Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mave Rucker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Mave , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
The story behind KUMAA Branding is derived from a simple but profound realization: people and their businesses can be trapped in outdated branding and communication practices that no longer relate with today’s fast-paced, dynamic world. As someone who has spent over 20 years as a creative, working in the American corporate sector managing operations, projects, and business processes across multiple industries—technology, hospitality, entertainment, SaaS, banking, and real estate, etc.—I saw firsthand how traditional approaches stifled growth, creativity, and engagement. When you look in the mirror as a company or a personal “brand,” you want the reflecting image to provide your best and most truthful appearance.
The idea for KUMAA Branding started during my time as an Area General Manager for OYO Hotels, where I was tasked with launching multiple hotel transformation projects which included rebranding. The process of managing operations and projects has taught me the value of having clear and strategic branding in driving operational success. Each transformation required strategic planning, tactical execution, and felt like a work of art—aligning different pieces in an intricate process. However, what really stood out was the demand for a brand identity that didn’t just represent the company, but one that elevates every aspect of the business. This insight became my blueprint, focus, and motivation to start my own movement.
I feel confident and KUMAA Branding processes work because they address a universal pain point: a disconnect between a company’s true character and its outward appearance. In an era where customers crave value along with authenticity and originality, many businesses are still clinging to the safe and predictable. I want to disrupt that thinking by offering something unique, bolder, and more daring. My company and its branding foundation is built on courage, minimalism, and counter-culture based thinking, blending open creativity with intelligent strategy. It offers a solution for businesses that want to break free from the ordinary and bland into pushing the envelope and reaching their truest audiences.
The most exciting part is believing strongly that my ideas in motion will helping creative business people rediscover their purpose and brand’s voice—creatively engaging, but not impeding, polished, but never overdone; innovative, but not overwhelming. There is a unique approach within the KUMAA Brand strategy of combining real-world operational insights with a fresh design character, creating something that allows the feeling of freedom, creative courage, and a purpose to serve. Think Differentiation. And this concept is what made founding KUMAA, LLC DBA KUMAA Branding a no-brainer for me. I continue to feel strongly that businesses resonate with KUMAA’s ethos because, at its core, KUMAA isn’t just about branding—it’s about exploration, collaboration, and ongoing transformation.
Mave , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Sure, Let’s start from the summit. My name is Mave Rucker, and I’ve spent over two decades working my way through various industries, picking up skills, experiences, and insights that I now channel into my branding strategy company, KUMAA Branding. I’m also a producer, beat-maker, and artist with my own publishing under Foreva Night Recordings (ASCAP). My background is a little quirky—I started in retail sales, then moved into banking, hotel operations management, project leadership, property management operations, and software implementation, and I’ve worked in spaces as diverse as a freelance music artist and consumer marketing rep with Red Bull, N.A. If there’s one constant thread through it all, it’s my passion for driving growth and facilitating transformation projects. I’ve seen what happens when businesses get stuck in their ways, and my mission is to shake things up, challenge the norm, and help them rediscover their full potential.
KUMAA Branding is the culmination of those years of experience. KUMAA is not just about stylish logos or catchy slogans (though my company provides those services, too!). The value and offering to any company or business hiring KUMAA Branding (KUMAA, LLC) is a complete reimagining of how they present themselves to the their markets and ultimately to the world. Let’s create and present your true reflection to everyone. The goal is to dive deep into brand strategy, working with you or your team to ensure your messaging aligns with your values, goals, and most importantly—your audience. KUMAA Branding (as mentioned earlier) is a minimalist, but stylish, counter-culture branding platform, which means we strip away the noise and focus on what’s essential. What’s important. For companies that want to break free from stale and/or “safe”, cookie-cutter a** branding, allow us to provide that fresh, fearless perspective that’s in really high-demand.
What sets my company apart is the holistic approach to branding. Thanks to my background in operations and project management, I don’t just look at branding from a design or marketing standpoint—I also consider the internal workflows, the customer experience, and how the brand integrates into every part of your business. It’s all extremely connected, trust me. When your messaging is off, it shows up everywhere, from how you communicate with customers to how your teams operate internally.
The primary problem do we solve? Misalignment. When businesses are saying one thing but doing another, it creates confusion and ultimately damages trust. Not investing properly in your branding (yes, trying to be cheap or “cost effective”) makes a company less competitive, less profitable. This can easily be fixed by creating clear, authentic messaging along with building brand equity to not only reflect the company’s values but resonate with customers on a deeper level. In essence, we help businesses find their voice and use it with courage and confidence!
What am I most proud of? Starting a movement in the form of a company, simply put. Sure, KUMAA is still at the starting point at one year into its journey (founded Sept. 2023), however, the growth of this company is limitless. I’m enjoying the journey as a creative owner and looking forward to opportunities for growth. To create something sustainable, we must go through the legal processes to establish it into a company, then have the courage and expertise to create for others is what I’m also proud of so far.
The main thing I want people to know about me and KUMAA Branding is that we’re not here to play it safe, but to push boundaries, differentiate, challenge traditional methods, and make sure that your brands are as accurate, bold, and dynamically profitable as you need them to be. My work is about more than just aesthetics; it’s about creating a lasting impact. Whether you’re a startup trying to make a splash or an established business looking for a refresh, KUMAA Branding is here to bring your vision to life in a way that’s authentic, creative, and uniquely yours, mane.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I had to unlearn always applying standardized, traditional corporate methods in leading creative projects and auditing procedures. When I lost my job during Covid-19 in 2020, I had to shift gears and found a couple great opportunities working with start-up company owners who were innovative and disruptive. I worked for an independent real-estate owner as a Business Operations Manager and worked with my best friend’s music/artist label, Unapologetic. (weareunaplogetic.com) as a Business Creative. The important thing each owner said to me was to unlearn most of the corporate ways of doing things I had learned and create something uniquely new with their processes. “We do things differently” is what they both said without ever knowing one another. Asking me to unlearn habits I have been doing for over 15-20 years was bold AF. It was difficult indeed, but accepting those challenges then brings me to my current situation as an independent owner myself now.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
“Resilience” is less about I story I can provide and more about a frame of mind that is necessary at this level. I will answer this question creatively. Having a resilient mindset starts from my childhood. I grew up in South Memphis in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. I learned a lot about how I interact with the world from my great-aunt, and she was a huge influence in my life. She grew up on a plantation in Mississippi during the 1940’s and 1950’s, moving to Memphis during the 1960’s at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. She never graduated high school, but taught herself how to read and write. She always found a way to stretch a small amount of anything into enough for the family. She walked to the bus stop to catch the Route 12 Florida every morning, whether it was raining, cold, or sometimes snowing. Everyday after school, if she was home from work, she would make me do my homework before going outside with friends and/or read the Bible with her, so we both improved on our reading levels together. She rarely missed work or any of my school events, even when she did not feel her best. These moments may seem simple to those reading this, but I have always looked at the deepest meaning in all things ever since I was a child. I remain resilient because what is hard today will be easier tomorrow with experience and practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://KUMAAbranding.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kumaa.branding?igsh=MWdpeW1nb2pmaHJsaQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poncebeyond?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlon-rucker/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kumaabranding?si=zwgE7hrVpszpLSJQ
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kumaa-branding-memphis
- SoundCloud: https://SoundCloud.com/poncebeyond
Image Credits
All images provided are within the ownership of KUMAA, LLC, DBA KUMAA Branding (Memphis, Tennessee).