Tellwell

What Tellwell does

Tellwell is a privately held, founder-led creative services studio headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, operating as Tellwell, LLC. Founded in 2014, the company positions itself as a story-based design and film studio serving mission-driven organizations, with a stated focus on three primary verticals: nonprofit and charity organizations, financial services institutions in the upper Midwest, and higher education institutions. Its services span five integrated practice areas: brand strategy (messaging, creative strategy, fundraising strategy), film and video production (brand impact films, documentaries, explainer videos, recruitment videos, broadcast commercials), branding and design (logo, brand voice, brand systems, experiential design), web design and development, and managed social media under the Tellwell Social sub-brand.

Tellwell's core technology is intentionally narrow: all website design and development is built exclusively on WordPress, supported by third-party integrations including Google Analytics for measurement, Vimeo for video hosting, and Buzzsprout for podcast distribution. The studio operates no proprietary software platform, API, or SDK, and does not disclose any AI/ML capabilities. Beyond client services, Tellwell operates a portfolio of owned-media assets including two podcasts (Tellwell The Podcast, Pride Stories The Podcast), the annual WellTold Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, and the Fargo Docs documentary film series — these function as community engagement and demand-generation channels rather than standalone revenue products.

The business model is predominantly project-based professional services delivered via Statement of Work agreements with milestone-based payments, supplemented by a single recurring revenue stream: Tellwell Social, a tiered managed social media subscription priced at $750, $1,150, or $1,550 per month, plus custom enterprise pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led, driven by website CTAs (Start My Project, Schedule a Call), discovery sessions led by Chief Storyteller Max Kringen, and inbound demand generated through the company's owned content and events. The company is bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or external investment, and operates with a small team of 1-10 employees serving a client base that includes both regional and national organizations.

Name

Tellwell

Legal name

Tellwell, LLC

Website

https://wetellwell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tellwell is a Fargo, North Dakota-based story-driven creative services studio that provides brand strategy, film and video production, branding, WordPress web design, and managed social media to nonprofit, financial services, and higher education clients across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fargo

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Brand Strategy Services: Project-based brand strategy engagements including brand messaging, creative strategy, and fundraising strategy. Delivered via Statement of Work with milestone-based payments.
2. Film and Video Production: Full-service video production including brand impact films, explainer videos, documentaries, recruitment videos, broadcast commercials, and social media campaigns. Project-based pricing.
3. Branding and Design: Logo design, brand voice development, brand systems, and experiential design services. One-time project engagements.
4. Web Design and Development: Website design and development on WordPress platform, including landing pages, SEO, and web hosting services.
5. Managed Social Media: Recurring monthly social media management services including content creation, scheduling, publishing, and analytics. Subscription-based pricing with tiered packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tellwell is a story-based design and film studio that provides integrated creative services to mission-driven organizations. Its offerings span brand strategy, film and video production, branding and design, WordPress-based web design and development, and managed social media (Tellwell Social). Projects are delivered via Statement of Work agreements with milestone-based payments, while social media management is offered on recurring monthly subscriptions.

Product overview

Tellwell is a story-based design and film studio that operates as a creative services agency rather than a software platform. The company offers an integrated suite of strategic storytelling services: Strategy (brand strategy, messaging, creative strategy, fundraising strategy), Film + Video Production (brand films, documentaries, explainers, recruitment videos, broadcast commercials, social campaigns), Branding + Design (logo design, brand systems, web design, experiential design, writing), Web Design + Development (WordPress-based websites, landing pages, SEO, hosting), and Managed Social Media (Tellwell Social with tiered packages from $750-$1,550/month). The company also produces branded content including Tellwell The Podcast, Pride Stories The Podcast, the WellTold Conference for nonprofit professionals, and Fargo Docs documentary series. Tellwell specializes in serving mission-driven organizations including nonprofits, financial services firms, and higher education institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tellwell Social: Managed social media services for brands and causes, offering content creation, scheduling, and analytics with packages ranging from $750 to $1,550 per month.
• Fargo Docs
• Tellwell The Podcast
• Pride Stories The Podcast

Products and services

• Strategy Strategic consulting services for mission-driven organizations, covering brand strategy, brand messaging, creative strategy, and fundraising strategy. Designed to help clients clarify their narrative and align communications before creative execution.
• Film + Video Production Full-service video production offering brand impact films, explainer videos, short documentaries, recruitment videos, broadcast commercials, and social media campaigns. Delivered as project-based engagements for brands, nonprofits, and institutions.
• Branding + Design Visual identity and brand development services including logo design, brand voice, brand systems, brand stories, long- and short-form writing, and experiential design. Targeted at mission-driven organizations seeking cohesive brand expression.
• Web Design + Development Website design and development built exclusively on WordPress, including landing pages, search engine optimization, and web hosting. Tailored to mission-driven organizations.
• Tellwell Social (Managed Social Media) Recurring monthly managed social media service providing content creation, scheduling, publishing, analytics, roadmapping, and strategy. Offered in tiered packages: Ember ($750/month), Spark ($1,150/month), Bonfire ($1,550/month), plus custom Enterprise pricing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Audubon Dakota annual report film achieved 28,000+ views and 100+ shares in first two months, significantly expanding reach beyond previous 500-person mailing list
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 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

Integration3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Thunder::Tech: Thunder::Tech is a Midwest-based integrated marketing agency offering brand, digital, and content strategy. Comparable to Tellwell in regional scope and integrated service offering, though more B2B/industrial in vertical mix.
• Russell Herder: Russell Herder is a purpose-driven Minnesota-based marketing and creative agency serving healthcare, nonprofit, and public-sector clients in the upper Midwest. Strong regional comparable to Tellwell given overlapping geography and verticals.

Broad incumbents

• Wieden+Kennedy: Wieden+Kennedy is a global independent creative agency with deep expertise in storytelling, film, and brand strategy. It is a broad incumbent in the same creative-services category as Tellwell, operating at significantly greater scale and breadth.

Emerging players

• Killer Visual Strategies: Killer Visual Strategies is a creative agency that produces visual storytelling, infographics, and branded content for B2B and mission-oriented brands. Comparable for its focus on visual narrative and content design, though its verticals skew B2B rather than nonprofit.

Direct peers

• Whole Whale: Whole Whale is a digital agency focused on nonprofit storytelling, content strategy, and impact measurement. Its emphasis on narrative-driven marketing for nonprofits aligns closely with Tellwell's story-based design approach.
• Elevation Web Studios: Elevation specializes in web design, branding, and digital strategy exclusively for nonprofits. It mirrors Tellwell's mission-driven positioning and overlapping service stack in web and brand.
• Forum One: Forum One is a digital agency serving nonprofits, associations, and mission-driven organizations with web, content, and data services. Comparable to Tellwell in serving associations and cause-based clients with integrated digital offerings.
• Blue State: Blue State is a digital agency that builds brands, campaigns, and platforms for purpose-driven organizations, nonprofits, and political causes. It is comparable to Tellwell as a creative and digital partner for mission-led clients, though at significantly larger scale.
• Big Duck: Big Duck is a branding and communications agency exclusively serving nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, offering brand strategy, messaging, and creative services. It is one of the closest direct comparisons to Tellwell given the shared vertical focus and storytelling-led methodology.
• Firespring: Firespring provides marketing, printing, and web services purpose-built for nonprofits, combining brand, web, and direct mail capabilities. Comparable to Tellwell's integrated creative-plus-web model for mission-driven clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/wetellwell
• Facebookfacebook.com/wetellwell
• Instagraminstagram.com/wetellwell

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 Tellwell