ThriveDX

Brand positioning to scale educational infoproducts

Context

ThriveDX is a global EdTech company specializing in cybersecurity and digital skills, operating in partnership with universities and organizations across the United States.

Before this repositioning, the company operated under the name HackerU. Despite strong technical foundations and high-quality programs, the naming created resistance in the U.S. market, making communication and relationships with universities difficult.

The problem wasn’t the product, nor the educational proposition.
It was how the brand was perceived.

The challenge

Enable the company to enter and establish itself within the U.S. higher education ecosystem.
This required removing institutional friction and building immediate trust, without losing technical authority.

The approach

Address the root cause, not the symptoms.
The path forward was to create a clearer, more human, and institutionally aligned identity, designed to speak naturally to universities, enterprises, and learners in a high-trust environment.

My role

I led the naming process and supported the strategic repositioning of the brand, which became ThriveDX.
I was also responsible for the university's landing pages, working across UX, UI, CRO, and digital campaigns, integrating ThriveDX programs and content into academic environments.

Process

– Perception and institutional barrier assessment
– New naming and brand narrative development
– Conversion-oriented landing page design
– Integration with university ecosystems
– Continuous UX and performance optimization

Solution

ThriveDX emerged as a brand ready to operate within traditional academic institutions.
The landing pages were designed to balance institutional credibility with conversion performance, creating a clear, simple, and efficient user journey. One of the projects was developed with the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where the entire digital experience was built from the ground up.

Outcome

The new brand unlocked academic partnerships across the United States and accelerated the company’s expansion. Within a few months, ThriveDX reached a valuation of $1 billion.

At this stage, public reports also pointed to intentions of a future IPO targeting unicorn-level valuation, reinforcing the company’s institutional maturity and readiness to scale following the repositioning.

Closing

This case shows how clear branding and digital experience decisions can remove real business barriers.
When the problem is structural, design stops being about aesthetics and becomes a strategic tool.