Strategic and Creative Horsepower for your Brand and Business.

We live and compete in a time where optimizing resources and speed to market is critical. Customer experience and positive feedback means everything. Good isn’t good enough anymore. You need ideas and solutions in hours not days, weeks or months.

7Nine Partners is a brand and experience-centric design collective and think tank for established and emerging brands and businesses looking to create, launch, reinvent, extend, disrupt or evolve experiences, categories and distribution channels across the US and the world.

For over 35 years we’ve helped our B2B, B2C and C2C clients stand out, innovate, optimize and embrace change through integrated branding, marketing and experience design programs.

We optimize the experience pathway between your brand, your associates and your customers.   

Our extensive history working with, along side and inside of brands and retailers combined with our passion for observing customers in the field, in their home, online, and on the move provides critical insights to drive optimization in your current channels and markets and fuel innovation and expansion into new ones.

Our collaborative team of leading strategists, designers, storytellers, experts and specialist firms have a rich history of working together to bring fresh thinking and horsepower to your brand, marketing and customer experience initiatives. Our project teams have been as small as four and as large as 100+ and are always customized to each client and project engagement. 

John Galvin, Founder + Principal + Chief Creative and Experience Officer

John is a fearless and passionate customer-centric strategic and creative marketing executive that brings a no-nonsense approach to everything he touches and creates for his clients. Often hired and acting as an outsourced / fractional C-Level (Chief Marketing / Chief Creative / Chief Experience) executive for many of his new and long-time clients, John brings to 7Nine Partners over 30 years experience contributing to and leading consulting and client teams supporting Fortune 500 brands and emerging start-ups across insights, branding, customer experience design, retail marketing, advertising, and multi-channel marketing programs.

John started his career at Retail Planning Associates where he partnered with leading brands including Ford, Citi, Kmart, Goodyear, Kidder Peabody, Norwest Banks and Pro Hardware before co-founding one of the first integrated branding and experience design agencies in the US, Integrate, in 1989. At Integrate, John helped to grow the company into one of the Midwest’s most respected and decorated firms through partnerships with numerous leading brands including Lowe’s, Toys “R” Us, Goldtoe Brands, L Brands, Victoria’s Secret, Pink, Express, Champion Sportswear, Goodyear, Mid America Motorworks, Frontgate, GBQ, Gildan, The Body Shop, The Limited, Lane Bryant, Dean & DeLuca, JPMorgan, Pathways Financial Credit Union, Stage Stores, Campus Living Villages, Welcome Break (UK), Office Depot, Rocky Brands, White Castle, WOSU Public Media, The City of Dublin, Cerdant, Certified Oil, Verizon, Intimissimi and The Ohio State University.

In 2011, following a very successful 22 year run, Integrate was acquired by Big Red Rooster where John helped lead the integrated branding and customer experience team securing partnerships with Dick's Sporting Goods, USG, Crossville Tile, SAS Shoes and Steele's stores.

John attended the The Ohio State University where he studied film, design and engineering and earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design.

Jim Parker, Senior Consultant / Retail Marketing and Customer Experience

Jim is a hands-on, customer-centric marketing executive with over 38 years experience in retail executive management, operations, marketing, customer experience development and automotive technology start-ups. He’s passionate about helping clients identify opportunities to optimize customer education, engagement and sell through and developing solutions that improve the customer experience whether they are shopping in-store, online, on their phone or through a catalog.

Jim began his career at Nationwise Auto Parts, one of the first discount auto parts chains in the US. As Senior Vice President of Marketing he helped guide the company from a handful of local stores to a regional chain of 111 retail stores in 9 states with over 100 million dollars in annual sales. Jim left Nationwise to start Automated Retail Information Services (ARIS) in 1984. ARIS was one of the first companies to develop an electronic parts look up system for the automotive industry. Jim and ARIS partnered with AutoZone to help develop their electronic parts look up system with over 2200 units installed across the AutoZone chain of Stores. Jim and his company went on to develop a touch screen kiosk customer parts look up system for mass discounter automotive departments resulting in 2500 of these systems being installed in Wal-Mart stores.

