of prescription services in November 2022.
Sustainable Growth Strategy
Origami’s focus on driving Sustainable Growth helps businesses grow in a way that aligns with their most important goals—whether that’s preparing for an exit, raising capital, or boosting profitability.
With deep experience in FP&A, marketing, and operations, we identify key areas for improvement, like financial planning and go-to-market strategy, and help you execute with a focus on tangible outcomes. Our approach is grounded in practical, data-driven insights that deliver measurable, sustainable growth.
Sustainable Growth: FP&A
Financial Planning & Analysis
Origami Advisory brings clarity to complexity with strategic, forward-thinking financial planning and analysis.
Led by Frederik Roikjer, our FP&A practice integrates sophisticated financial strategies with innovative insights to help organizations navigate the dynamic business landscape and achieve lasting growth.
Meet our FP&A Leader
Frederik Roikjer
Frederik brings over 15 years of experience in strategic finance. Most recently, he served as CFO of a private equity-owned logistics business, where he drove financial transformation. Prior to that, Frederik founded and ran a venture capital fund, and before that, he worked as a technology investment banker at Morgan Stanley in London and New York, where he led over $7.5 billion in M&A, equity, and debt transactions. His career began in mid-market private equity, and he’s dedicated to helping businesses unlock their full financial potential.
Financial Planning
Origami delivers comprehensive financial planning, leveraging scenario analysis to create long-term financial models that empower decision-making with confidence.
Case study:
A freight company struggled to enhance its EBITDA margin despite solid revenue growth.
Solution:
Our team designed department-level planning models, improving their margin by 5 percentage points.
Resource Allocation
We take a strategic approach to capital allocation, investment analysis, and growth planning, ensuring your resources are deployed to create maximum value.
Case study:
An enterprise sales team’s high cost outpaced the profit they generated.
Solution:
We restructured their customer acquisition strategy, resulting in a doubled Customer Lifetime Value.
Functional Area Empowerment
Origami partners with your internal teams, empowering them with actionable financial insights and strategies to improve decision-making and efficiency while staying aligned with company objectives.
Case study:
A technology company was facing a low job offer acceptance rate.
Solution:
We crafted a custom HR framework and product tool, boosting candidate conversion by over 50%.
Risk Management and Performance Measurement
We provide a holistic approach to risk management, integrating it with performance measurement and KPI tracking to mitigate risks and drive sustainable growth.
Case study:
A brokerage firm struggled with increasing Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) due to delinquent clients.
Solution:
We introduced an automated credit underwriting process, reducing DSO by more than ten days.
Data-Driven Insights
Our advanced analytics offer clear, actionable insights that drive smarter decision-making and stronger financial performance.
Case study:
A logistics company’s broad pricing models were missing opportunities to maximize profits in the spot market.
Solution:
We developed a dynamic pricing model, increasing their gross profit margin by over 40%.
Sustainable Growth: Marketing
Marketing Strategy and Operational Planning
Keeping pace with marketing trends is crucial. Our comprehensive marketing assessment not only identifies growth opportunities but also provides actionable recommendations to drive measurable results.
Led by Greg Fant, our approach provides a clear foundation for aligning your marketing functions—people, processes, and technology—with your business goals. Whether guiding a transition, scaling operations, or enhancing brand positioning, we identify tailored strategies to drive measurable results and ensure sustainable success.
Meet our Marketing Leader
Greg Fant
Greg is an e-commerce veteran with extensive experience in General Management, Brand Management, Product Management and Marketing Strategy development and operational Planning. Greg has +25 years of marketing experience at a wide range of early stage and late stage private companies, and public companies, including Thumbtack, One Kings Lane, eBay, and The Coca-Cola Company. Greg has significant experience managing all qualitative and quantitative marketing channels and has a deep understanding of the universe of the most effective marketing, analytics, and site optimization solutions, as well as the universe of “emerging” marketing channels.
Business Model & Brand Exploration
We begin by understanding your business and brand landscape, identifying key metrics (sales, traffic, AOV), and customer segmentation. This includes a review of distribution channels and competitive positioning to uncover growth opportunities.
Brand Health & Positioning
We evaluate your brand’s health and customer perception, focusing on awareness, positioning, and target demographics to strengthen your brand’s compelling and differentiated promise and personality.
User Experience & Customer Journey
We analyze your user experience, including the customer journey, merchandise strategy, and promotional efforts, to enhance engagement and conversion.
Marketing Operations & Organizational Structure
We assess your marketing organization and operational capabilities, identifying strengths and areas for improvement across internal teams and external partners.
Channel & Performance Review
We provide a comprehensive review of existing channel performance (SEO, paid, social, brand) to understand contributions to traffic, sales, and revenue, optimizing for efficiency and growth. In addition we explore channel expansion opportunities.
Marketing Technology & Analytics
We review your marketing tech stack and data and analytic capabilities, ensuring you have the tools, reporting and insights necessary for effective campaign management and attribution.
