Avance Strategy Group — Work
Science-based communications
that actually moved the needle.
A collection of communications strategy, social media, branding, and media work for science-based organizations and programs.
Selected projects
What we've built
UCSF PROPEL → National PROPEL
Social media strategy, brand identity, team building, and expansion communications for a national science program
↓ Read the case study belowUCSF Lab & Program Logo Design
Brand identity and logo design for four science organizations — PROPEL, CIDMI, Core Immunology Lab, and Henrich Lab
↓ See logos belowSolving For Science
Full communications infrastructure — website, messaging framework, newsletter, and content strategy
Case study coming soonLab & Scientific Program Websites
Website design and development for research labs and scientific programs at UCSF
Portfolio coming soonCase Study
UCSF PROPEL → National PROPEL
2 yrs
of inactivity reversed
3+
platforms established
1→team
built a social media committee
1
winning logo design
The Problem
PROPEL is a postbac program at UCSF that helps scholars from underrepresented backgrounds pursue careers in science and research — and get into graduate or medical school. The work was meaningful. The digital presence was invisible.
In 2024, PROPEL had an Instagram account that hadn't been posted to since 2022. The profile picture was blurry. The bio said almost nothing about what the program was or who it was for. The few posts that existed were cluttered with dense text and no clear visual identity. For a program doing important work, the online presence wasn't reflecting any of it.
As a PROPEL scholar and Staff Research Associate at UCSF, I saw the gap — and I reached out to the program's Chief Strategist to offer to help. I was upfront that I wasn't a marketing professional, but that I'd managed social media for organizations during undergrad and genuinely wanted to help PROPEL show up the way it deserved to.
They said yes. I became PROPEL's Social Media Manager.
"An Instagram account that hadn't posted since 2022. A blurry profile picture. A bio that said almost nothing. For a program doing important work, the online presence wasn't reflecting any of it."
Before & After
Instagram — After
Logo — Before
Logo — After
Constraints
- No dedicated budget or tools — working with free platforms and whatever time I could carve out
- This was volunteer work alongside a full-time research position — every piece of content was made during breaks, lunches, and weekends
- No existing brand system — no consistent fonts, colors, templates, or visual language to build from
- Small team with no media background — I'd need to build and train a team, not just execute alone
- The program was growing fast — scope kept expanding as PROPEL moved toward becoming a national initiative
The Approach
Rather than just starting to post, I took a step back and thought about what PROPEL actually needed: a clear identity, a consistent presence, and a system that could scale. Here's how it unfolded.
Step 1 — Audit and rebuild the foundation
Updated the profile picture, rewrote the bio to clearly communicate who PROPEL is and who it serves, and established a visual language for content — consistent fonts, color palette, and post formats.
Step 2 — Start creating content consistently
Designed posts and flyers that highlighted scholars, program milestones, and opportunities. Moved from cluttered text-heavy graphics to clean, engaging visual content that reflected the quality of the program.
Step 3 — Redesign the logo
Identified that PROPEL's existing logo wasn't reflecting the program's growth. Proposed a logo redesign competition open to the entire PROPEL community — anonymous submissions, community vote for the winner. My logo design won and became the official PROPEL logo.
Step 4 — Expand to new platforms
Established PROPEL's presence across additional social media platforms to reach a wider audience of prospective scholars, academic partners, and supporters.
Step 5 — Build and structure a social media team
As content demands grew and I was using every spare moment to keep up, I proposed building a social media committee. I recruited team members, assigned each person to specific platforms, and created a workflow that distributed the workload so it was sustainable and efficient — not dependent on one person.
Step 6 — Build digital infrastructure
Set up a Box system for organizing and storing all digital assets — graphics, photos, logos, and templates — so the team had a shared, organized home for everything. Proposed and helped launch a PROPEL newsletter to build direct communication with the community.
Step 7 — Support national expansion
As PROPEL grew from a UCSF program to a National Initiative, my role expanded with it. Contributed to media and marketing strategy for the expansion, including video editing, website content, pitch deck copywriting, and email copywriting to support outreach to new institutional partners.
Sample content produced
Results & Impact
What started as a dormant Instagram account became an active, multi-platform presence with a team behind it and a brand identity that reflected the quality of the program.
2 yrs
of inactivity reversed — from last post in 2022 to consistent weekly presence
3+
platforms established and actively managed
1 → team
scaled from solo manager to a structured social media committee
- Revived and rebuilt an inactive social media presence from the ground up
- Designed the winning logo in a community-wide competition — now the official PROPEL logo
- Established a scalable team structure (social media committee) that distributes workload across platforms
- Built a digital asset system (Box) so all graphics, photos, and templates have an organized home
- Launched PROPEL's newsletter program to build direct community communication
- Expanded role to support national initiative — video, website, pitch decks, and email copywriting
Key Insights
Show up before you feel ready
I didn't have a marketing degree or a big portfolio when I reached out. I had experience, initiative, and genuine care for the program. That was enough to get started — and the results followed.
Systems outlast individuals
Building a team and creating shared infrastructure (the committee, the Box system, the newsletter) meant PROPEL's communications could continue and grow regardless of who was in any given role.
Brand identity is a foundation, not a finish line
The logo redesign wasn't just aesthetic — it gave the program a visual identity it could build everything else on. A clear brand makes every piece of content stronger.
Communicate your capacity early
Being upfront about bandwidth constraints led directly to a better solution — the social media committee — instead of burnout. Honest communication about scope is a strategic skill, not a weakness.
Brand Identity
UCSF Lab & Program Logo Design
Logo design for four science-based organizations at UCSF — each built to reflect the identity, mission, and audience of the program.
PROPEL
Winning design from a community-wide anonymous logo competition. Now the official logo for the UCSF PROPEL and National PROPEL program.
Center for Infectious Disease Molecular Imaging (CIDMI)
Brand identity designed to reflect the program's focus on cutting-edge molecular imaging in infectious disease research.
Core Immunology Lab (CIL)
Logo designed to communicate scientific rigor and the lab's specialization in immunology research.
UCSF Henrich Lab
Brand identity for the Henrich Lab, an infectious disease research lab at UCSF focused on HIV cure research.
More work
Portfolio in progress
More case studies and project showcases are being added as work is documented. Check back soon for Solving For Science, UCSF logo work, and lab website projects.
✦ More projects coming soon ✦
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