Jim has helped start and develop several other companies including Swapman.com, Home Auto, SportBike Xpress and Moto25. He has spent the last 10 years consulting with Honda and helping various dealers with training, customer experience, operations, sales and service initiatives including the opening and management of Honda Powerhouse stores.

Ron Schuller, Strategic Consultant / Principal and Founder, Red Barn Consulting

Ron Schuller is a leading expert in brand development, brand strategy and implementing performance management structure to drive continuous improvement.  He has held key Executive Leadership positions within the Specialty Retail, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Financial Services verticals and has advanced consumer-centric principles as a corporate practitioner, an entrepreneur and as a strategic consultant to many of the world’s best brands.

As an entrepreneur and prior to creating Red Barn Consulting, Ron was a founding partner of Real World Data, Inc. a Tech start-up business focused on consumer behavior and insight through the deployment of an in-store video analytics platform. Ron has leveraged his career of 30+ years to identify and refine strategic priorities, align & motivate teams to action, and to achieve superior results through insight-driven strategy.

Ron is a graduate of The Ohio State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Finance and focused his graduate studies in Marketing in the MBA program at the Max M. Fisher College of Business. Ron currently serves on the Board of the Fashion and Retail Studies Program at The Ohio State University and is a frequent guest lecturer in the program on various topics including marketing, brand strategy, and leadership.

Curtis Zimmerman, Strategic Consultant / Founder, Curtis Zimmerman Group

As a keynote speaker, best-selling author, brand evangelist and change management leader, Curtis Zimmerman has impacted over one million people around the globe with his life-changing message. People connect with Curtis through his high energy as he incorporates the skills he gained from over twenty-five years in the entertainment industry as a nationally-recognized mime, juggler, and fire-eater into his powerful programs.

But don’t be fooled by the fun: With the perfect interactive keynote to open or close a conference or through hands-on immersion and facilitation of innovation sessions, Curtis mobilizes audiences to manage rapid change, invigorate their company culture, lead with integrity, and engage customers.

Curtis is a highly sought after speaker among Fortune 100 companies including Kroger, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson & Johson, Pepsico, Coca-Cola, Duke Energy and Walt Disney Resorts, along with Universal Orlando Resorts and the United States Air Force.

He is also the author of three books, including his #1 nationally best-selling book Life at Performance Level. Curtis is a member of the Global Speakers Federation (GFS) and the National Speakers Association (NSA), from which he has achieved the highest-earned recognition reserved for the top ten percent of professional speakers across the nation, the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation.

Deb Miller, Business Strategy and Insights / Principal and Founder, Boulevard Strategies

Deb is Principal and leads strategy and insights for our partner firm, Boulevard Strategies. Her role focuses on providing clients with market research, planning and strategy formation and implementation consultation. Her work has included conducting primary research, as well, as the development of business and market strategies and plans. She has worked with the public sector (municipalities, counties, SIDS, townships and neighborhood associations), real estate developers, property managers, corporate retail organizations, and manufacturers throughout North America.  Deb's expertise lies in researching, analyzing and developing market and business strategy, as well as the development of retail recruitment strategies, community experience strategies, branding and marketing initiatives.

Deb’s background prior to Boulevard Strategies, included founding and operating Blue Pencil, a strategic marketing firm; co-founding 2 Under Entertainment, a new media development firm specializing in online channels and content; functioning as the managing partner of a retail design firm, BachmanMillerGroup; and as an executive within 2 prestigious retail design firms - Retail Planning Associates and RichardsonSmith (both, now part of Fitch).

