Who We Are

we must be bold represents shared experiences.

By that, we mean we represent the shared experience of more than twenty years of community and political organizing, civic engagement, advocacy, research, marketing, production, and design leadership—all key ingredients in community design.

Managing partners Hugh Weber and Sheharazad Fleming

come from vastly different backgrounds—that share surprising similarities—with Hugh’s community organizing throughout the Midwest, and Sheharazad’s work for Los Angeles cultural institutions, nonprofits, and civic organizations.

Hugh

Weber

Chief Executive Officer

Sioux Falls, SD

Hugh Weber is the founder of WE MUST BE BOLD, and is a network theorist, community organizer, and strategic advisor who counsels established leaders facing uncertainty across multiple industries including design, media, government, and business.

After spending more than a decade leading political campaigns throughout the United States, Weber founded OTA, a cultural organization focused on connecting creative disciplines across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. He founded WE MUST BE BOLD, and in 2019, acquired The Great Discontent, a platform that amplifies the work of emerging artists and under-represented creative communities.

Hugh has worked on community-focused projects with partners including Microsoft, Paramount Pictures, Carnival Cruise Lines, Nokia, and Ford and his work with clients has been featured by CNN, The Today Show, Good Morning America, NPR, The Washington Post, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The View, Forbes, Glamour, Chicago Tribune, Pregnancy Magazine, the Grant County Review, and more.

Hugh Weber previously served on the National Board of AIGA, the professional organization for design, and the advisory board for Design for America, a network of campus studios that harnesses design to create local and social impact.

Fleming

Chief Creative Officer

Los Angeles, CA

Sheharazad Fleming is a communications strategist, creative director and design educator. Her core competencies include strategic comms, branding and design, content development and visual storytelling. Throughout her career, she has successfully led creative teams in agency and in-house settings, focusing on the civic, academic, healthcare, and nonprofit sectors. She has served as the Director of Digital Design and Marketing for the City of Los Angeles, Office of the LA Mayor, as well as the Creative Director for the University of Southern California and Otis College of Art and Design.

Sheharazad draws on her professional experience to teach undergraduate courses in Design Thinking and Brand Strategy and also serves as our Chief Creative Officer for The Great Discontent, a platform that amplifies the work of emerging artists and under-represented creative communities.

In addition to our managing partners, WMBB is led by a director-level team of creatives, researchers, strategists, community organizers, account managers, and creative ops professionals…

Chief of Staff

Greenville, SC

Cathy Harrison oversees client accounts and internal operations. She has managed community design projects and marketing initiatives for brands and non-profit organizations for 20 years. Her commitment to her clients and their communities has resulted in many long-standing relationships and sometimes ongoing multiple community projects per client.

Her work has been awarded a WOMMIE, Gold Effie, Reggies and was named Campaign of the Year, Influencer Marketing by Adweek in 2021.

Director of Creative
Operations

Los Angeles, CA

Susanica Tam manages projects across WMBB’s client base and the production calendar of The Great Discontent. Her experience ranges from a decade as a photojournalist, visual editor for the University of Southern California, and in photo production for media outlets such as Southern California Public Radio and events such as the Academy Awards. She is also an active volunteer for a local LA organization, Las Fotos Project.

Director of Research

and Marketing

New York, NY

Robin works with WMBB clients on research and strategy and leads the studio’s marketing efforts. Her background includes managing New Business for the New York office of international design consultancy Pentagram, and marketing for arts and design organizations. She holds a Masters in Branding from the School of Visual Arts, where she graduated with honors in 2022.

Director of Community
& Social Engagement

Austin, TX

Sara Kim leads social strategy and engagement in WMBB community projects. Her varied background ranges from earning a law degree at the University of Texas School of Law, almost a decade working in victim services for non-profits and in the government sector, fundraising and development, community liaison and contracts coordinator, personal and professional social media management and content creation, as well as marketing strategy in hospitality.

Beyond WMBB, she serves on the Marketing Committee for the Center for Child Protection, as an Ambassador for Asian Family Support Services of Austin, as a Co-Organizer for Austin Bakes and The Big Bake Sale for Social.

COLLABORATORS

Amanda Hovest

Creative Director

David Jon Walker

Senior Designer

Isabel Kim

Designer

Lisa Butterworth

Writer

Brianne Sanchez

Writer & Editor

Brian McMullen

Writer

Boaz Frankel

Creative Talent and Copywritter

Ashley Holzer

Curriculum and Copywritter

Luke Zahm

Culinary Talent and Creative

Griddl

Web Design and Development

Pinnacle Productions

Virtual Events

The Diligent Company

Video Production and Editing

WE BELIEVE

that the best ideas are not created on agency whiteboards, but revealed through conversations with the people who love & bring organizations and brands to life.
that insight can come from anyone or anywhere.
that the best teams are those built for specific work and led by best-in-class creative talent.
that dialogue is a process for establishing connection, digital is a tool for sustaining connection, and in-person dialogue is a method for revealing the truth.
that investing in people always has a positive ROI.

that transformative work comes from overgrown in-house agency teams, but that it can only come from intentionally designed teams.
that content should ever be the goal.
that communities can be managed, controlled or scheduled.
that likes, retweets and shares are the measures of success.