What David van der Leer does

DVDL (DVDL Design Decisions) is a boutique international cultural strategy consultancy founded in 2018 by David van der Leer and headquartered in New York. The firm serves museums and cultural institutions, municipal governments, real estate developers, and forward-looking brands through a unified portfolio of advisory services: Visitor Journey and Experience Strategy, Activation Planning and Placemaking, Cultural Master Planning, Cultural Start-Up Planning, Art Commissioning and Implementation, and Architect Selection Processes. Underlying these offerings is a three-component engagement framework spanning Cultural Forecasting (anticipating social, behavioral, cultural, and technological shifts), Concept and Strategy Development, and Implementation. Core proprietary methodologies include a research collaboration with MIT's Civic Design Data Lab on deep versus hyper attention in cultural institutions, and an architect selection and design competition process practiced across nearly 30 competitions worldwide.

The firm's revenue model is purely project-based professional services consulting. Clients retain DVDL for specific project phases or complete multi-month engagements spanning the full lifecycle from cultural forecasting through implementation, with consulting fees negotiated per project and no publicly disclosed pricing. The GTM motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on direct engagement with institutional leadership, referrals from existing clients, the founder's reputation in cultural institution leadership, and thought leadership content including the Dossier publication series and seasonal newsletter. The core team comprises approximately eight professionals (Managing Director Maria Budtz Sorensen, Associate Director Stacey Anderson, Project Director Vladimir Gintoff, and associates in design planning, research, and project coordination), supplemented by experienced collaborators brought together for specific projects.

Geographic reach spans North America, Europe (Netherlands, Finland, UK, Germany, Spain), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi), Africa (Ghana), Asia (Japan, India), and Latin America (Mexico, Brazil). Marquee client engagements include the Brooklyn Museum building-wide activation plan, a 10-year curatorial masterplan for MoPOP, vision and mission strategy for Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, advisory work for Helsinki's new National Museum of Architecture and Design, Jacksonville waterfront activation, and Nieuwe Instituut stakeholder analysis in Rotterdam. The firm operates without external institutional investment and is founder-owned and led.

Name

David van der Leer

Legal name

DVDL

Website

https://dvdl.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DVDL is a boutique New York-based cultural strategy consultancy founded in 2018, serving museums, municipal governments, developers, and brands through visitor experience design, cultural forecasting, master planning, and architect selection services delivered by an ~8-person core team across global engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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. Strategic Consulting Services: DVDL generates revenue through consulting engagements with cultural institutions, government agencies, developers, and corporations. Services include cultural forecasting, concept development, implementation guidance, and advisory work across the full project lifecycle. Engagements are project-based with clients retaining the firm for specific phases or complete processes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DVDL is an international cultural strategy consultancy that helps museums, municipalities, developers, and brands transform spaces and organizations through visitor experiences and design-led interventions. Services span cultural forecasting, concept and strategy development, visitor journey design, activation planning and placemaking, cultural master planning, architect selection processes, art commissioning, and implementation guidance across full project lifecycles.

