What Blue Daring does

Blue Daring is a Latina-owned branding and strategy firm headquartered at 162 W. Hubbard Street in Chicago, founded in 2003 by Melissa Ballate. The firm offers professional services across branding, design, experiential, presentations, ideas and strategy, launch and activation, outreach, and marketing. Its client base spans three verticals: government and public sector agencies (Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Chicago Department of Transportation, Pace, Regional Transit Authority), corporations and enterprises (Toyota, Toyota Mobility Foundation, LION, Duchossois Capital Management, Chicago Pacific Founders, William Everett, Flex Pack, Rensa Filtration, Flow Control Management), and nonprofits and foundations (Michael Reese Health Trust, Irving Harris Foundation, Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness, Chicago Community Loan Fund). Notable project outputs include the 140-page Central Area Plan vision document for downtown Chicago, the Chicago Riverfront branding system based on a proprietary 'municipal device' concept, and public input generation from over 10,000 Chicagoans for the We Will Chicago citywide planning effort. The firm has served 134 clients and created 113 brands over its 23-year history.

The firm's core technology consists of brand strategy development methodology and visual design capabilities rather than software platforms. Proprietary intellectual property includes the Municipal Device Brand System developed for Chicago Riverfront branding and the See it to Life toolkit, a consumer-facing product developed internally over 18 months to help individuals shape and share ideas, now sold online and in select retail locations. The firm operates no software-as-a-service platform, API, or AI/ML capabilities.

Blue Daring generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements with a consultative, relationship-driven go-to-market targeting organizations making meaningful impact in business and community. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and likely varies by project scope and client. Supplementary revenue streams include the See it to Life consumer product (e-commerce and select retail) and co-ownership of retail concessions at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (Gallery ORD in Terminal 5), a decade-plus partnership with the airport authority. The firm has received industry recognition including a 2025 GDUSA Health + Wellness Design Award (top 10% of 2,300 submissions), a 2024 Best Practice Award from the Illinois Chapter of American Planning Association, and the 2026 Chicago United Most Valuable Partner Award.

Name

Blue Daring

Legal name

Blue Daring

Website

https://bluedaring.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blue Daring is a Latina-owned Chicago-based branding and strategy firm offering professional services in brand development, design, communications strategy, and experiential marketing to government agencies, corporations, and nonprofit organizations since 2003.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Branding and Strategy Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Creative Boutique Agencies (MPAAAAAB), Brand Activations & Pop-Ups (Retail/Street/Guerrilla) (BPAFAGAF)

Keywords

• Branding services
• Visual identity design
• Brand strategy
• Communications strategy
• Experiential marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Branding & Strategy: Blue Daring generates revenue through consulting and project-based engagements for branding, design, strategy, and experiential services. Clients include government agencies, corporations, nonprofits, and foundations seeking brand development, marketing collateral, and communications strategy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Blue Daring is a professional branding and strategy firm that delivers project-based engagements in branding, visual identity design, experiential design, presentations, strategic messaging, launch and activation, public outreach, and marketing. Their services target visionary government agencies, corporations, and nonprofit organizations needing brand development, communications strategy, and stakeholder engagement. They also sell a proprietary consumer toolkit, See it to Life™, online and in select retail locations.

Product overview

Blue Daring is a Latina-owned branding and strategy firm that offers professional services rather than a software platform. Their core service offerings include Branding, Design, Experiential, Presentations, Ideas + Strategy, Launch + Activation, Outreach, and Marketing. The firm has developed one consumer product—the See it to Life™ toolkit—which was created internally over 18 months and represents their first consumer product offering. Their services are delivered through project-based engagements with clients rather than a software-as-a-service model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• See it to Life™: A toolkit for people with ideas, developed internally over 18 months as a consumer product available for sale online and in select retail locations.

