ChangeMakers adds The Creative Dept. co-founders to leadership as firm expands AI innovation and U.S. brand strategy capabilities.   

We’re excited to welcome Chris Hirsch and Nellie Kim to ChangeMakers, in appointments that reflect where the industry is heading and how we’re positioning to meet it. 

Hirsch joins as Chief Innovation Officer, based in Toronto, where he will lead our Innovation practice. His focus is building AI-enabled products and platforms that translate our creative and strategic expertise into scalable solutions for clients navigating a rapidly shifting market. Kim joins as Chief Brand Officer, based in San Francisco, leading integrated brand advisory for ChangeMakers and its clients. Her appointment deepens our growing U.S. presence, joining established offices in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Miami. 

The pair are co-founders of The Creative Dept., a San Francisco-based brand advisory firm known for advising innovative and culture-shaping companies on brand strategy and creative direction. The firm is now integrating into ChangeMakers as we continue expanding our North American footprint. 

“Chris and Nellie are founders, world-class creative leaders, and strategic thinkers — and that combination is rare,” says Stefan Moores, CEO of ChangeMakers. “They’ve built businesses, and they understand what it takes to translate clients’ ambitions into real outcomes. That entrepreneurial instinct, combined with our integrated model, positions ChangeMakers as a firm that doesn’t just advise on the future, but has the trust, the judgment, and the capabilities to help organizations actually get there.” 

Their arrival comes at a time when AI is reshaping how organizations operate and communicate, and the traditional lines between strategy, creativity, and technology are rapidly dissolving. We are building toward a model that brings all three together. 

“With AI fundamentally changing how value gets created in our industry, we need to use creativity to build more than just campaigns,” says Hirsch. “We need to use it to build innovations, products, and platforms, and to help change the way organizations think and operate. And ChangeMakers has the talent, integration, and ambition to do just that.” 

Kim sees brand as central to that shift. “The role of brand has expanded far beyond marketing. In a world where AI can produce content and launch campaigns at scale, the brands that stand out will be the ones with a genuine point of view and a story worth telling,” she says. “That takes taste, conviction, and craft. The exciting part about ChangeMakers is the opportunity to bring that thinking into every part of how an organization leads, communicates, and earns trust.”