She has over 35 years of experience and has worked with Fortune 500, start-ups and small businesses, as well as national retail chains, financial service providers, major manufacturers, regional distributors and financial service providers. She has completed projects in 47 different states domestically and served clients in North and South America, Latin America, Canada and Mexico.

In addition to client-specific work, Deb writes articles for publication, and gives public, association and university presentations on a wide variety of marketing, strategy, media and retail topics. She has also served on various boards including Divine InterVentures and is currently serving as Board President of the Colonial Homestead Artisan Guild.

Deb attended the University of Kansas where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design. After graduating from the University of Kansas, she attended the Ohio State of University and pursued graduate studies in both Behavioral Psychology and Industrial Design, earning a Master of Science in Industrial Design.

Robert Abbott, Digital Experience Strategy and Design / Principal and Founder, Context Digital

Robert is a communication designer, digital experience strategist and entrepreneur. For more than 30 years he has been innovating digital brand and communication solutions for a range of leading U.S. and global clients, including GAF, John Deere, Jamaica Tourist Board, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Bacardi Global Brands, Panasonic, Deutsche Bank, and the Smithsonian. His work has received numerous national and international awards. Starting with the C-Suite, Robert contributes throughout the process, from initial business strategy, to architecture and communication frameworks, to interface design and all of the details around experience realization.

Robert founded his current digital agency, Context Digital, in 2014 and has launched DRVN, a startup focused on teen driving safety. Robert is also the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Denison University, helping them plan and implement a Design Thinking program and develop Entrepreneurship on campus. Previously, Robert founded and built several successful digital agencies, including Shift Global and Motivo. Shift was acquired in 2012 by Publicis, Motivo was acquired in 1998 by Ten United. In addition, Robert’s background includes experience as a Human Interface Designer with Apple Computer’s Advanced Technology Group in Cupertino, California. 

Robert holds an MFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and BS in Individual Studies from the University of Northern Iowa.

Bob Welty, Environmental Strategy and Design / Principal and Co-Founder, ROWE Creative Union

Bob is a passionate and visionary creative veteran of the design industry and was one of the original partners of Chute Gerdeman. In 2002 Bob joined WD Partners to help start their design practice. There he served as Senior Vice President over the design studio providing overall design leadership and overseeing creative output of the team. As one of the founding members of ROWE Creative Union in 2016, Bob leverages his deep expertise gained from working with numerous Fortune 500 companies to help entrepreneurs and start-ups bring their brands and customer experiences to life. 

Bob’s 25+ years of consulting has included key partnerships with CVS, Eddie Bauer, Gatorade, Macy’s, Express, The North Face, Safeway, Samsung, Shake Shack, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Victoria’s Secret.

Bob attended the Columbus College of Art and Design where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design.

Paul Hemingway, Strategic Advisor / Client Partnerships

Paul is a classically trained marketer with over 20 years experience leading growth initiatives for top consumer and retail brands. He has led strategic planning, consumer insights, new product commercialization, and marketing activation at numerous leading brands including Coca-Cola, JM Smucker, Kimberly-Clark, Abbott Nutrition and Wendy's. In these roles he's partnered with key retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger, and major restaurant franchisees to align on category strategy and marketing plans that exceeded sales expectations. Paul is adept at activating brands and leveraging both traditional and non-traditional marketing channels including social, digital and SEO. He prides himself on being consumer-led, data-driven, and nimble to provide efficient, winning solutions that deliver bottom-line results for his partners. 

Paul attended The Ohio State University where he earned his MBA, and the University of Utah where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing.

Darryl Levering, Senior Consultant / Creative Director and Brand Storyteller

With over 25 years of experience as a visual communicator and storyteller, Darryl’s passion continues to be helping brands better define and express themselves to resonate with their target customers. Darryl uses his expertise to envision, design, and build engaging brand experiences uniting physical, digital and human touchpoints. As brand storyteller he is responsible for developing and delivering clear and consistent messaging that deliver across all internal and external communications. As a collaborator who works closely with clients and internal teams, Darryl helps to leverage brand strategies into relevant and memorable brand experiences.

