I'm Lei Kalani — an independent brand strategist helping companies find the language for who they are.
Currently accepting new projects for 2026. Get in touch — hello@example.com
I'm based in Honolulu, but spend most of my time wherever the work takes me. Over the past twelve years I've helped startups, cultural institutions, and Fortune 500 companies articulate what makes them different — through strategy, naming, visual identity, and editorial voice.
Before going independent I led brand at two agencies in London and New York. I studied graphic design at Central Saint Martins and hold a master's in cultural theory from Goldsmiths.
12+
Years of Practice
40+
Organizations Served
3
Continents
1
Book in Progress
Expertise
Brand Strategy
Positioning, messaging frameworks, and brand architecture for companies at inflection points — launches, mergers, pivots, and international expansion.
Naming & Identity
Company and product naming, visual identity systems, and tone of voice guidelines that hold up across every touchpoint — from pitch deck to packaging.
Writing & Editorial
Long-form essays, brand manifestos, and editorial strategy. Currently writing a book on how visual identity shapes public trust.
Today, I consult for a variety of international brands and am a frequent speaker at design and technology conferences. I'm also finishing my first book on how visual identity shapes public trust, to be published next year.
How I Work
01
Discovery
Interviews, audits, and research. I learn your business, your audience, and your competitive landscape before forming any opinions.
02
Strategy
A clear positioning framework that defines who you are, who you're for, and what makes you impossible to ignore.
03
Expression
Naming, visual identity, and verbal identity — the tangible outputs that bring the strategy to life across every channel.
04
Launch
Rollout support, brand guidelines, and training to ensure your team can carry the brand forward without me.
Selected Projects
Every project starts with the same question: what do you want people to feel when they encounter your brand for the first time?
I've worked with over forty organizations across technology, culture, and retail. Some needed a complete rebrand. Others needed a single sentence that finally said what they meant.
Bury+Partners — brand identity and environmental signage
Heritage Motors — brand revival and classic emblem redesign
What Clients Say
Lei didn't just give us a new brand — he gave us a new way of thinking about ourselves. The strategy he built has informed every decision we've made since.
— CEO, Series B Technology Company
Working with Lei was like having a conversation with someone who already understood us. He found the words we'd been searching for — and made them feel inevitable.
— Founder, Cultural Institution
Writing & Speaking
Why Most Rebrands Fail Before They Start
Essay — Design Observer, 2025
The Language of Trust: Visual Identity in the Public Sphere
Keynote — AIGA Design Conference, 2024
Naming Things: A Practitioner's Guide to Verbal Identity
Book Chapter — Phaidon Press, 2024