strategic by instinct.
creative by practice.
My name is Üma.
The umlaut is silent.
I help businesses and organizations make better decisions—then turn those decisions into brands, experiences, campaigns, and communications that actually work.
You can feel when something’s off. The message is close, but not clear or compelling. The work looks good, but it’s not moving the needle. Everyone’s involved, but no one’s making informed decisions—and you know the vibe-coded, design-by-committee approach to communications isn't working.
That’s where I come in.
I figure out what’s off, make the call on what needs to change, and get it moving.
If something’s off and you can’t quite see it, I can. Tell me what’s going on and I’ll tell you what it looks like from here.
Part analyst. Part fixer. Part culture-builder. Always going to tell you the truth.
I don’t come in with a framework or a preset process. I come in and look at what’s actually there—what’s being said, what’s being built, how decisions are getting made—and where it’s breaking down.
My background spans communications, writing, design, and strategy strategy, but the throughline is the same: transforming complexity into clarity to get results.
Turned organizational transition & chaos into clarity
After a major rebrand and restructuring, the organization was stretched thin across staffing, planning, and brand stewardship. I was brought in to run two critical end-of-year campaigns with limited resources. I focused on data-driven and multimedia storytelling to make the work more direct and legible, reengaging an audience segment that had gone quiet.
Thought leadership & business direction
Initially hired to write, edit, and manage email strategy, the role quickly evolved into a deeper partnership. We shifted toward a model centered on service and human connection, and built the messaging around shared humanity, rather than leaning on typical B2B marketing tactics.
A brand refresh, new website, and marketing direction
Brought in to create a content and digital marketing strategy and execute deliverables, it quickly became apparent the existing brand and website was not up to par. Rather than scrap the existing identity, I proposed a brand refresh to clear up the execution on the identity, led the redesign of the website to incorporate the new branding, and integrate lead generation. When the creative projects were completed, I then onboarded a new CRM and trained sales staff to integrate sales and marketing for even further optimization of resources.
Product + business model reset—health tech startup
The existing model wasn’t sustainable—too resource-heavy, not enough margin. I identified a more viable product opportunity, rebuilt the budget and business strategy around it, and developed a new offering designed to scale with fewer resources. I led the planning, development, and launch, while shifting how the work was owned, executed, and marketed.
Üma Kleppinger
brand. communications. marketing. strategy.
LET’S CONNECT
TEL: 503-278-5969
© 2026 Üma KLEPPINGER • Based in the pacific northwest • serving businesses and brands coast to coast