Small team.
Big results.
What Works Studio is an award-winning strategic marketing consultancy whose projects have resulted in billions of impressions globally and over $111 Million in economic impact locally.
An Exceptional
Track Record.
We’re the award-winning team that created the Light City festival, What Weekly Magazine, the famous Mr. Trash Wheel and other projects that have had an enormous positive economic and cultural impact on the communities they serve. We are problem-solvers who craft creative solutions that produce both ROI and meaningful social impact.
See our work.
Who We
Are.
We are focused on creating impact and empowering others to do their best work. Our branding, digital marketing, website development, video production and social media services are designed to help our clients tell their story and drive their customers to action. What Works Studio has a track record of successfully transforming brands, fueling fundraising efforts, and launching large-scale campaigns that drive substantial ROI, economic impact, and international attention.
See our services.
Brooke Hall Allen
Justin Allen
What We
Stand for.
What Works Studio’s mission is to empower others. We help people and organizations better tell their stories, achieve their goals, and fulfill their purpose.
Who We
Work For.
We seek to work with organizations that are aligned with our values and employ socially-responsible practices. Our ideal client is working to empower and enrich their customers and their community. It’s important to us that our clients are running ethical businesses or nonprofits that have a net positive impact on the world.
What We
Value.
What Works Studio is a company that is built on relationships, a drive for excellence, and outside-of-the-box thinking. We have five core values that drive all of our decisions.
Integrity
Truth is not ambiguous. Upholding the truth is seldom convenient. But when you choose to be in a world free from ethical uncertainties, you’re left with space to serve wholeheartedly and relate to others openly.
Creativity
Creativity is an innate human practice that gives us the capacity to solve challenging problems, conceive and launch spectacular projects, and inspire others by way of unique vision, memorable experiences or deeply felt resonance that connects each of us to one another.
Excellence
Excellence is not a steady state but an ongoing exercise in learning, achieving and growing to meet the highest standards we set for ourselves. It’s expressed in the quality of our services and our intent to take in new knowledge and continually improve our processes and our clients’ experience over time.
Curiosity
Though over time, the rhythm of the world becomes somewhat familiar and predictable, an openness to possibility and a passion for exploration can uncover revelatory perspectives and unexpected opportunities. Simply put, those who never attempt to leave the box are those who lack the curiosity to discover what lies outside the box.
Mindfulness
Being fully present, free from the weight of the past and anxiety for the future, provides the freedom to apply your full attention to your work, hold true to your guiding principles, and execute at the highest level, both for yourself and for those that count on you.
Rave Reviews.
How We
Measure Success.
We measure our success through a holistic lens that takes into account the overall impact our projects have on our clients in terms of ROI as well as the impact our work on their behalf has on the world at large.
Awards And
Honors.
Downtown Baltimore Award
Downtown Partnership of Baltimore
Silo Breaker Award
Betamore
40 Under 40
Baltimore Business Journal
Smart CEO Cover Story
How the creative minds behind Light City and Mr. Trash Wheel are helping Baltimore shine brighter.
Innovator of the Year Award
The Daily Record
25 Women to Watch Award
The Baltimore Sun
Best of Baltimore: Light City, Best Category Buster
Baltimore Magazine
Brava Award: Top Female CEOs
Smart CEO Magazine
Creative Group of Year: Light City
Baltimore Innovation Week
Social Innovation Award
Warnock Foundation
Best of Baltimore: What Weekly, Best New ‘Zine 2013
Baltimore Magazine
Best of Baltimore: What Weekly, Best New Magazine 2012
Baltimore Magazine
About Brooke.
Brooke Hall Allen is an award-winning business leader and entrepreneur with over 15 years experience in design, marketing, branding, project management and creative direction. She is a published writer and public speaker. Brooke is the co-founder of Light City, America’s first large-scale light festival, which has already added $111 Million to the Maryland economy. She is also the co-founder of What Weekly, an independent online magazine. Select awards include “25 Women to Watch” by the Baltimore Sun, “Innovator of the Year” by The Daily Record, “Top Female CEO” by Smart CEO Magazine and “40 Under 40” by the Baltimore Business Journal. Brooke was selected as one of only 50 Young Cultural Innovators from around the world to attend the Salzburg Global Seminar. Her work has been featured in New York Times, The Guardian, CNN, New York Magazine, and in a permanent exhibition at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. She earned a BA in Liberal Arts from the Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University. Brooke and Justin have two children.
See Brooke's website.
About Justin.
Justin Allen is CMO/Creative Strategist at What Works Studio. He is the co-founder of Light City and What Weekly Magazine. His work has been featured in National Geographic, Discovery Channel, The Guardian, CNN, and New York Magazine. Select awards include “Innovator of the Year” by The Daily Record and “40 Under 40” by the Baltimore Business Journal. His foray into marketing and design began in the entertainment industry where he produced and promoted music and events for over a decade. He has experience developing medical devices for which he holds multiple patents and has been featured in the Journal of Medical Physics. Prior to that, he was an electrical engineer contracted to organizations including NASA, NSA, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Air Force.
See Justin's website.
