Visibility Engineering: Branding for Underrecognized Communities with N. Chloé Nwangwu

In this insightful episode of Feminist Founders, Becky Mollenkamp talks with brand scientist N. Chloé Nwangwu about the unique challenges of building brand visibility for underrepresented and marginalized communities. Chloe brings her rich background in conflict mediation and international politics to her work in visibility engineering, helping brands influence behavior while honoring their identities and values. She and Becky dive into the concept of visibility as a complex, non-neutral force shaped by societal biases and systemic barriers. Together, they unpack key concepts like the ambition penalty, reciprocity gap, and validation paradox, exploring how these invisible forces affect women, people of color, and other under-recognized groups in the branding space. Chloe shares her methodology for creating an “ecosystem of influence” and her unique approach to visibility engineering that helps brands stand out authentically, despite systemic hurdles. This conversation is a must-listen for entrepreneurs committed to building brands that reflect their true values and vision for a more inclusive world.

N. Chloé Nwangwu (she/her) is the director of NobiWorks, a brand visibility consultancy rooted in behavioral science. She unabashedly believes brands and visibility strategies not built with power dynamics and biases in mind should consider disappearing from this plane of existence. NobiWorks equips underrecognized brands with visibility strategies and systems scientifically formulated to help them neutralize visibility biases while commanding — and keeping— attention in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Everything you do to be better seen, heard and understood should work. Full stop. And it is her personal mission to make that so.

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Discussed in This Episode:

• Chloé’s journey from international conflict mediation to brand strategy and visibility engineering
• The difference between branding and visibility for underrepresented communities vs. mainstream branding
• Visibility biases and the “racial attention deficit” that affect marginalized groups in branding and beyond
• The invisibility tax and ambition penalty, and how these concepts reveal hidden barriers for under-recognized brands
• Cognitive biases in branding and how they create visibility challenges
• The importance of creating an “ecosystem of influence” for sustained brand impact
• Visibility engineering as a strategy for making brands “impossible to ignore”
• Practical steps to structure branding around social impact, inclusivity, and ethical visibility

Resources Mentioned:

• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk: We Should All Be Feminists
• About Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s anti-trans rhetoric
• Change by Damon Centola
• Freedom Dreams in Philanthropy
• Resources from Nobiworks