GD Squared
GD Squared is a Chicago-area creative design agency offering event marketing, corporate branding, and nonprofit campaign services, plus custom AI integration tools, to enterprise, nonprofit, government, and education clients across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersGlenview, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What GD Squared does
GD Squared is a privately held creative design agency based in the Chicago area (Glenview/Illinois), operating since roughly 2007 as a partnership between two co-founders who met during their first post-college jobs. The firm positions itself as a partner rather than a vendor, emphasizing close client collaboration and a "quality over quantity" operating philosophy across a small staff of 1-10 employees.
The company's product surface spans four service lines: Event Marketing (tradeshow, conference, convention, and annual meeting creative, including marquee engagements with NeoCon's 50,000+ attendee trade show and MDRT's 10,000+ member Annual Meeting), Corporate Branding (logo systems, visual identity, messaging frameworks, websites, brochures, and multi-channel campaigns for mid-to-large companies), Nonprofit Campaigns (capital campaign branding and fundraising materials, exemplified by Parkinson's Foundation's $30 million Reach Further and Keshet's $18 million One Community), and a specialized AI Integration service that builds custom AI tools, ERPs, marketing engines, reporting bots, and autonomous agents for client businesses. Deliverables across service lines include logos, websites, digital ads, social graphics, e-blasts, direct mail, print ads, brochures, PowerPoint decks, books, tradeshow booths, and signage. The firm operates an internally built integrated business management platform combining todos, calendar, dashboards, job codes, invoicing, and CRM.
GD Squared generates revenue through professional services engagements priced on a custom, quote-based, project-by-project basis with multi-year contract cadence for retained clients. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: prospective clients reach the firm through the company website, contact forms, direct Zoom scheduling with a principal (Garrett), phone (773-791-8347), or email ([email protected]). There is no marketplace presence, reseller channel, or self-serve option. Customer base spans enterprise, nonprofit, government, and education segments across the U.S. Midwest and beyond, with roughly 15 named customers visible in the portfolio. The firm is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding.
GD Squared firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GD Squared
- Legal name
- GD Squared LLC
- Website
- https://gdsquared.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- GD Squared is a Chicago-area creative design agency offering event marketing, corporate branding, and nonprofit campaign services, plus custom AI integration tools, to enterprise, nonprofit, government, and education clients across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where GD Squared is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glenview
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
GD Squared business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Creative Design Services: Project-based professional services for branding, marketing materials, event marketing, website design, and campaign development. Clients include corporations, nonprofits, and event organizers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
GD Squared product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GD Squared is a creative design agency that provides branding, marketing, and event design services for corporate brands, large-scale events, and nonprofit organizations. Its core offerings span Event Marketing (tradeshows, conferences, annual meetings), Corporate Branding (identity systems and campaigns), Nonprofit Campaigns (capital campaigns and fundraising), and a specialized AI Integration service that builds custom AI tools and agents for client businesses. Deliverables include logos, brand guidelines, websites, brochures, digital ads, social graphics, and tradeshow materials.
Product overview
GD Squared is a creative design agency offering three core service lines: Event Marketing (tradeshows, conferences, conventions, annual meetings), Corporate Branding (brand identity systems and marketing campaigns), and Nonprofit Campaigns (capital campaign branding and fundraising materials). The agency also provides a specialized AI Integration service for building custom AI tools, autonomous agents, and workflow automation. Deliverables span logos, websites, brochures, books, digital ads, social graphics, PowerPoint, signage, and tradeshow booths. The AI Integration service is a distinct offering focused on connecting existing business tools and automating marketing workflows.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Event Marketing Strategic event marketing campaigns for tradeshows, conferences, conventions, and annual meetings, covering brand identity, visual systems, promotional materials, and attendee engagement across multiple touchpoints. For organizations running large-scale events.
- Corporate Branding Full-scale branding and marketing campaigns that build deep, long-lasting customer relationships through authentic brand identity systems, messaging frameworks, visual guidelines, and multi-channel marketing materials. For medium to large corporations.
- Nonprofit Campaigns Capital campaign branding and design services for nonprofit organizations, including donor engagement strategies, multi-channel fundraising materials, and campaign identity systems. For nonprofits running capital campaigns and fundraising initiatives.
- AI Integration Custom AI solutions built for businesses, including ERPs, marketing engines, reporting bots, and autonomous agents. Engineered around how each business runs, with capabilities to automate tasks, connect existing tools, and enable smarter marketing decisions. For businesses seeking tailored automation.
- Creative Design Deliverables Design deliverables encompassing logos, brand guidelines, websites, digital ads, social graphics, e-blasts, direct mail, print ads, brochures, PowerPoint presentations, books, tradeshow booths, and signage.
Quantifiable outcome
- Designed for NeoCon trade show with 50,000+ attendees and nearly 1 million square feet of exhibition space
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use GD Squared
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
GD Squared technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature2 records
GD Squared partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
GD Squared competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hatch Design: California-based design agency covering brand identity, packaging, and digital; similar size and full-service creative deliverable mix as GD Squared.
- Red Antler: Brand-led creative studio building visual identity, messaging, and launch campaigns for ambitious brands — comparable in brand-system offering and enterprise direct engagement model.
- Frank Collective: Independent creative and brand agency focused on identity, event, and campaign work for mission-driven and corporate brands — comparable mid-size shop with overlap on nonprofit and event clients.
- Hyperakt: NYC design agency specializing in brand identity, logo systems, and visual storytelling for nonprofits and purpose-driven organizations — closest direct peer on nonprofit campaign work.
- Character (San Francisco): San Francisco brand design studio focused on identity systems, print, and digital for cultural and corporate clients — directly comparable in brand-and-print deliverable mix.
- Mucca: Boutique NYC branding and design studio serving brand identity and event work for enterprise clients — directly comparable in scale, services (logo, guidelines, campaigns), and partnership-led model.
Broad incumbents
- R/GA: Global digital creative and brand consultancy with significant AI/transformation practice; broader incumbent that overlaps on enterprise brand work and is investing in AI Integration-style offerings at scale.
- WongDoody: Mid-large multi-discipline creative agency with brand, design, and event capabilities across industries — broader incumbent competing for similar event marketing and corporate brand engagements.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
GD Squared social profiles
Digital presenceGD Squared financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GD Squared leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
GD Squared funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GD Squared M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GD Squared
What does GD Squared do?
GD Squared is a creative design agency that provides branding, marketing, and event design services for corporate brands, large-scale events, and nonprofit organizations. Its core offerings span Event Marketing (tradeshows, conferences, annual meetings), Corporate Branding (identity systems and campaigns), Nonprofit Campaigns (capital campaigns and fundraising), and a specialized AI Integration service that builds custom AI tools and agents for client businesses. Deliverables include logos, brand guidelines, websites, brochures, digital ads, social graphics, and tradeshow materials.
Is GD Squared a public or private company?
GD Squared is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GD Squared founded?
GD Squared was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is GD Squared based?
GD Squared is headquartered in Glenview, United States, in the North America region.
How does GD Squared make money?
One revenue line is on record: creative Design Services.
Who are GD Squared's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hatch Design, Red Antler, Frank Collective, Hyperakt, Character (San Francisco) and Mucca. Broad incumbents are R/GA and WongDoody.
Does GD Squared have an API?
No public API is recorded for GD Squared.