RACHEL SEBALD
ABOUT
Former Division I Goalkeeper.
Chicago-based Strategist.
I've spent the last decade building brand and communications programs for organizations in the middle of something big. Startups raising their first rounds, a proptech platform going public, a climate tech fund scaling a 50+ company portfolio across the Midwest.
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I'm currently Director of Marketing & Communications at Evergreen Climate Innovations, a non-profit climate tech fund, where I manage communications strategy for the fund and its portfolio companies. Before that I was Brand & Communications Lead at Techstars, held a marketing and PR role at Compass Real Estate through their IPO, and spent several years embedded in early-stage startups.
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Through every role the challenge has always been the same: making sure the story is seen, understood, and trusted by the people who need to believe in it.
WHY SPORTS
I've been a Venture Fellow with the Alumni Ventures Sports Fund and a Chicago:Blend Fellow. Playing a sport at a high level shaped how I think about teams, performance, and what it takes to pursue excellence. I've watched the sports infrastructure space closely and the way new leagues are forming, mixed-use stadium districts are reshaping cities, and the way women's sports is finally getting the investment it's always deserved.
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I started the sports ventures side of my freelance work because I kept seeing the same gap. Great teams and developments with real community potential, undersupported on the marketing and storytelling side at exactly the moment it matters most. At the end of the day, sports brings people together in a way few things do, and I want to be a part of building that.
Rachel Sebald
SERVICES
Ways to work with me.
01
Focused Sprints
A short, focused engagement built around one deliverable. Positioning, messaging, launch strategy.
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Brand positioning and messaging framework
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Audience and competitive landscape review
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Launch-ready strategic brief
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Revisions included
03
Project Advisory
Support around a specific moment. A community announcement, a naming rights conversation, a civic pitch, a season ticket launch.
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Stakeholder and community engagement strategy
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Communications planning for key milestones
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Narrative development for public-facing moments
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Coordination with legal, PR, and civic partners
02
Fractional Engagement
Ongoing embedded support without the full-time hire. You get consistent strategic help without adding headcount.
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Monthly strategy sessions and meeting support
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Stakeholder messaging and outreach planning
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Content direction and editorial oversight
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Async access for questions and reviews
04
Pitch & Launch Advisory
Narrative and positioning support for founders and ownership groups raising capital, pitching to municipalities, or getting ready for expansion.
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Pitch narrative and story architecture
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Investor and LP communications materials
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Presentation coaching and messaging refinement
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Introductions to relevant network contacts
Not sure which engagement fits? Let's figure it out together.
CONTACT
Let's Build
Something.
Whether you're launching a new team,
building a brand, or ready to go to
market, I'd love to hear what you're
working on.
OR REACH OUT DIRECTLY: