Company: Kolar

Kolar’s vision is to be the most trusted global partner in unlocking human insights + unleashing the soul of space to positively impact our clients and communities they serve. Kolar is an award-winning strategic design firm that specializes in insights, interiors, and experiential graphic design.
We build brand experiences derived from data that deliver measurable business results in the built environment. With over 30 years of experience, our woman-owned enterprise is passionate about finding new and innovative ways to connect people, places, and brands to create healthy and impactful environments. The Kolar team is committed to delivering purposeful and transformative design. We design to inspire people and change lives.

At Kolar, our core values are who we are and how we design. Our legacy is built on design excellence, diversity + inclusion, health + wellness, and sustainability. It’s in everything we do to build better environments and stronger communities around the world.

We are reshaping the future of work. Our vision is to design environments that make an impact. Through our unique data-driven process, we deliver thoughtful interiors and exteriors that bring the power of your brand to life – connecting the human experience with physical space.

Women represent 40% of our Board of Directors, and 60% of our Executive Leadership Team. As a 100% Woman Owned business, we are proud to champion and support diversity both within our team and within our broader business community. Kolar has a ESG program and focuses 30% of annual spend with women owned businesses.
The founder serves as the Second Vice Chair of the National Forum of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, and past Executive Committee Member of Ohio River Valley regional partner organization. She truly believes that the intersection of art and business breathes life into our community, making a positive impact through education, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Our corporate social responsibilities include the firm’s thousands of hours of pro-bono data driven design and activation work for countless organizations supporting women and families in our region. This includes the YWCA, the United Way Tax Program and most recently for the City of Cincinnati –College Hill “Our Shop” program. The first clicks to bricks and mortar free rent tilt up for growing small women and minority owned

businesses. This initiative connects local women entrepreneurs with affordable retail space, while bridging community wants and needs with what’s possible in the marketplace. OurShop is a 2 year pilot program designed to help cities and their neighborhoods make smart, data-driven decisions about main street retail in a post-COVID and tech-enriched world. The provides local wrap-around strategic consulting services, while documenting and measuring the impact of placemaking and activation on retail sales and growth for economic impact in our community.. The initiative is meant to inform public and private investments in entrepreneurship ecosystems, neighborhood retail strategies, and commercial district operating systems.