Darryl has partnered with national and international brands throughout his career. Some of his clients include: Electrolux North America, Johnny Rockets, Zensho (Sukiya), Yum Brands, L Brands, Victoria’s Secret, Campus Living Villages, White Castle, Scotts/MiracleGro, CVS, The Home Depot, Lowes, Aramark, Gildan, GoldToe Brands, Aveda, GBQ, GolfSuites, ERC Homebuilders, Mid America Motorworks, Certified Oil, The City of Dublin, Lane Bryant, Pathways Financial, and The Ohio State University. 

Cheryl Pentella, Senior Consultant / Brand Strategy and Content Development

An accomplished strategist and storyteller, Cheryl has the ability to align business goals with the marketing planning process, allowing organizations to effectively leverage their assets to yield the best return on investment. She delivers integrated marketing solutions for our clients that elevate their brand, creative strategies that underscore and complement their values and personality, and the right mix and mass of communications to achieve desired results.

With experience in both corporate and agency environments, Cheryl brings a unique depth and breadth of experience and perspective to each engagement and knows how to effectively collaborate and achieve consensus among internal management teams as well as external consultants.

Cheryl offers more than 30 years of experience in real estate and economic development with clients that include The New Albany Company, Daimler Group, Corna Kokosing, Urban Land Institute, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Association, City of New Albany, Franklinton Development Corporation, Short North Arts District and the National Affordable Housing Trust. She also has consulted on behalf of The Ohio State University, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Nationwide Insurance, USG, Eli Lilly and Astra USA. Cheryl has earned Public Relations Society of America PRISM awards for integrated marketing communications programs and has been featured as a guest speaker on marketing communications, messaging and content marketing strategies. Additionally, she chairs the communications advisory committee for the Urban Land Institute, Columbus.

Tricia Reisch, Senior Consultant / Insights and Strategy

A collaborative leader and facilitator, Tricia has 30+ years of experience in discovery research, insights and experience strategy development work, specializing in both primary and secondary research used to support client strategic planning and marketing initiatives. Tricia is naturally curious and passionate about understanding consumers and has never lost sight of the importance of insights-driven strategies as a key factor in the development of successful programs. As a self-described research geek, she loves finding those “aha” moments to help fuel the identification of solutions to client challenges.

Tricia started her career at Management Horizons, a boutique retail consulting firm, and more recently served as Vice President, Experience Strategy at Big Red Rooster and as Retail Strategy Director at Resource Ammirati. She has been responsible for inspiring, leading and driving value-added strategic insights and solutions for national and global brands. Much of her recent project work has been centered on consumer journey mapping, leveraging her knowledge of both physical and digital experience development to identify the primary touchpoints and points of influence along the consumer journey where significant impact can be made.

She has partnered with a wide range of clients including Chase, CorePower Yoga, FITCH, GNC, Kohl’s, The Limited, L.L.Bean, MillerCoors, Nike, The Ohio State University, Procter & Gamble, Sherwin Williams, Victoria’s Secret, VS PINK, Walmart, Wendy’s, and others.

We’re more than just a “big ideas” team. We also implement solutions in pragmatic, cost-effective ways, from brand and campaign launches to internal acceptance programming to prototype development, testing and global rollouts.

As outsiders with a fresh perspective on your business and brand, we co-discover and co-create with customers and business units in the field and inside your corporate headquarters to understand and test the desirability, viability and scalability of big ideas. We then mobilize our team of experts and specialist partner companies to optimize, execute and manage the myriad of details standing between the original concept and scalable deployment.

We help you identify and eliminate the hurdles standing between where you are today and where you need to go tomorrow.

We believe that each and every thing you do, each and every thing you say, each and every product and service you offer and each and every person you hire that represents your brand and your business matters.

Every Experience Counts.®