About
ZADA
Experienced Leaders. Tailored Approach.
How We Work.
We bring together an experienced team of subject matter experts to provide clients with tailored and cost effective services. Our experts have a variety of experience within corporate environments or startups and also as service providers. Additionally, many of our experts serve as coaches and mentors in startup ecosystems.
01
Fractional Leadership
Sometimes you need additional leadership support but you don’t need another full-time hire. We work in concert with existing leaders to augment your leadership team with our expertise and experience.
02
Consulting
In some cases, specific skills or perspectives are needed to help guide management or internal teams. We work on a fee or retainer basis to assists organizations with some of their toughest challenges.
03
Project Leadership Support
We’re here to help clients who need a project lead or “product owner” to help them manage the strategic direction and resource allocation for internal projects.
04
Business Development Partner
For specific clients, we will represent their business to help them acquire new customers, investment capital or business partnerships. More than a “sales rep,” this relationship often involves strategic planning, lead development, deal structuring, and relationship management.
05
Team Coaching & Development
Through our experts, we provide individualized skills and mindset based education and mentoring to help internal leaders develop their skills and leadership capabilities.
06
Training, Workshops & Events
From strategic planning retreats, to brand explorations, to consumer, product and innovation experiences, we design and facilitate group trainings, workshops and events to support teams.
Our THINKER Values
TRANSPARENCY - we operate with no hidden agendas.
HUMILITY - we’re confident yet unpretentious.
INTEGRITY - we’re honest and do the right thing.
NIMBLE - we adapt quickly to change.
KNOW-HOW - we honor the application of knowledge.
EMPATHY - we relate through a deep sense of connection.
RESPECT- we operate with the highest regard for others.
Ph.D. // Futurist // Strategist // Innovator // Race Car Driver
Dr. Zane Gibbs
In 2019, following a 23+ year career in the CPG industry, I co-founded ZADA Strategy, LLC to help companies of all sizes envision and explore new futures, innovate and transform offerings, create robust brands, deploy go-to-market and growth strategies, and gain a deeper understanding of customers. During my corporate tenure, I held a wide variety of leadership roles in areas including corporate strategy, marketing and brand management, packaging innovation, product design and development, consumer futures and customer research.
While working at Altria, I was the architect of the company’s strategic product development and innovation processes, led agile product, marketing and packaging innovation teams, managed partnerships with external marketing agencies, led co-development efforts with product design and technology firms, built internal consumer futures practices and was the company's subject matter expert for scenario based strategic planning.
Upon departure from corporate life, I wanted to apply my expertise and experience to help individual founders and startups. As a mentor in Virginia’s startup ecosystem, I've had an opportunity to work with a wide range of founders and teams from diverse sectors including software, apparel, food, packaging and mental health services. This experience has served to expand my perspective and approaches as I engage clients. It has also been personally rewarding to see startups that I've worked with grow and attain investment capital - including NoLimbits, a 2021 Shark Tank funded startup focused on adaptive apparel.
Academically, I hold a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics with a specialty in Quantum Field Theory, am the recipient of two patents, and have published technical articles in the field of physics. In my spare time, I enjoy a breadth of interesting passions that have included being a DJ, a Formula 1000 race car driver, a sports radio reporter, a photographer, and I'm currently training to become a competitive table tennis player.