Product overview

DVDL is an international cultural strategy consultancy that offers a unified suite of advisory services rather than a software product platform. The core offerings include Visitor Journey & Experience Strategy, Activation Planning & Placemaking, Cultural Master Planning, Cultural Start-Up Planning, Art Commissioning & Implementation, and Architect Selection Processes. These services are delivered through a three-component process framework: Cultural Forecasting, Concept & Strategy Development, and Implementation. The company works with museums, municipalities, developers, and brands to create experiences that are both visionary and viable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visitor Journey & Experience Strategy Shapes every step of the visitor journey from marquee attractions to subtle touchpoints, transforming visitors into active participants and ensuring every moment is engaging and seamless. For cultural institutions and public-facing organizations.
• Activation Planning & Placemaking Brings institutions, public spaces, and environments to life by layering programs including hospitality, service concepts, social, cultural, and design interventions to create places where people connect, gather, and thrive. For institutions, municipalities, and developers.
• Cultural Master Planning Defines and integrates cultural and artistic components into districts, corporations, and real estate developments, charting pathways for growth, resilience, and cultural impact. For municipalities, developers, and corporate organizations.
• Cultural Start-Up Planning Pioneers and launches new cultural organizations for collectors, governments, and corporations from art to natural history, guiding concepts from vision through implementation. For foundations, governments, and corporate collectors launching new cultural ventures.
• Art Commissioning & Implementation Curates and delivers art programs that create inspiring cultural spaces and experiences, from identifying culturally relevant artists to overseeing installation. For cultural institutions and public agencies.
• Architect Selection Processes Helps clients with architecture selection processes including writing design briefs, running invited and open competitions, and setting up co-creation and collaboration strategies. For institutions, developers, and governments commissioning architectural projects.
• Cultural Forecasting Anticipates social, behavioral, cultural, and technological shifts that shape people's lives as part of the three interconnected engagement components. For institutional and public-sector clients planning long-horizon strategies.
• Concept & Strategy Development Translates insights into actionable frameworks, visions, and program concepts as part of the strategic development process. For institutional and public-sector clients shaping long-horizon strategic direction.
• Implementation Services Guides projects through completion, ensuring ideas are as practical as they are inspiring, from single-stage engagements to full-process partnerships. For institutional, public-sector, and developer clients through to project completion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Developed curatorial masterplan and 10-year programmatic roadmap for MoPOP
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnered with HUD on Rebuild by Design Hurricane Sandy Design Competition, which changed how the federal government responds to disaster and became the model used in other regions.
• Municipal Art SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Collaborated on Rebuild by Design competition alongside Van Alen Institute, providing cross-sector expertise in design competitions.
• Regional Plan AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Partnered on Rebuild by Design initiative contributing urban planning expertise and regional perspective.
• NYU Institute for Public KnowledgeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Academic partner in Rebuild by Design competition providing research support and thought leadership.
• Cooper RobertsonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture and urban design firm collaborating with DVDL on Nelson-Atkins Museum strategy.
• Blue CadetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital design firm collaborating with DVDL on visitor experience strategies for cultural institutions.
• Groundwork JacksonvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity engagement partner for Jacksonville Riverfront Activation project, facilitating stakeholder engagement.
• WXYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner collaborating on Jacksonville Riverfront Activation Plan with DVDL.
• JLP+DminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for Jacksonville waterfront project.
• Mural Arts PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on Public Works program for Forman Arts Initiative, Philadelphia's first artist-in-residence in city agencies.
• Agency Planning + LandscapecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead team for Jacksonville Shipyards West project with DVDL contributing public space activation strategy.
• EconsultcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic consulting partner for Asian Arts Initiative building strategies project.
• MCSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsulting partner for Asian Arts Initiative strategic planning engagement.
• DIGSAUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partner for Asian Arts Initiative building analysis and recommendations.
• Johnston MarkleemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm selected through DVDL-led process for Philadelphia Contemporary design, working with MGA Partners as architects of record.
• MGA PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm serving as architects of record for Philadelphia Contemporary project.
• Monument LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt Works 2023 grant recipient and partner in public art programming for Forman Arts Initiative.
• Museum of Finnish ArchitecturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacy institution merging with Design Museum to form new National Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki.
• Design Museum (Finland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegacy institution merging with Museum of Finnish Architecture to form new National Museum of Architecture and Design in Helsinki.
• Studio OssidianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetherlands-based architecture firm designing temporary floating pavilion for Museum M.
• MVRDVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm creating The Podium rooftop installation for Nieuwe Instituut.
• MVRDVmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead architecture firm for Portland Museum of Art Campus Unification + Expansion International Design Competition with DVDL as finalist team member.
• STOSSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture partner for Portland Museum of Art expansion competition.
• The Institute for Human Centered DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccessibility and human-centered design consulting partner for Portland Museum of Art project.
• PentagramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraphic design partner for Portland Museum of Art expansion project.
• Atelier TenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental design and sustainability consulting partner for Portland Museum of Art project.
• Justin van SoestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhotographer documenting Brooklyn Museum building exterior for activation planning project.
• MIT Civic Design Data LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with data and visualization scientist Sarah Williams on deep vs. hyper attention study for cultural institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: Multidisciplinary design firm frequently partnering with cultural institutions on branding, identity, and exhibition design — overlaps with DVDL's design process and architect selection work as a large established design partner.
• SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill): Global architecture and urban design firm with substantial cultural institution practice — competes for master planning mandates with DVDL as part of broader design competitions where DVDL serves as strategy lead.
• Beyer Blinder Belle: Architecture firm with deep cultural and institutional practice, including museums and historic sites — a broader incumbent that often participates in the design competitions DVDL chairs.

Emerging players

• Cuseum: Technology platform enhancing visitor engagement at museums and cultural institutions — an adjacent peer that intersects with DVDL's visitor experience strategy through digital touchpoints.
• IMPACTS Experience: Boutique consultancy focused on visitor experience and interpretive planning for museums and cultural attractions — a more narrowly scoped peer to DVDL's visitor journey and experience strategy offering.

Direct peers

• Gehl: Copenhagen-based urban strategy firm specializing in public life studies and people-centered placemaking — directly comparable to DVDL's municipal and public realm activation work (e.g., Jacksonville waterfront).
• AEA Consulting: NYC-based consultancy advising cultural and nonprofit organizations on strategy, planning, and evaluation — a direct peer in serving museum leadership with strategic and operational advisory engagements.
• WolfBrown: Research and strategy consultancy serving arts and cultural institutions with audience research, evaluation, and planning — overlapping DVDL's curatorial masterplanning and visitor experience services.
• Lord Cultural Resources: Toronto-based global cultural planning consultancy that develops master plans, interpretive strategies, and visitor experience programs for museums and cultural institutions — directly overlapping DVDL's core museum strategy offering.

Others

• Urban Design Forum: Nonprofit convening civic and design leaders on urban challenges; DVDL's Associate Director previously led its Global Exchange initiative — adjacent ecosystem peer rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dvdl
• Instagraminstagram.com/dvdl.co

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 David van der Leer