Jimmy Khounlavong

Brand Architect · Product Strategist · Principal

I tell stories, launch ventures, and enjoy building cool sh*t.

Twenty-seven years across brand, sales, & product from the sales floor to the boardroom.

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The Foundation

Core Businesses

Everything I build flows through these two platforms—one anchored in brand strategy, the other in ventures and capital.

Lip Loi Creative
ActiveFounderPrincipal

Lip Loi Creative

Brand, narrative, and go-to-market for founders building things that last.

Common Ground
ActiveCo-FounderCMO

Common Ground

Venture advisory and strategic partnerships for founders and operators.

Full Portfolio

Arena
Role
Status
LÏEF Development + Construction

LÏEF Development + Construction

Active

Design-forward development with high standards and strong partners.

CMO, Principal
Nike

Nike

Legacy

16 years from sales floor to GM Nike Sportswear LA. $500M+ in signature product. $1.2B in LA revenue.

GM, Merchandising, Product & Sales
APEXX AI

APEXX AI

Active

Practical AI systems that drive real growth — not hype.

CMO
Ritz-Carlton

Ritz-Carlton

Legacy

Development advisory for luxury hospitality properties and branded residences.

Advisor
Drive For The Dream
Drive For The Dream logo

Drive For The Dream

Concept

Original sports docuseries following emerging professional golfers on the road to the tour. Brand, narrative, and distribution strategy.

CMO, Principal
Prince Capital
Prince Capital logo

Prince Capital

Active

Private capital strategy across real estate and hospitality.

Fractional
Oakley

Oakley

Legacy

Brand positioning and retail experience advisory for a global performance icon.

Advisor
Fluidmapper

Fluidmapper

Active

Brand and GTM strategy for 3D fluid measurement and reactor optimization platform.

Advisor
Xtrata

Xtrata

Active

Innovative construction technology for faster, smarter & safer builds.

Advisor
Kinetic ML

Kinetic ML

Concept

Machine learning infrastructure for enterprise-scale applications.

Advisor
No Caller iD

No Caller iD

Legacy

Creative direction & GTM strategy to help position for growth.

Advisor
The Fine Game Plan

The Fine Game Plan

Active

Advisory, business development, and GTM strategy for maturing startups, turnarounds, athletes, and influencers.

Advisor
The Negotiated Apology

The Negotiated Apology

Legacy

Narrative-driven media brand exploring conflict, culture, and resolution.

Advisor
Plunge Studio

Plunge Studio

Concept

Wellness-forward contrast studio concept designed for modern urban lifestyles.

Founder, Principal
Tellus Design + Build

Tellus Design + Build

Legacy

14 years. $22M revenue. $300M+ in completed projects. SoCal’s sustainability pioneer.

Advisor

About

I founded Lip Loi Creative, a brand strategy and go-to-market studio for founders building things that matter. I help companies pressure-test their story, their strategy, and their math so they walk into every room prepared. I also created The Fundable Founder’s Playbook — a five-step system that turns good products into fundable companies.

I spent 16 years at Nike managing some of the most visible product franchises in sport. LeBron. Kobe. KD. Kyrie. Over $500M in signature product, $1.2B in total revenue across Los Angeles. I learned how to read a consumer, assort product to meet real demand, grow franchises at scale, and operate where billion-dollar decisions are the baseline.

Beyond Nike, I’ve led brand development and vision for Olympic gold medalists and professional golfers, raised millions in private capital for real estate development projects, and advised ventures across tech, hospitality, and media.

I also mentor emerging entrepreneurs through ACEL — Asian Corporate & Entrepreneur Leaders — supporting the next generation within the Phoenix AAPI community.

Co-founder and CMO of Common Ground, a venture advisory firm for founders and operators. The goal isn’t attention. It’s endurance.

Fractional CMO / CPOBrand StrategyGo-to-MarketProduct StrategyAthlete & Creator BrandingVenture AdvisoryCreative DirectionCulture & Community
Jimmy Khounlavong

Open To

Fractional CMO / CPO

Senior brand and product leadership without the full-time hire. You get the experience of someone who's built at scale, embedded in your team, moving your business forward.

Brand & Go-to-Market

Clear positioning, sharp narrative, and a real plan to reach your market. Whether you're launching or leveling up, you'll go out with clarity and conviction.

Product & Merchandising

Product that sells and brands that move culture. From line planning to market execution, you get someone who's done it across athlete lines, key cities, and global retail.

FAQ

I help companies build brands people actually care about. Not more stuff. Better stuff. That starts with understanding the customer before you build anything for them. What do they need? What are they actually buying? What problem are you solving that nobody else is? Once that is clear, I build the brand around it — strategy, identity, narrative, go-to-market. I work as a fractional CMO, a brand strategist, or a venture partner depending on what the business needs. The common thread is making brands that earn attention, not chase it.
Founders, athletes, and creators who care about getting it right. Early stage validating whether the idea holds up. Growth stage where the traction is ahead of the brand. Pre-raise where the story has to survive a room full of investors. Whether it is a company, a personal brand, or a career with long-term value, the work is the same. If you believe the customer comes first and the revenue follows, we speak the same language.
I don’t start with design. I start with the customer. Who are they, what do they need, and what are they actually doing with their money? The brand gets built around that truth, not around assumptions. I spent 16 years inside Nike living at the intersection of culture and commerce, learning how people think, buy, and connect with products. Then I went out and built companies with my own money. Some worked. Some never got off the ground. That changes how you approach risk, positioning, and what it takes to move a business forward. I believe in considered design. The devil is in the details. And I would rather break what is not working and build something better than add more noise to the world.
It depends on where you are. Some clients need a full brand build over three months. Some need a fractional CMO embedded in their team for a year. Some need a two-week sprint to pressure-test a pitch before they walk into a raise. There is no template. We scope it around what you need and tie it to outcomes, not hours.
16 years inside Nike. Started on the sales floor, left as GM of Nike Sportswear LA. In between: nine-figure P&Ls, globally renowned athletes, and product lines where brand, consumer behavior, and business moved as one. After Nike, I founded Lip Loi Creative, became a principal at Common Ground, and helped raise millions in private capital for ventures I believe in. The short version: I have built brands from the inside at the highest level, and now I do it for people building something of their own.
I built the Fundable Founder system because too many good ideas die from fixable problems. The Playbook is a 5-step process that walks founders through validating their idea and making it investor-ready. The newsletter breaks down one framework per week. The Fundability Quiz tells you where you stand in three minutes. I would rather give founders the tools to start than make them wait for a meeting. If you want to go deeper, that is what Lip Loi Creative is for.
Free Assessment

Is your brand investor-ready?

Take the Fundability Score Quiz. Three minutes. It will show you exactly where you’re strong and where you’re leaking credibility.

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