Products and services

• See it to Life™ A consumer toolkit designed to help individuals shape and share their ideas with the world. Sold online and in select retail locations, and used with organizations that champion entrepreneurship.
• Branding Services Professional brand development and visual identity creation services for organizations across government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors, including brand strategy, naming, logo systems, and identity guidelines.
• Design Services Visual design services including data visualization, packaging, print collateral, digital materials, and presentation design for clients across diverse industries.
• Experiential Services Experiential design and event activation services including brand experiences, event branding, and physical/digital activations.
• Presentations Services Strategic presentation design and development for corporate, government, and nonprofit clients to support communications and stakeholder engagement.
• Ideas + Strategy Services Strategic consulting and ideation services including brand positioning, messaging frameworks, naming, and concept development for organizations seeking to articulate their value and differentiate themselves.
• Launch + Activation Services Launch and activation services that bring brands and initiatives to market through coordinated campaigns, marketing collateral, and rollout support.
• Outreach Services Public outreach and community engagement services including public involvement campaigns, community meetings facilitation, and stakeholder communications for infrastructure and civic projects.
• Marketing Services Integrated marketing services including campaigns, social media, lead generation, sales tools, and advertising for corporate and nonprofit clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced 140-page Central Area Plan vision document for Chicago's downtown development over 20 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• SB FriedmansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Daring worked as a member of the SB Friedman project team to package and visualize Chicago Department of Planning and Development's Central Area Plan study results.
• Sam Schwartz EngineeringsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Sam Schwartz Engineering and Chicago Department of Transportation to develop citywide marketing strategy for Divvy bike share expansion.
• Site Design Group Ltd.supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Site Design Group Ltd. to develop brand system for Chicago Riverfront based on the municipal device concept.
• HNTBsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering firm partner in developing rider matrix and interactive tools like the Rider Passport for Regional Transit Authority.
• MaRS (North America's largest innovation hub)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking closely with Toyota Mobility Foundation's partner MaRS to launch the first Mobility Unlimited Hub in Toronto (March 2024).
• 89upsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunications and PR partner for Sustainable Cities Challenge activation across media for Toyota Mobility Foundation.
• O'Hare International Airport (Chicago)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-owner of retail concessions at O'Hare Airport, including Gallery ORD luxury travel shop in Terminal 5. Partnership spans over a decade.
• Muse Community + DesignsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs extension of Muse Community + Design team, helped concept, brand, activate and promote City Civics Day event.
• Mike Truppa CommunicationssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered to develop brand platform for Bring Chicago Home initiative addressing homelessness funding.
• Health First Collaborative (via Michael Reese)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Health First Collaborative to develop strategy and articulate messaging for COVID-era health equity work.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VSA Partners: A Chicago-based brand strategy and design firm of similar scale and heritage, serving mission-aligned clients across consumer, culture, and enterprise. Directly comparable to Blue Daring in geography, boutique service model, and emphasis on strategic creative.
• Cahan & Partners: A boutique design and branding agency focused on strategy, identity, and packaging for mission-driven clients. Closely comparable to Blue Daring in scale, boutique model, and brand-design orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Interbrand: One of the largest global brand consultancies offering brand strategy, identity, and analytics across industries. Competes with Blue Daring for the same enterprise brand engagements but at much greater scale and geographic reach.
• Landor & Fitch: A WPP-owned global leader in brand consulting, strategy, and design. Functions as a large incumbent against which Blue Daring is benchmarked on enterprise brand identity and strategy assignments.
• Siegel+Gale: A global brand strategy firm specializing in simplicity-driven brand expression and customer experience. Competes with Blue Daring for strategic branding work at enterprise scale, with broader service lines and deeper resources.
• MetaDesign: An international brand design consultancy with offices across Europe and Asia. A larger incumbent in the same brand identity and design category that Blue Daring operates in, especially relevant for multinational enterprise accounts.
• Wolff Olins: An Omnicom-owned global brand consultancy with deep expertise in brand strategy, identity, and experience. A large incumbent Blue Daring would encounter on higher-budget enterprise and civic identity engagements.
• R/GA: An IPG-owned creative innovation agency with a sizeable brand and design practice. Offers adjacent strategic and creative services at far greater scale than Blue Daring and frequently competes for end-to-end brand assignments.
• Superunion: A WPP-owned global brand consultancy spanning brand strategy, design, and communications. A larger incumbent in the same brand strategy space, competing for the same types of mid-market and enterprise engagements Blue Daring targets.

Regional players

• Carmichael Lynch: A Minneapolis-headquartered full-service creative agency serving major consumer and culture brands. Comparable as a Midwest-anchored creative firm of meaningful scale, though primarily B2C and brand-led rather than public-sector focused like Blue Daring.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bluedaring
• Xx.com/bluedaring

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Blue Daring