The Challenge
Thirty Ink had built an impressive portfolio of businesses, media ventures, youth sports programs, and philanthropic initiatives centered around a shared mission of creating equity, access, and opportunity. As the organization expanded, however, growth began to outpace the planning infrastructure needed to support it.
Business units operated with limited coordination, long-range financial planning lacked consistency across the collective, and Stephen Curry's time, presence, and brand equity were being allocated reactively rather than strategically.
Leadership recognized the pattern and brought in support to help build the structures the enterprise needed.
ACV was invited to work on this project in partnership with one of the Bay Area’s most prominent executive coaching and brand strategy experts.
The Solution
Over a three-year engagement, ACV Consulting partnered with Being Human and Thirty Ink leadership to establish a common planning framework across the collective's diverse portfolio of businesses and nonprofit initiatives.
The work included developing strategic planning templates, facilitating annual planning sessions, introducing quarterly business reviews, strengthening financial forecasting tied to long-term valuation goals, and creating a more structured process for managing Stephen Curry's time and organizational priorities.
Special attention was also given to Eat. Learn. Play., ensuring nonprofit planning and governance requirements remained aligned with the foundation's mission while supporting broader organizational objectives.
The Results
The engagement helped transform Thirty Ink from an organization operating primarily on entrepreneurial momentum into one supported by a repeatable strategic planning process.
Key outcomes included:
- Strategic plans established across major business units
- Quarterly leadership review processes implemented
- Improved management of Stephen Curry's appearances and time allocation
- Multi-year revenue and valuation planning tied to 2030 objectives
- Stronger planning, measurement, and investment frameworks for Eat. Learn. Play.
The resulting infrastructure strengthened organizational alignment and helped position the collective for continued growth with investors, partners, and stakeholders.
Key Insight
For celebrity-led enterprises, strategic planning is about more than financial forecasting. Sustainable growth requires shared decision-making frameworks, accountability structures, and organizational discipline that extend beyond any individual brand.
By building those systems, organizations can create long-term value that continues to grow independently of any single moment in the spotlight.
Additional Articles
When rapid growth outpaces infrastructure, even the strongest celebrity brands feel the strain. Over three years, we helped Thirty Ink build the strategic planning systems, quarterly discipline, and long-range alignment Stephen Curry’s collective needed to operate with clarity instead of constant reaction. The result is an enterprise that can grow independently of any single moment in the spotlight.