Kelly Kolar is president and founder of Kolar, an award-winning design strategy
firm that specializes in insights and design.
Kolar excels in building brand experiences derived from data that delivers
measurable business results using purposeful, creative and deeply collaborative
design. Kolar’s best-in-class team works closely with organizations using unique
design thinking methodologies to build the strategy and vision that align with
business goals and desired brand experiences.

She is passionate about finding new and better ways to connect people, places,
and brands—from healing environments focused on the patient and family
experience to global workplaces that blend corporate and cultural identity. You can
find the firms work in mixed-use development, where placemaking is breathing life
into urban areas; in healthcare institutions that have become the heart of
communities; and in corporate settings, where shifting hybrid users and new
technologies are redefining the workplace. Our team is driven by the belief that
great design is transformative, that environments can be an agent of change for
people, brands, and business. We design to remind people why they do what they
do every day, to change culture and, sometimes, even to change lives.

As the founder, Kelly has guided the firm in a wide range of strategic innovation
projects including The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, The Ohio
State University, US Bank, Fifth Third Bank and Procter & Gamble globally.
Kelly Kolar is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design,
Architecture, Art, and Planning, where she has served as an adjunct professor as
well as past President of the College Alumni Board. Her work is included in the
Ohio Arts Council collection and the permanent collection of the National Museum
of Modern Art, Tokyo. Her firm’s work is featured in several books, including Urban
Identities, Designing & Planning Environmental Graphics, and City Signs. She is
currently serving on the board of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. In addition, she
serves as the second vice chair of the Women's Business Enterprise National
Council Forum as well as the Advisory Board with the Women’s Business
Collaborative and WBEC-ORV.

In addition, she is co-founder of INJD "its not just dinner," a non-profit committed
to helping elevate and connect diverse entrepreneurs to leverage our networks.
She also co-founded America's River Roots, a non-profit celebrating the Ohio
River's unique culture, music, and cuisine for America's 250th celebration.