Where ideas take root


LOCUS exists to feed the kind of creative thinking that solves big, important problems. We work with leaders of storied institutions and brave startups to clear away noise, reveal transformational purpose, and build stronger businesses. Here’s a peek into the culture that grounds us at LOCUS.

We are a dynamic group of thinkers: diverse, talented, and joined by a common dream of creating lasting value on a global scale. We look out for the long-term success of our partners, and we believe this passion shows in our work. We live to experiment, take chances, and coax innovative ideas into stunning reality.

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Our Team

  • Cliff Chen - Founder/Creative Director

    Cliff is the creative, philosophical, and intellectual heart of LOCUS, and lights up his clients and team with his infectious passion. He sets strategic direction, relentlessly pushing past the status quo to find big answers that create breakthroughs for businesses, shaping strategy for global clients like eBay, Disney, and Grand Ole Opry. He's a voracious learner, artist, and musician. 

  • Vixx Nishikawa - Art Director

    Vixx leads the charge in translating strategy into tangible experiences, visualizing bold, graphically-rich brands and products. Her diverse design skills have been beautifully applied across a range of media, from storefront facades at Universal Studios Theme parks to slick interfaces for high-end software. She’s a local girl from Hawaii living in the heart of Los Angeles. Aloha!

  • Ben Thompson - Strategist/Storyteller

    Ben is a human encyclopedia with a knack for finding brilliant strategies that hide in plain sight. He oversees narrative at LOCUS, from crafting eye-grabbing headlines to user journeys. Ben has worked at advertising agencies like Dentsu and McCann, branding shops like Siegel + Gale, and Hollywood studios from ABC to Fox. Ben is currently mastering the art of crepe-making. Mais oui!

  • Eva Frye - Marketing

    Eva is a marketing and brand strategist based in San Francisco. She graduated from Berkeley in Psychology and thrives on finding the deep emotional roots of brands and honing in on what builds cultural excitement. She’s on the board of INFORUM, has worked for Google and small startups alike, and is a culinary writer and photographer for Eater SF. Her go-to Karaoke jam: Natalie Imbruglia “Torn.”

  • Suzie Chen - Project Management

    Suzie is a project manager who drives the pulse of the company like a pro and keeps us all on track, time, and budget. She also has a background in fitness, wellness and style, which helps everyone on the team set goals and stay motivated. When she’s not challenging friends to workout duels, she spends time cooking, appreciating culture, and constantly learning.

  • Keiko Schnelle - Research

    Keiko is an LA-based researcher and strategist. She graduated from London School of Economics and wrote her thesis on how South Korea rebranded their country via Kpop. Talk to her about it— it’s fascinating! She brings a passion for macroeconomics, strategy, and cat videos to the team and loves nothing more than a fierce brainstorming session.

  • Michael Fasbender - Business Development

    Michael is a sales guru in LA with a knack for defining and building wicked proposals, specializing in business development for agencies. He loves connecting with people, has a thing for jokes and storytelling, and can usually be spotted jamming to tropical house music on the beach with friends.

  • Abe Lee - Concept Artist

    Abe is a gifted concept artist who brings a dynamic understanding of cognition to visuals, with a BA in Cognitive Science from Berkeley and an MFA from the Academy of Art University. He translates complex ideas into striking imagery that tells a clear story for clients like Disney, Warner Bros, and Nickelodeon. When he’s not drawing, he’s teaching kids to code and adding to his toy collectables. 

  • Diego Diaz - Photography/Video

    Diego is a photographer and director working in the greater Los Angeles area. He’s directed nationally broadcasted commercials, music videos and campaigns for clients like Shoedazzle, JustFab, The Honest Company, 7 For All Mankind and Interscope Records. When he isn’t behind a camera he’s out riding his Harley or surfing along the Southern California coast.

  • Greg Shin - Project Management

    Greg is a multi-disciplinary Web Developer turned Project Manager who keeps one foot in each world. When he's not working with clients like eBay, Paypal, and Dollar Shave Club to ship innovative products, he likes to cook food he purchases from the farmer’s market. Fun fact: Greg can be his own band! He’s classically trained in choir, piano, violin, and studies music theory.

  • Liane Polosky – Art Director

    Liane takes on the complexities of our client’s biggest design challenges, boiling them down into brand-defining user experiences. She has worked for a diverse range of blue-chip brands that include AT&T, Sony, Mattel, AEG, Toyota and Disney. Catch Liane in the off-hours hitting the funky notes on her saxophone.

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Creative UNagency

We don't just forget status quo for our clients. We get rid of it for ourselves. That's why we broke out of the agency world to become an unagency.

Locus is fortunate to attract amazing talent. We cultivate an atmosphere where people believe that good enough is not good enough. We don't stop when the work is done, we stop when the idea is vibrating and infectious. If our excitement rubs off on others then we've done our job.

In developing our own identity, it was paramount that LOCUS be culturally sustainable. LOCUS needed to be a place where creatives are treated with respect and get to go home when everyone else does.

We envisioned a world where people learn, grow, and get mentorship. Building brand stories is fun and fulfilling. Shouldn't where you work be too?

You won't find any nerf guns at our office or hear the unmistakable din of a foosball table, but you might see somebody sipping on a coconut or doing some thoughtful work poolside. We think that says a lot.

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  • "LOCUS IS 100% TRANSPARENT, WHICH IS SO DIFFERENT FROM MOST COMPANIES. IT'S LIKE, "LET'S ALL BE REAL WITH EACH OTHER AND FIGURE THIS OUT."

    — Laura Pearse, Grand Ole Opry

  • "LOCUS IS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD FOR INNOVATIVE, DISRUPTIVE THINKING."

    — Omri Yoffe, LifeBEAM

  • "LOCUS IMAGINED SOMETHING THAT WE NEVER THOUGHT WE COULD BE."

    — Ophir Zardok, Evento

  • IF YOU CAN HIRE THEM, HIRE THEM. LOCUS HAS THIS APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF LANGUAGE AND STORYTELLING. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THAT IS NO SMALL THING."

    — Darrel Cummins, Los Angeles LGBT Center

  • "AN INCREDIBLY TALENTED TEAM WITH AN INCREDIBLY BROAD RANGE OF CURE SKILL SETS. THAT'S REALLY HARD TO FIND."

    — Gaurav Rekhi,  eBay

  • "THERE'S A HANDS-ON, PERSONAL CONNECTION TO PROJECT FROM EVERYONE WORKING ON IT."

    — Avital Yachin, Pounce


Grow your roots with us

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