Rob Urban · Strategy, AI, digital & storytelling

Selected Projects.
Interesting work.
Real responsibility.

From a difficult technical explanation to a private collection, a new market or a very good reason to sell macaroni and cheese.

Explore the projectsAbout the work

The work behind the work

The interesting part starts after “that sounds cool.”

A marine technology project, a mac-and-cheese food truck, a private family memoir and an energy initiative do not need the same consultant speech. They need someone willing to understand what they are trying to do.

These stories come from engagements across the past three years. Many began with a new company, a new initiative or a project entering an unfamiliar stage. Some involved a substantial organization. Others began with a small group of people and an idea that needed to become a business, a clear offer or an experience someone could actually use.

I was brought in at different points and in different roles: fractional CMO, retained consultant, board advisor, CEO advisor or project lead. The title depended on the assignment. The work could move from requirements gathering and technical meetings to AI implementation, team training, digital processes, branding, ads, writing, investor communication or relationship development.

That is the range of my practice. It is not a checklist performed on every engagement. The mission, company and problem determined what the work needed to be.

I performed the PaperBoat contribution personally, collaborating with client leadership, boards, investors and specialists. The engineers, scientists, operators and other professionals retained their own responsibilities. These accounts describe my work and the wider project outcomes without confusing the two.

Names stay private

The substance can still be shared.

Most client identities are covered by confidentiality agreements. The figures and outcomes included here are cleared for anonymous publication. Images, screenshots and identifying client material are omitted.

Some stories have a measurable commercial result. Others are interesting because of the question, the relationship or the work itself. I have kept those differences visible. A research commitment is not the same thing as recognized revenue. An acquisition result is not a clinical outcome. A project achievement may involve many people even when the digital or marketing contribution was my own.

You can read for the industry, the type of problem or simply because the subject catches your attention. A useful connection sometimes begins well outside the field you thought you came here for.

Three ways into the collection

Start with the question closest to yours.

The project collection

Follow what interests you.

89 project stories

Science & frontiers

Difficult subjects. Clearer possibilities.

Maritime technology, research, AI and the business conversations that help unfamiliar work move forward.

Energy, water & food

What the world runs on.

Energy, agriculture, environmental information and the companies connecting technical progress with a market.

Business & digital growth

The work behind the result.

Search, information, advertising, processes and digital experiences connected to commercial decisions.

66

A Conference Needed a Second Front Door

A hybrid attendee journey, keynote messaging and platform briefs extended a physical conference to a global remote audience.

Strategy · Story · Project work
69

When AI Search Got the Company Wrong

An audit of generated answers and corrective content work addressed inaccurate brand descriptions and helped restore prospect confidence.

Strategy · Story · Project work

Culture & storytelling

Give the story somewhere to go.

Museums, interpretation, books, private histories and the people trying to understand them.

Private clients & experiences

Substantial work. A smaller audience.

Provenance, collections, private transactions, travel and experiences whose value depends on the particulars.

83

A Product's Origin Needed to Travel With It

Product-origin narratives and verification requirements connected a luxury brand's provenance information with the ownership journey.

Strategy · Story · Project work

Where a conversation can start

You can bring the problem before you know what to call the assignment.

A founder may need help finding the business story inside a technical idea. A board may need someone to connect several questions that have been discussed separately. A private client may need a digital record and a careful narrative. An established company may need hands-on work that crosses the boundaries of its existing roles.

I work across those situations when the project is a good fit. Sometimes the answer is a defined assignment. Sometimes it is a retained relationship that allows the work to keep developing. The useful starting point is what the organization is trying to achieve and where it is getting stuck.

Tell me about the company, the mission or the project. A plain description is enough to begin.

Did these projects all happen in 2026?

No. This collection brings together engagements from the past three years. It is an evergreen account of selected work rather than a claim that every engagement began or ended in one calendar year.

Why are client names omitted?

Most engagements are confidential. The public accounts use cleared outcomes and describe the work without naming the clients or displaying private materials.

Do you advise or implement?

Both, according to the assignment. My work can include strategy, writing, digital development, AI implementation, processes, team training and relationship development. Each story describes the relevant contribution rather than assigning the same service list to every client.

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