What we’ve been up to
Our latest work, thinking, people, and news.
We’re hiring
Open Role: Lead Program Manager
Expand itemWe’re looking for a highly organized program leader who brings a strong sense of ownership to complex work.
Meet the team
Welcome Kiva UX Designer
Expand itemA recent DAAP grad, an advocate for authenticity, and an unofficial ambassador for Cincinnati’s public transit.
We’re feeling lucky she chose to stick with us.
Not to brag
Creating connection with Antares
Expand itemThank you to Antares for your trust and collaboration. We’re excited to see what’s next.
More about our partnership
See LinkedInOn the move
Hitting Bynder Connect in Amsterdam
Expand itemWe’ve had a front row seat to see how the DAM and content tech landscape is evolving.
More about our partnership
See LinkedInMOJO happenings
Our office is getting a face lift
Trusted with important work
What we believe
Grappling with ambiguity, making informed decisions, and adapting to an ever changing landscape is where value truly lies.
MOJO thrives at the cross-section of strategic thinking, design, facilitation, and hands-on execution. Our team brings deep expertise and broad experiences that impact work across disciplines, helping organizations see progress long after we’re gone.
Strategy & Facilitation
Creating clarity and moving work forward.
We shape the strategy’s narrative—the why, vision, and path—and embed it into artifacts, decks, and comms that inspire action.
Program & Product Experience
Turning priorities into experiences that work.
We design systems, tools, and experiences that are intuitive for end users, scalable for teams, and aligned with enterprise priorities.
Storytelling, Brand & Creative
Making strategy clear, compelling, and tangible.
We bring real-world experience in product ownership, program delivery, and design, and we can translate strategy into requirements, roadmaps, and results.
Integrating systems & Tech
Building content foundations for what’s next
With AI influencing the way organizations create, manage and mobilize content, value now lies in connected systems, clear governance, and workflows designed around the humans using them.
MOJO specializes in digital asset and content management, building strong foundations and implementation strategies that help teams as they begin to use AI.
Why MOJO?
We are the team leaders call when the path is unclear, the work crosses functions, or changing conditions require an experienced partner who can quickly adapt and move.
We meet the moment
Important work rarely goes exactly as planned. We bring structure and adjust the approach as conditions change, all while keeping the work focused on the outcome.
We combine business thinking and creative problem‑solving
With a business objective as foundation, we use research, facilitation, storytelling, and design to refine thinking, make possibilities tangible, and create a practical path forward.
We hire for depth and range
Our strategists can facilitate. Our designers understand the business. Our program leaders see the customer experience, and our creatives know how to make complex ideas clear.
Our people contribute beyond their role, allowing us to build teams around the work rather than work into a fixed model.
We use design to move decisions forward
Design isn’t downstream. It clarifies problems, explores possibilities, and validates solutions to reduce risk ahead of large investments.
Our designers create work to respond to, believe in, and act on.
We facilitate progress and take ownership
Important work can involve large teams with varying priorities. We work as a true team extension, helping influence better outcomes. With confidence and energy, we make choices and tradeoffs clear, influence productive conversations, and leave teams with practical next steps—free of ego and drama.
We pair AI with human judgment
We pair AI with experienced people who use their expertise and judgement to deliver quality with efficiency.
While AI is improving the way we research, analyze, and explore, we can continue to help clients apply it practically to their products and ways of working.
What our clients are saying
Legion Intelligence
They are not trying to get in the latest magazine or do something great for themselves. They want me to look good.
Head of Marketing, Legion Intelligence
Riot Games
Throughout the entire process, MOJO demonstrated professionalism, creativity, and a deep understanding of our needs. They went above and beyond to ensure that every aspect of our program was executed flawlessly, from initial concept development to final delivery.
Program Manager, Riot Games
Bruce Bolt
Our Founders called me Thanksgiving Day over the moon with the success we were seeing as we had kicked off our Black Friday sale. All the components the BRUCE BOLT and MOJO team had built were coming together as expected. I vividly remember saying to them, ‘MOJO was a critical part of that success. To see it pay off is awesome.’
COO, Bruce Bolt
eBay
Every time a new rockstar onboards my first thought is always, ‘Is that another one of those MOJO folks?’ (and it always is).
Director, eBay
OOFOS
MOJO can do it. Whatever it is, they can do it. They’re our secret weapon.
Design Director, OOFOS
Walmart
You’re a no BS agency and we love that.
Chief Design Officer, Walmart
Antares Capital
Projects like this are rarely a straight line, and I am sure we were not always the easiest client to work with! Yet throughout the process, you navigated scores of ideas, extensive feedback, shifting priorities, and countless details, all while remaining steady and on brand. The result is something we are proud of and a foundation that will serve Antares well for years to come.
Design Director, Antares Capital
Built to adapt
MOJO is rooted in adaptability, from our distributed, multi-disciplinary team models to embracing new technologies, we’ve stayed curious and flex into what the work requires. We will always stay intentional about the way we work with clients and each other.
Our Leaders
Extensive expertise and perspective that stays close to the work.
Our leaders have impacted large organizations through advising executives, building and launching brands, and managing complex programs.
Clients trust them to take ownership in the work, acting as an extension of the team to shape strategy, elevate outcomes, and adapt the approach as needed.
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Darnell Smith
Chairman & Co-Founder
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Stephanie Smith
CEO & Co-Founder
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Ben Crist
Managing Director Product
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Kristin Merkel
Managing Director
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Jessa Strayer
Senior Creative Director
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Magan Arthur
Managing Director Product & Development
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Monaliza Moccia
Controller
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Lauren Pradhan
Head of Brand & Chief of Staff
Our Team
We hire for depth of experience and range in specialty.
That mix of deep expertise and range is becoming even more valuable as roles continue to change.
- timezones
- 5
- years moving businesses forward
- 12
- work from referrals & relationships
- 80
- average annual puzzles completed
- 34
Careers
Our people have strong points of view without big egos. They care about the quality of the thinking and the work. They cross disciplines, ask better questions, and take responsibility for the outcome. They join the book club and love a custom emoji.
- Graphic Design Lead
- Graphic Designer
- Lead Program Manager
- Junior Program Manager
- Brand Communications and Strategy Lead
- Senior Public Relations Strategist
- Creative Director
- Senior UX Designer
- Lead UX Designer
Not seeing an opening for you?
Not seeing an opening for you? Let’s talk about how you could fit in here.