Pitch Black

Brand Identity System / WebSITE

Pitch Black is a powerful movement dedicated to elevating and celebrating Black founders nationwide through strategic events, targeted capital deployment, and compelling content.

  • SITUATION

    A bold vision emerged from an unexpected place: What if Portland, known as the "Whitest City in America," became a catalyst for Black entrepreneurial excellence? What if we reimagined capital conversations around the strength of community connections? These questions drove Stephen Green to launch the first Pitch Black event in Portland, Oregon, a decade ago. That singular moment ignited a movement that has since flourished across Seattle, Austin, and Philadelphia—with ambitious plans to transform entrepreneurial landscapes in Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, New York City, and Los Angeles.

    PROBLEM

    Pitch Black approached us with a clear mission: evolve beyond events into something greater.

    The challenge was to transform how Pitch Black is positioned—elevating it from an event platform to a comprehensive digital ecosystem. This strategic evolution led us to coin "The Home of Black Ideas"—a compelling digital destination where founders discover inspiration and funding opportunities.

    Furthermore, Pitch Black's leadership envisioned a national expansion with industry-specific events. This ambitious growth required a sophisticated, scalable brand system.

    SOLUTION

    We crafted a comprehensive brand system that empowers Pitch Black to confidently expand across industries and cities. Our website design bridges the gap between physical events and digital engagement, creating an always-on platform for celebrating Black founders. The result? A dynamic digital space showcasing Pitch Black's expanding content universe—from engaging podcasts to compelling founder stories and creative merchandise.

    TEAM

    Creative Direction:
    Eleazar Ruiz

    Design:
    Eleazar Ruiz

    Typography:
    Tré Seals

    Tone & Voice:
    Diana Taggart

    Motion Design:
    Greg Stewart

    Project Management:
    Antonia Fortes

    Case Study Photography:
    Nolis Anderson, Texas Isaiah, Anjali Pinto and Whitney Gibson

    PITCH BLACK TEAM

    Stephen Green, Jelani Memory

    PRESS

A man wearing a black shirt and backpack with the words 'PITCH BLACK' in purple and white, standing against a purple gradient background.
Cover of a magazine or book titled 'PITCH BLACK' with a man standing outdoors in front of a large, white, modern structure under a clear blue sky. The man is posing with one hand near his face, wearing a vest over a white shirt and brown pants. The subtitle reads 'How to scale a fashion brand with Tyler the Creator'.
A collage of various webpages related to Pitch Black, a platform supporting Black founders and creatives. The pages feature images of people, events, sponsorship details, food, and episode information, with bold titles and colorful backgrounds in black, yellow, green, purple, and orange.
Silhouette of a man wearing a black cap with white text that says 'BLACK | Founder' against a purple background.
A person wearing a black long-sleeve shirt with hands on hips, holding an orange and white badge that says 'PITCH' and 'BLOCK' with the phrase 'That's my stage' and a smaller word 'Food' at the bottom. The badge hangs from a lanyard that says 'PITCH' repeatedly.
Close-up of a black hoodie with NASA-themed graphic featuring a purple and white design listing various professions such as astronaut, architect, chief, president, scientist, actor, and inventor.
A bright orange event flyer titled 'PITCH FOOD' with details about a food event on February 22nd at The Armory in Portland, OR, lying on a light wood table.
A person wearing a purple knit beanie with a patch that says "Pitch Black" on the front, viewed from behind against a purple background.
A large horizontal advertisement on a wall promoting PITCH BLACK, with a photo of a person standing on grass through a rocky area, and yellow text in the top left corner reading 'The home of black ideas'.
  • A man with a beard and bald head wearing a white and yellow striped polo shirt and green shorts, sitting against a plain white background.

    Working with Odd Notion's team was amazing. They met us exactly where we were creatively and—as if by magic—transformed our organization's voice and spirit into a brand and website that exceeded our expectations. We created something we're not only proud of but eager to share with the world. We'll absolutely work with them again.

    – Stephen Green, Founder of Pitch Black

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