What ZenGenius does

ZenGenius, Inc. is a private creative agency founded in 1999 in Columbus, Ohio, by Joe Baer (CEO/Creative Director) and Paul Cook (Sr. Visual Merchandiser), with LuAnne Baer serving as CFO/COO. The firm provides on-demand visual merchandising, design, and event support services to enterprise retailers and brands, operating through a hub-and-spoke model: a small core staff in Columbus (11-50 employees) supplemented by teams in New York, Boston, Chicago, and California, plus a national network of vetted freelance visual merchandisers, stylists, and creative directors. Its service portfolio covers visual merchandising and design, event design and brand activations, creative direction, on-demand creative teams, visual operations, education workshops and training, visual audits, and event rentals — with named clients including Abercrombie, Aldo, Target, Victoria's Secret, Chico's, Express, Gap, Bath & Body Works, Godiva, Luxottica, Westfield, OSU, OhioHealth, and MGM Resorts.

The company monetizes through three principal streams: (1) professional services revenue from enterprise visual merchandising and event design projects delivered on a quote-based, project-by-project basis; (2) transactional revenue from an event rentals platform supplying backdrops, props, accents, and decor; and (3) one-time-product revenue from an e-commerce marketplace (zengenius.com/shop) and a physical showroom in the Short North Arts District of Columbus, selling curated sub-brands spanning home decor, greeting cards, vintage items, art prints, signage downloads, and wellness products. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales with consumer-facing e-commerce and a physical retail presence. Customer segments are horizontal, spanning specialty retail, healthcare, higher education, hospitality, tourism DMOs, and real estate developers.

ZenGenius has no disclosed external funding, no patents, no API or software platform, and no AI/ML capabilities. Its competitive position rests on a 25+ year talent network and industry leadership — Joe Baer serves as Vice President of the PAVE Global Leadership Board, created the Iron Merchant Challenge at the International Retail Design Conference and the Visual Digital Olympics at EuroShop. Most recent strategic activity includes the February 2026 opening of the Columbus Welcome Center, developed in partnership with The Pizzuti Companies and Experience Columbus.

Name

ZenGenius

Legal name

ZENGENIUS, INC.

Website

https://zengenius.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ZenGenius is a Columbus, Ohio-based creative agency providing on-demand visual merchandising, event design, and brand-activation services to enterprise retailers and brands nationwide through a national freelancer network, supplemented by an e-commerce marketplace and Short North retail showroom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Visual Merchandising Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Interior Design Services (541410), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Staging, Scenic & Set Fabrication (Stages, Backdrops, Scenic Builds) (THAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Visual merchandising services
• Event design decor
• Retail creative agency
• On-demand creative teams
• Brand activation design

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Visual Merchandising Services: On-demand freelance visual merchandising services including design, installation, sourcing, rollout, and in-store support for retailers and brands
2. Event Design Services: Event design and decor services including conceptualization, design, installation, and production for branded experiences and brand activations
3. Event Rentals: Rental of event items including backdrops, collections, decor, props, accents, games, pillows, vases, visual elements, and votives for events and activations
4. Product Sales: E-commerce sales of creative gifts, home decor, barware, candles, greeting cards, disco balls, signage, and vintage items through their online marketplace

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ZenGenius provides on-demand freelance visual merchandising, design, and event support services to retailers and brands nationwide. The company combines people on the ground with designers behind the scenes to deliver design, installation, sourcing, rollout, and in-store support. It also operates a boutique marketplace and event rental business as complementary offerings.

