Peppermill Projects

What Peppermill Projects does

Peppermill Projects is a privately held boutique brand strategy and graphic design studio headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. Founded in 2009 by Jennifer Culpepper, the firm serves founders, entrepreneurs, and small businesses seeking brand clarity, differentiated positioning, and visual identity systems. Its core offering is a 90-minute Brand Clarity Workshop (starting at $1,500), which produces a brand positioning snapshot, topline messaging, brand action priorities, and a deliverables wishlist. From that foundation, clients can engage project-based Visual Brand Design work (logos, websites, packaging, marketing materials, exhibit/interior space design) or an Ongoing Advisory retainer starting at $995/month.

The firm operates on a founder-led service model. Jennifer Culpepper serves as principal strategist and creative director, executing alongside a trusted network of designers and developers rather than a full in-house team. There is no proprietary technology platform; deliverables are customized creative output produced through a documented workshop methodology. Go-to-market is direct consultation, supported by a thought-leadership blog (Insights), an email newsletter, Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn presence, founder-led speaking engagements and workshops, and a website-native consultation booking flow. Revenue is generated through three streams: one-time workshop fees (100% upfront), project-based design engagements (50% deposit, scope-based pricing, $200/hour out-of-scope rate), and monthly advisory retainers.

The client book spans cannabis (Prime Extracts, Crabcakes & Cannabis), food and beverage (Old Stein Inn, Jailbreak Brewing, Love Market, Architectural Gardens, El Rancho), nonprofit (Maryland Seafood Coop, Maryland Hall), beauty (I+I Botanicals), legal-tech (Goldberg Tech Law), and automotive lifestyle (Gas Life). In 2017, the founder added Brand Joint to specialize in the cannabis industry; the two studios were consolidated under the Peppermill Projects brand in 2026. The firm has no external investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no parent company.

Name

Peppermill Projects

Legal name

Peppermill Projects, LLC

Website

https://peppermillprojects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Peppermill Projects is a privately held, founder-led boutique brand strategy and graphic design studio in Annapolis, Maryland, serving entrepreneurs and small businesses with brand clarity workshops, visual identity design, and ongoing advisory engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brand Strategy & Visual Identity Design

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (54143)

akta.pro primary industry

Project, Program & Product Management (EDAGANAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Data & Metrics for PM/PPM (Analytics, KPIs, Experimentation) (EDABAHAL)

Keywords

• Brand strategy consulting
• Visual identity design
• Graphic design services
• Creative strategy advisory
• Brand positioning

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Brand Clarity Workshop: One-time 90-minute workshop engagement providing brand positioning snapshot, topline messaging, brand action priorities, and deliverables wishlist. Starting price of $1,500 per session.
2. Brand Design Services: Project-based visual brand design including logos, websites, marketing materials, digital design, packaging, and exhibit/interior space design. Prices are project-based with scope defined after the workshop.
3. Ongoing Advisory: Monthly retainer-based strategic guidance with regular sessions to maintain forward momentum, refine strategy, and stay accountable. Starting at $995/month with options for more frequent hands-on working sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Peppermill Projects is a boutique brand strategy and graphic design studio that helps founders, entrepreneurs, and established businesses clarify their brand positioning and bring it to life visually. The studio delivers three core offerings: a foundational Brand Clarity Workshop, project-based Visual Brand Design, and ongoing Creative Strategy advisory retainers, with work tailored per client and billed hourly at $250.

Product overview

Peppermill Projects is a brand strategy and creative direction consultancy that operates as a single-service studio. The core offering is the Brand Clarity Workshop, which serves as the foundation for all subsequent work. From this workshop, clients can engage Visual Brand Design services (Option A) for logos, websites, marketing materials, and packaging, or Creative Strategy services (Option B) for ongoing guidance. The company also offers Ongoing Advisory sessions at $995/month for continued strategic support. The studio, led by Jennifer Culpepper, was founded in 2009 and specializes in helping entrepreneurs find their voice, sharpen their message, and build brands aligned with their vision and purpose.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brand Joint: Formerly a separate studio specializing in the cannabis industry, merged into Peppermill Projects in 2026.
• I+I Botanicals
• Crabcakes & Cannabis

Products and services

• Brand Clarity Workshop

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15 years in business serving small businesses and founders

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Red Antler: Boutique brand strategy and identity studio that builds brands for early-stage and growth-stage founders. Directly comparable as a founder-focused brand consultancy offering positioning, naming, and visual identity in a similar boutique delivery model.
• Frank & Victor: Small brand identity and design studio serving founders and mission-driven businesses. Comparable in offering strategy-led visual identity work for entrepreneurial clients with a hands-on, principal-led engagement model.
• &Walsh: Independently led design and brand studio producing brand identities, campaigns, and visual systems for global clients. Comparable as a principal-led boutique design practice combining strategic thinking with high-end visual identity work.
• MetaLab: Design and branding studio known for product and brand work with high-growth tech and consumer companies. Comparable as a brand strategy plus visual identity studio operating at the founder/startup tier.
• Ramotion: Brand and product design agency delivering identity systems, websites, and digital products to startups and tech companies. Comparable in pairing brand strategy with execution across visual identity and digital experiences.
• Manual: Brand and creative agency working with founders to build brand strategy, identity, and launch campaigns. Comparable boutique model targeting founder-led businesses with integrated strategy-plus-design offerings.
• Character (Character Arts): Independent brand and design studio serving startups, consumer brands, and tech companies with strategy, identity, and product design. Comparable as a boutique firm integrating brand strategy with high-craft visual identity work.

Broad incumbents

• Siegel+Gale: Global brand strategy and design consultancy offering brand simplicity, naming, and identity at enterprise scale. Comparable as a brand strategy consultancy but operating across much larger enterprise accounts and global delivery.
• Lippincott: Established brand strategy and design consultancy serving Fortune 500 companies across brand identity, brand experience, and growth strategy. Comparable strategic brand offering but at enterprise scale with a broader service portfolio.
• Landor & Fitch: Global branding consultancy delivering brand strategy, identity design, and experience across consumer and corporate clients. Comparable in offering end-to-end brand strategy and design but at much larger scale with global reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PeppermillProjects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peppermill-projects
• Instagraminstagram.com/peppermillprojects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peppermill Projects