Brand It Forward: New Look, Real Impact
This year, the Junior League of Cincinnati had the opportunity to see our own mission in action — as a beneficiary of Brand It Forward, the very kind of program we love to support.
Brand It Forward is a partnership between the Junior League of Cincinnati, a female design student, and a local nonprofit partner.
Great design often stalls before it ever reaches the public — most nonprofits simply don't have the budget to bring a full brand package to life. That's where JLC steps in, funding a $250–$500 stipend so a female student who can carry her work from the classroom into the real world, implementing a branding package hands-on.
In 2025, the Columbia Center was on the receiving end of that generosity as the Junior League of Cincinnati was selected for a branding project. In 2026 a talented UC Blue Ash student designed and implemented the fresh new branding you now see across the Columbia Center — from paired mentorship with our Managing Director to a finished, professional identity delivered at little to no cost.
It's a full-circle moment for JLC: an organization built on training and developing women to do a world of good, now wearing a brand created by a classroom of hard working students and implemented by a woman doing exactly that. Every rental at the Columbia Center already gives back to our mission — and now, thanks to Brand It Forward, the space itself tells that story.
Building brands. Building careers. Empowering women.
A very special thanks to our first Brand It Forward recipient, Cheyenne Ginter, who brought this brand package to life for the Columbia Center.
Cheyenne Ginter is a graduate from U.C Blue Ash, who is currently working towards her BFA in Graphic Design at Mount St. Joeseph University, set to graduate in 2027.
In her own words…
Working with the Columbia Center on this project has meant a great deal to me. I’m incredibly grateful that the Columbia Center and Junior League of Cincinnati chose to offer me this opportunity. I am still working through my degree and have admittedly little real-world experience. Rather than consulting with an established design company, they chose to take a chance on a student. To me, that choice reflects their genuine commitment to uplifting women and creating opportunities within their communities, which was incredibly touching.
I also loved knowing that, even in if only a small way, my work was contributing to an organization whose work does so much for the people in my own community. As a full-time college student, I have to work part-time to afford tuition and living expenses. The stipend the Columbia Center provided for this project allowed me to reduce some hours at my part-time serving job and gave me the chance to work on something in my field of study while gaining real-world experience.
I was nervous about taking on a project with limited professional experience, but everyone I worked with was incredibly supportive and wonderful. It was a terrific first professional experience, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity with the amazing women of the JLC and Columbia Center.
Want to work with Cheynne? Contact her at: Gintercheyenne931@gmail.com