The Idea Collective

What The Idea Collective does

The Idea Collective is a privately held, multidisciplinary concept development and design firm founded in 2012 and headquartered at 112 West 5th Street, Dayton, Ohio, with a 1-10 person team. It delivers concept development, spatial design, branding, hospitality operations support, strategy, and partnership services primarily to hospitality groups (restaurants, bars, cocktail lounges, hotels, country clubs), retail and fashion brands, and real estate developers pursuing urban renewal or mixed-use projects. The firm is built around four named partners — Ginger Roddick (brand/PR), Jeremie Kittredge (strategy and development), David Kittredge (design and digital), and Chris Dimmick (hospitality operations) — and markets an 'experience-driven' methodology that integrates psychology of the consumer with spatial design.

The business runs two revenue streams: (1) project-based professional services fees for client engagements ranging from small concept designs to full urban renewal master plans, and (2) co-ownership and operation of its own hospitality concepts, including the Tender Mercy cocktail lounge in Dayton and the planned Sueño Mexican restaurant (Spring 2021, Dayton). Services are delivered through selective direct engagement driven by referrals and industry connections, with a documented portfolio of 30+ completed projects spanning NYC, LA, Tulsa, OKC, Las Vegas, Malibu, Austin, Dayton, and Wilmington, NC, plus exposure at events such as SXSW and Sundance Film Festival. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts vary materially in scope.

Technology is conventional creative tooling — SketchUp Pro, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, Final Cut, Premier, After Effects), Pro Tools, Logic Pro, and photo-realistic 3D rendering — rather than proprietary IP. No external funding rounds, parent company, patents, regulatory actions, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the source material.

Name

The Idea Collective

Legal name

The Idea Collective

Website

https://theideacollective.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Idea Collective is a Dayton, Ohio-based multidisciplinary concept development and design firm serving hospitality groups, fashion/retail brands, and urban renewal developers with concept design, branding, strategy, and hospitality operations support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Concept Development and Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Theming, Mood Boards & Concept Design (HSACAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD)

Keywords

• Hospitality concept development
• Brand strategy services
• Spatial design consulting
• Hospitality operations consulting
• Urban renewal design

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

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. Professional Services: Full-service concept and design firm providing concept development, design, hospitality services, branding, strategy, operations, and partnerships. Services range from initial concept through construction management and operational launch.
2. Ownership/Operations: Co-ownership and operation of concepts like Sueño (opening Spring 2021) and Tender Mercy cocktail lounge in Dayton, Ohio. The company develops and operates its own hospitality concepts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Idea Collective is a multidisciplinary concept development and design firm that provides integrated services spanning concept development, interior and spatial design, hospitality operations, branding, strategy, and partnerships for hospitality groups, retail and fashion brands, and urban renewal developers. The firm builds complete brand narratives from initial vision through construction management and operational launch, and selectively co-owns and operates its own hospitality concepts such as Tender Mercy and Sueño in Dayton, Ohio.

Product overview

The Idea Collective is a multidisciplinary concept development and design firm offering a unified portfolio of services including Concept Development, Design, Hospitality Operations, Branding, Strategy, and Partnerships. Rather than a single software product, the company delivers project-based services across hospitality venues (restaurants, bars, cocktail lounges), retail spaces, coworking environments, urban renewal projects, and event/festival concepts. Current flagship projects include Tender Mercy (cocktail lounge) and Sueño (Mexican culinary concept) in Dayton, Ohio. The portfolio spans 30+ completed projects including Manhattan Cricket Club (NYC), Toca Madera (LA), Nikita Malibu (California), 36° North coworking (Tulsa), The Greens Country Club (OKC), The Fire Blocks District urban renewal (Dayton), and The Buffalo Lounge film/music initiative (Austin). The company approaches each project by building from the core of the brand outward, developing complete narratives that align client intentions with honest perceptions. Services are delivered through an integrated team of designers, strategists, business operators, music producers, visual specialists, experiential psychologists, and developers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers13 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• Greg SeidercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreg Seider partners with The Idea Collective on several F&B projects. He serves as an extended part of the collective, with the company managing his personal brand, consulting projects, and overseeing his bars and restaurants including SeiderHouse product line and books. Seider serves as Executive Bar Director for projects like Nikita Malibu.
• McNellie's GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElliot Nelson's McNellie's Group brought The Idea Collective to transform Dilly Deli into Dilly Diner and developed El Guapo's South Tulsa. The company provided full oversight over concept, internal architecture, layouts, exterior materialization, and complete design and construction.
• Chelsea Market and Jamestown PropertiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChelsea Market and Jamestown properties approached The Idea Collective to concept out Decatur & Sons barber shop as part of their 2012/2013 expansion, housed in a former mechanical storage room.
• Energize Clinton CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTasked by the City of Wilmington and Energize Clinton County to convert their 25,000 SqFt historic main street masonic lodge into a fully activated mixed use development featuring hospitality, class A office, co-work space and event space.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AvroKO: Hospitality-focused concept and design firm known for restaurants, bars, and hotels. Direct competitor in the boutique hospitality design space with similar concept-to-launch service model and restaurant/bar client base.
• Parts and Labor Design: Hospitality-focused branding and interior design studio serving restaurants, bars, and hotels. Comparable scope in brand-driven hospitality concept work for emerging and growth-stage operators.
• Roman and Williams: Award-winning New York design and architecture firm with a deep hospitality portfolio (restaurants, hotels, bars). Comparable in craft-led concept design for upscale hospitality clients and experiential spatial storytelling.
• Studio Munge: Toronto-based hospitality interior design firm with a portfolio of award-winning restaurants, hotels, and nightlife venues. Comparable boutique scale and concept-led approach to high-end hospitality design.
• The Gettys Group: Hospitality design, development, and branding firm serving hotels, restaurants, and mixed-use projects. Comparable integrated concept-to-operations service model.
• Studio PCH: Malibu-based hospitality design firm; already a project collaborator with The Idea Collective on Nikita Malibu. Directly comparable beachfront/market hospitality design focus and California client base.
• Simeone Deary Design Group: Hospitality interior design firm with a strong restaurant, bar, hotel, and casino portfolio. Direct peer in concept-driven hospitality interiors with comparable client types and project scopes.

Broad incumbents

• Yabu Pushelberg: Globally established interior design firm with significant hospitality practice (hotels, restaurants, retail). Larger incumbent offering overlapping capabilities but at a broader scale across luxury real estate and hospitality.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheIdeaCollective
• Instagraminstagram.com/ideacollective

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 The Idea Collective