Forge Catalyst
Strategy that moves people. Creative that moves business.
Forge Catalyst is a strategic brand and creative consultancy led by Principal Creative Zonnia Knight. We help organizations clarify their purpose, build distinctive brands, and translate business strategy into creative work that creates meaningful impact.
Purpose is more than a statement. It’s a strategic advantage.
The organizations that create lasting impact know what they stand for—and why it matters.
We help organizations uncover the purpose at the heart of their brand, connect it to business strategy, and translate it into experiences people can understand, believe in, and act on.
Because when purpose, strategy, and creativity point in the same direction, brands don’t just communicate. They move people.
What We Do
Brand Strategy & Positioning
Define what makes your brand matter
We develop brand strategy, positioning, architecture, messaging, and differentiation strategies that clarify your place in the market and create a foundation for sustainable brand equity.
Creative Leadership & Direction
Connecting strategy to creative vision
We translate strategic intent into compelling creative direction, storytelling, campaigns, identities, and experiences—bringing clarity and consistency to every expression of the brand.
Brand Building & Evolution
Build brands that grow with the business
From brand launches and rebrands to ongoing evolution, we help organizations strengthen brand expression, create consistency across touchpoints, and build awareness, affinity, trust, and equity.
Fractional Creative Leadership
Senior creative counsel.
High-value efficiency.
Forge Catalyst can serve as an embedded strategic and creative partner to leadership teams, providing brand stewardship, creative direction, team leadership, agency management, and strategic counsel when organizations need experienced leadership without adding another permanent executive.
Leadership that connects strategy to execution.
Great creative leadership isn’t simply about having good ideas. It’s about creating the conditions for good ideas to become meaningful business outcomes.
I’ve led creative teams, mentored talent, managed agencies and external partners, and built processes that help teams do their best work—even when the challenge is complex, the timeline is tight, or the path forward isn’t obvious.
My role is to create clarity, set the creative vision, align stakeholders, and give talented people the direction and trust they need to do exceptional work.
From complexity to clarity.
DISCOVER
Understand the business, audience, market, culture, and challenge.
DEFINE
Find the insight, clarify the purpose, establish the positioning, and determine the strategic direction.
CATALYZE
Turn strategy into creative expression, experiences, and action.
Strategy creates the direction.
Creativity creates the momentum.
Trusted by teams. Valued by leaders.
Here are some highlights of what clients and creative colleagues have to say about me. Check out my LinkedIn Recommendations to read their full reviews.
“You’ll feel the impact of having Zonnia on your team immediately because she hits the ground running, knows what it takes to develop and lead high-performing professionals, is passionate about the work she does, and consistently stays level-headed through all conditions.”
“…[Zonnia] was a terrific mentor who listened as well as she taught. She offered guidance as a brand expert while advocating fiercely for her team, department, organization, and brand partners. She’s a diligent, detail-oriented professional who isn’t afraid to dive deep into research and whose work is driven by keen insight, high creativity, and relentless respect for the brand — and excitement for the brand’s potential.”
“Zonnia is a rare multi-disciplined creative (copywriter, creative director, video editor, PPT creator). She’s resourceful, always seeks new ideas and approaches and was a mentor to many in the creative department. Zonnia understands how to develop brands and presents her concepts with passion.”
“[Zonnia] is good at managing expectations, and helping to guide clients – even when the conversations are hard or the client is all over the place. She is good at keeping others in the team on track, and creating a process that helps foster creativity and good work in an often chaotic workflow.”
“When I first met her, I knew I was hiring a Swiss Army Knife: She has design chops, a way with words, and insight-driven strategy skills. Zonnia excels whether she’s working on the agency side or the client side because she lives life on the zen side. Spirited, whip-smart, and naturally gifted, Zonnia efficiently manages in-house talent, vendors, and freelancers to help scale creative production.”
“You don’t come across a lot of people who are equally adept as designers and writers, and able to combine these skillsets in a way that really helps brands define themselves and drives strategy. More than that, she’s an incredibly positive person who brings kindness, empathy, and humor to everything she does. I highly recommend her.”
“You know when [you] have a connection with someone and you just look at them, and they know exactly what your thoughts are and are always one step ahead of you, that was my experience working with Zonnia.”
“I had the pleasure of working with Zonnia for 2+ years. She is a clear communicator and creative. She can help build teams from scratch as she has an excellent eye for talent. Great recruiter and retention is high under her command. Easy to work with, advanced branding expert. Her experience shows when you work with her. I am happy to have worked and learned from her. She is a difference maker.”
Have a complex problem worth solving?
Whether you’re building a brand, evolving an organization, or looking for experienced creative leadership, let’s talk about where you’re trying to go—and what’s standing in the way.