About
What is 3thought?
We’re a brand and communications firm built around three drivers of growth: clarity, credibility, and presence.
3thought began in 2009 with a simple belief: the best work doesn’t happen by accident.
Before the first logo was designed or website was built, we were asking bigger questions. What makes a brand clear? What makes it credible? What helps it show up consistently enough to matter?
Over time, those questions became the foundation of how we work.
Today, the name 3thought reflects the three drivers behind the systems we build:
- Clarity — so people understand what you do and why it matters.
- Credibility — so your brand presents itself consistently and professionally.
- Presence — so the right audiences encounter you in the right places.
Over time, those became the three thoughts behind the name — and the lens through which we view every project.
"Thought is in our brand DNA - it's what makes us different."
Matt Ulvila, Co-founder of 3thought
Why We Work This Way
Over time, we learned that good work rarely starts with deliverables. It starts with listening, judgment, and a clear understanding of what needs to hold steady.
We listen before we prescribe.
You know your organization better than anyone. Before we recommend a direction, we take the time to understand the history, context, and pressure behind the work — not just the request in front of us.
We don’t say yes to everything.
You’re not hiring order-takers. You’re hiring experienced partners who will speak up when something feels off, question weak assumptions, and help keep the work pointed in the right direction.
You work with the people doing the thinking.
No revolving door. No handoff maze. No mystery layers. You work directly with the people shaping the strategy, building the systems, and carrying the work through.
The people behind 3thought
A senior team with deep experience across brand, communications, web, and business development.
Shea Baker
Shea Baker founded 3thought in 2009 after building her career in agency environments where strategy, design, and execution had to work together under pressure.
Today, she helps lead the firm’s creative direction, brand systems, and website architecture — ensuring that messaging, visual identity, and user experience stay aligned as projects move from concept to execution.
Her experience spans tourism, nonprofit, cultural, legal, medical, higher education, and entertainment organizations, giving her a strong understanding of how brands need to adapt across industries without losing clarity or consistency.
At 3thought, Shea plays a central role in shaping design standards, guiding complex site builds, and keeping multidisciplinary work moving in the same direction. She brings both strategic perspective and practical discipline to every engagement, helping clients build brands that are not only well designed, but well managed over time.
Matti Ulvila
Matti Ulvila helps organizations bring structure to complex brand and communications challenges.
As co-founder of 3thought, he works across positioning, content strategy, website architecture, and search visibility — helping clients clarify what they do, strengthen how they present it, and make sure their digital systems support real business goals.
His work often begins before anything is designed or developed. By identifying where messaging has drifted, where systems are under strain, and where execution no longer reflects the quality of the organization behind it, Matti helps clients focus on the problems that actually need solving.
At 3thought, he plays a central role in shaping positioning, content direction, website planning, and performance-focused decision-making across client engagements, helping ensure every part of the system supports the same story.
Kerry Donovan
Kerry Donovan supports 3thought’s business development efforts, helping build relationships, expand regional visibility, and connect the firm with organizations that value thoughtful, disciplined communications work.
His background includes leadership and marketing experience across corporate, travel, and tourism environments, giving him a strong understanding of how organizations evaluate partners and communicate their value in competitive markets.
At 3thought, Kerry focuses on relationship-building, community engagement, and identifying opportunities where the firm’s strengths in clarity, credibility, and structure can make a meaningful impact.
Chris Vaudrain
Chris Vaudrain leads the technical side of 3thought’s web work, building the systems that make complex websites function reliably and scale over time.
His experience includes e-commerce, platform migrations, troubleshooting, custom development, and the kind of under-the-hood problem-solving that keeps digital platforms stable, usable, and aligned with business goals. He works across new builds, redevelopment projects, and ongoing technical support — ensuring the systems behind the site are as strong as the brand it represents.
At 3thought, Chris helps bridge strategy and execution, turning ideas into digital systems that perform well, adapt to change, and reduce friction for both clients and users.
Sophie Speliopoulos
Sophie Speliopoulos supports 3thought’s design work across print, branding, and visual communications, helping turn ideas into polished, effective deliverables.
She brings a strong creative eye, versatility across formats, and a steady ability to move work forward with care and consistency. From brand applications to print materials and campaign support, Sophie plays an important role in helping the team execute well and keep projects moving.
At 3thought, she contributes to the day-to-day creative work that helps brands show up clearly, professionally, and consistently across every touchpoint.