July 2026 marked an important next chapter for Culture Pilot. We are proud to announce that Susan Renaud, Director of Digital, and Geoff Nelson, Chief Strategist, have joined the firm’s ownership team as Principal Partners.
The appointments recognize what has already become clear through their years of leadership: Susan and Geoff are integral to what we produce, and they continue to help shape the evolution of the firm.
Susan took an unconventional path into data analysis and digital marketing, moving from psychology and public health to behavioral therapy and a coding bootcamp. She now works with our clients to understand the data behind their marketing and translate those insights into actionable strategy. She also continues to grow her role in digital video production. Susan brings the knowledge of human behavior, technical problem-solving, and the creativity necessary to drive Culture Pilot’s digital practice forward.
She points to Culture Pilot’s culture of learning as part of what’s influenced her growth: “I’ve always had room to learn, experiment, and keep getting better, personally and professionally. I’m excited to have a bigger role in where we go next.”
Geoff brings decades of experience at established companies, including Dell, DYWIDAG, and Intel, as well as startups and ventures of his own in media, metals, and spirits. He has bootstrapped a startup to $1M in one year. As our Chief Strategist, Geoff has spent his years at Culture Pilot uncovering unique points of view and opportunities that strengthen our clients and their market positions.
His ability to connect business goals, audience understanding, and brand direction has strengthened our strategic capabilities and deepened the role we play with our clients’ growth objectives. Geoff added: “I’ve worked in almost every type of organization, and Culture Pilot has been by far the most rewarding. It’s an insanely creative, no-BS team, and we work with clients who give us room to explore, take risks, and do great work. The fact that clients trust us enough to continue coming back year after year is something we don’t take for granted.”
Together, Susan and Geoff represent two essential sides of Culture Pilot’s future: defining where brands should go and building the systems that help them get there.
“Susan and Geoff have made Culture Pilot better. They’re smart, curious, opinionated in the right ways…” said co-founder and Creative Director Kara Gray. “And they care deeply about the work and the people behind it. They’re already leaders here; this just makes it official.”
Tim DeSilva, co-founder and CEO shared: “Susan and Geoff have earned a much bigger voice in where Culture Pilot goes from here. I couldn’t be more proud to have them beside us as partners, and I’m genuinely excited about what we’ll build next.”
With their appointments, Susan and Geoff join Culture Pilot’s existing Principal Partners: Tim DeSilva, co-fouder and CEO; Kara Gray, co-founder and Creative Director; Javier Fadul, Innovation Officer; and Erma Tijerina, Education Officer and Senior Designer.
Culture Pilot is a Texas-based growth strategy, brand development, and marketing firm that helps organizations clarify who they are, communicate what matters, and build momentum around what comes next. By connecting business strategy, brand, digital marketing, and above all else, the ability to execute the plans, we help ambitious organizations move from insight to action while uncovering more of what makes them meaningful.
