Full Circle in Keene: Why Black Rabbit is Moving Back to the Hannah Grimes Center

Walking back into the Hannah Grimes Center feels a bit like stepping into a time machine. Better Wi-Fi. Better coffee. Same spark.

There’s a specific feeling to a space where ideas get built. I first felt it here in 2015, when I was running Machina Kitchen & Artbar and working out of the Hannah Grimes incubator.

Now, in 2026, I’m back. The rabbit just has a sharper point of view.

THE MACHINA ERA

If you were around Keene between 2015 and 2018, you might remember the original Hive coworking space. It was a passion project, start to finish. I had the honor of designing the space and running it as a live music venue for a year and a half.

We didn’t just open a door. We built a stage.

With help from a local crowdfunding campaign, we turned a workspace into a real cultural pulse point. It was messy, exhausting, and worth every second. It also reinforced something I still believe: design is not just about how a space looks. It’s about how people feel inside it.

THE INTERMISSION

Fast forward to early 2024. Machina Kitchen & Artbar closed its doors. After years in hospitality and the arts scene, I needed space to step back and reset.

That pause mattered.

I went back to school and earned my Master’s degree in Media Design, digging deeper into visual communication and modern brand storytelling. Then I started freelancing. One project became another, and eventually the work outgrew my kitchen table.

That work became Black Rabbit Creative.

WHAT A BRANDING AGENCY ACTUALLY DOES

People ask this a lot: “So, you make logos?”

Yes. And also, not exactly.

A branding agency does more than pick colors and draw marks. If a logo is the face, brand strategy is the thinking underneath it. The voice. The structure. The reason it sticks.

When we talk about small business branding, we’re talking about:

• Strategy: who you’re talking to and why they should care

• Positioning: how you stand out without shouting

• Identity System: visuals that work everywhere, not just in one spot

• Storytelling: the narrative that makes people choose you

At Black Rabbit, we don’t just hand over files. We build the foundation that makes a business feel clear, distinct, and ready to grow.

WHY KEENE. WHY NOW.

There’s a specific kind of energy in the Monadnock region. Around here, local isn’t a tagline. It’s daily life. I’ve missed the hallway conversations, the collaborations, and the shared push to build something real in Keene.

Moving Black Rabbit Creative into a new office at the Hannah Grimes Center feels full-circle in the best way. I’m not just renting a desk. I’ve rejoined their incubator program.

One of the biggest draws was the free branding coaching, especially because I’m now offering those free coaching sessions myself. It feels like a meaningful way to give back to the people and community that lifted me up throughout my entrepreneurship journey, not just something I joined because I liked the program. Even as someone in this field, I believe in outside perspective. Growth gets sharper when you stay open to it.

WHAT COMES NEXT

We’re not here to just occupy space. We’re here to contribute.

At Black Rabbit, our goal is to give founders brand strategy services that make their business feel as strong on the outside as it already is underneath. Whether you’re a startup in the incubator or a long-standing business on Main Street, we want to help you scale with clarity.

Keene has always been a city of makers and doers. I’m glad to be back in it, helping those businesses look as sharp as the work they do.

NOTES FOR THE ROAD AHEAD

Coming back to the Hannah Grimes Center has reinforced a few things:

1. Growth isn’t linear. Sometimes distance gives you perspective.

2. Community changes the pace. The right environment helps good work go further.

3. The foundation matters. What happens behind the scenes shapes everything people see.

If you’re in the building, come say hi. If you’re a local business owner ready to sharpen your brand, let’s talk.

Ready to build something that lasts?Explore our work or get in touch to see how we can bring your brand full circle.