User Experience & Customer Journey
We analyze your user experience, including the customer journey, merchandise strategy, and promotional efforts, to enhance engagement and conversion.
CRM & Email Marketing
We evaluate your CRM capabilities and email marketing strategies, focusing on segmentation, personalization, and performance metrics like CTR and open rates.
Case study
Marketing Assessment
Business Model, Brand and Marketing Dynamics for a DTC Retailer
Sustainable Growth: Strategy, Advanced Analytics and Customer Insights
Data & Analytics
In today’s competitive market, businesses are inundated with data, yet many struggle to turn it into valuable insights. To stay ahead, your data and analytics strategy must grow with your business. Falling behind means missed opportunities—and lost revenue.
Origami empowers consumer-facing companies to build effective data strategies and capabilities that unlock the full potential of their data over time. Across 4 key areas of Analytics, we partner with you to identify and act on data-driven growth opportunities that drive customer acquisition, increase retention, and boost profitability.
Meet our Data & Analytics Leader
Richard Hansen
Richard has 25+ years of experience spanning retail ecommerce, marketplaces, and SaaS/subscription industries. His primary focus is creating sustainable growth and cash flow through data, analytics and customer insights. Richard was a case team leader at Bain & Company, led the ecommerce analytics and global consumer insights teams at Walmart, held a variety of analytics and operating roles at eBay, and was on management teams of both rapidly growing startups and publicly-traded companies. He is passionate about helping businesses achieve their full value potential.
Strategic
Analytics
We partner with you to develop data-driven strategies and roadmaps that align with your key business objectives. By defining analytic methods that reduce time-to-insight and risk, we optimize analytics processes to deliver faster, more impactful insights that support executive decision-making.
Functional
Analytics
We help you unlock growth through predictive and prescriptive analytics across key domains. In Marketing, we optimize CAC/LTV, ROAS, and media mix; in Product, we refine A/B testing, user journey optimization, and behavioral analysis. For Merchandising, we drive assortment, pricing, and inventory planning, while our Onsite analytics enhance merchandising and promotion strategies. We also provide insights to support effective customer service staffing.
Research &
Customer Analytics
Our team designs, implements, and analyzes brand trackers and NPS/C-Sat metrics, alongside executing custom customer research studies. We develop quantitative cohort and LTV models, build behavioral segmentation models, and identify key drivers of acquisition, engagement, and retention to support targeted growth strategies.
Descriptive
Analytics
We identify and build the metrics, instrumentation, and reporting to support strategic and operational goals. We ensure dashboards and visualizations provide clear, actionable insights, establish processes for data-driven performance reviews, and develop frameworks that promote continuous learning.
Case study
Data & Analytics
Capabilities Assessment
Improving Analytics for a Leading Consumer Mobile-based Solution
Representative client engagement
2017-2021
Advisors to COO & CEO
Strategy
Ecommerce
Creative Operations
Customer Experience
Creative & Design
Marketing
Partnerships
PR
Expanding the brand experience for interest-based audiences
Below are three examples of content-led work created for various Zappos engagements, including, the_ONES, for women who love classic sneakers, a co-op marketing video series called ZAPS (Zappos Actual People Stories) and a vertical focused on parents, Zappos KIDS.
The_ONES
Despite being the 2nd largest online sneaker store, Zappos received limited access to high-demand sneakers from key vendors based on their transactional perception of Zappos. Origami identified an opportunity in the sneaker industry’s relentless marketing focus on male consumers, despite women making up nearly half the market. This insight led to ‘The_Ones totally powered by Zappos,’ a story-led platform, fueled by Social, collaborations and partnerships, to celebrate women who love classic sneakers, all backed by Zappos’s renowned logistics and customer service.
Partnerships,
PAPER Magazine
Outdoor,
Williamsburg, NYC
Animation
NYC-based female skate collective Skate Kitchen
Pop-Up, Soho, NYC
150+ original and commissioned images, videos, articles and animations
ZAPS
Zappos Actual People Stories
Origami developed the ZAPS co-op marketing franchise to grow and deploy vendor marketing dollars to acquire new customers via YouTube. Origami established the system and applied it to over 100 videos while training the Zappos team to produce them internally.
Drove a 25% increase in YoY coop marketing spend from Zappos vendors.
Examples
Zappos KIDS
Origami partnered with the Zappos Kids merchandising group to establish a new experience aimed at parents. The objective was to demonstrate, to vendors as well, that Zappos wasn’t just about shoes; it was a go-to place for kids’ apparel and trusted advice too. To further reinforce this new narrative, a catalog, featuring content such as “The Handy Dandy Shoe Guide” was distributed to over 500,000 new and existing customers.
Catalog
Handy-dandy shoe size guide
ZapposKids.com
Origami is a change-the-business advisory.
We help companies improve, grow and create lasting change, while supporting the teams running the business.
info@
heyorigami.com
117 Dobbin Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222