Product overview

ZenGenius is a creative agency providing on-demand freelance visual merchandising, design, and event support services. The company operates a platform-plus-services model, combining core creative services (Visual Merchandising & Design, Events & Brand Activations, Creative Direction, On-Demand Creative Teams) with a retail marketplace (ZenGenius Marketplace) that sells home decor, greeting cards, store signage, artist works, vintage items, and creative gifts. Additional services include Visual Operations, Education Workshops & Training, Visual Audits, Event Rentals, and Digital Downloads. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visual Merchandising & Design Experiential design and visual merchandising services that drive storytelling and sales for retail environments. Offered to national retailers and brands on an on-demand basis.
• Events & Brand Activations Conceptualization, design, and installation of branded experiences and activations that connect people with brands. Targets companies and organizations running experiential marketing initiatives.
• On-Demand Creative Teams Flexible teams providing design, installation, sourcing, rollout, and in-store support for retailers and brands without the overhead of full-time staff.
• Creative Direction & Design Strategic creative direction services for brand development and visual strategy across retail and event environments.
• Event Rentals Rental of event items including backdrops, collections, decor, props, accents, games, pillows, vases, visual elements, and votives for events and brand activations.
• ZenGenius Marketplace Boutique marketplace featuring curated creative gifts, decorative items, and props, with both an online shop and physical store in the Short North Arts District in Columbus, Ohio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Designed and delivered Columbus Welcome Center opened February 2026, serving 53 million annual visitors
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• The Pizzuti CompaniesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026The Pizzuti Companies partnered with ZenGenius and Experience Columbus to develop the new Columbus Welcome Center in the Short North Arts District. ZenGenius designed the center which serves as a community gathering space, visitor information hub, and retail location featuring local art and a podcast studio. This was a major urban development project marking Experience Columbus's 85th anniversary.
• Experience ColumbusflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026Experience Columbus, the destination marketing organization for the Columbus region, partnered with ZenGenius (as designer) and The Pizzuti Companies (as developer) for the new Columbus Welcome Center project. The center opened February 5, 2026 in the Short North Arts District.
• Chute GerdemancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoe Baer worked with Chute Gerdeman, a renowned Columbus-based design firm, in 1996 before co-founding ZenGenius. Together with Chute Gerdeman, Joe created and facilitated the first Visual Digital Olympics at EuroShop in Düsseldorf, Germany, demonstrating ongoing collaborative industry relationships.
• PAVE GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoe Baer serves as Vice President on the PAVE Global Leadership Board. PAVE (Planning and Visual Education Partnership) is dedicated to raising awareness around visual merchandising as an important element of great retail and event experiences. ZenGenius supports student mentorship and education programs.
• Columbus College of Art & DesignminorOthersZenGenius team members mentor students from Columbus College of Art & Design as part of their community outreach and talent development mission.
• The Ohio State UniversityminorOthersZenGenius team members mentor students from The Ohio State University as part of their community outreach and talent development mission.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LSC Design: Retail-focused design and project management firm offering visual merchandising, store planning, and rollout services to mid-market and enterprise retailers. Closely comparable boutique-scale creative services model.
• FRCH Design Worldwide: National retail design and architecture firm delivering store planning, visual merchandising, and brand experience programs for large retailers. Directly comparable on enterprise retail client roster and design/build services.
• WD Partners: Retail strategy, design, and implementation firm serving enterprise retailers with store experience, visual merchandising, and operational rollout services. Comparable on delivery model and enterprise customer base.
• Chute Gerdeman: Columbus-based retail design agency specializing in store experience, visual merchandising, and brand environments for major retailers. Joe Baer worked at Chute Gerdeman prior to founding ZenGenius and the two firms co-create industry programs (Visual Digital Olympics), making it the closest comparable in scale and craft.

Broad incumbents

• Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm with strong retail and experiential capabilities. Overlaps with ZenGenius's retail design and brand activation work but at enterprise scale across a broader portfolio of services.
• CallisonRTKL: Global architecture and experiential design firm with a dedicated retail practice serving major brands worldwide. Operates as a larger, broader incumbent in the retail design space ZenGenius competes in.
• Sparks: Global experiential marketing agency (part of Cheil) producing brand experiences, retail activations, and events for enterprise clients. Adjacent in services but operates at significantly larger scale than ZenGenius.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global brand experience agency producing live events, brand activations, and immersive experiences for enterprise brands. Comparable on the event design and brand activation side of ZenGenius's portfolio.
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing: Large experiential marketing agency delivering brand activations, events, and installations for global enterprise clients. Overlaps with ZenGenius's event design and brand activation practice at a much larger scale.

Emerging players

• MKG: Experiential marketing and creative agency focused on brand activations, events, and immersive experiences. Comparable on event design and brand activation craft with a similar mid-size boutique positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/zengenius
• Xx.com/zengenius

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 ZenGenius