Thought Partner is a New Orleans-based strategic design studio that helps individuals and small teams clarify and communicate who they are, what they offer, and why it matters. Founded by Ellen Sitkin in 2018 after more than two decades of experience across industries — architecture, real estate, hospitality, health, education, and more — we bring ideas to life visually, virtually, and spatially through close, meaningful collaboration.

Our work is driven by curiosity and clarity. We challenge assumptions, refine ideas, and shape stories that feel both natural and distinctive. Through close partnership, we uncover the essential truths that bring focus and meaning, ensuring that every project is both beautifully crafted and deeply considered.

In an era that glorifies individual “thought leadership,” our name is a deliberate response: we thrive on the power of the collective — we do the work with you, not for you.

With a global network of creative minds, our team is here to build something meaningful — together.


We are a women- & minority-owned business.

Ellen is an award-winning designer and strategist with 25 years of cross-industry experience. She blends human-centered design with storytelling to help clients and collaborators articulate challenges, generate ideas, and explore solutions.

She has designed exhibitions for the American Museum of Natural History, workshops for Fortune 500 executives, innovation strategies for big box retailers, and brands, apps, and digital products for startups that she saw through acquisition. As a former lead of IDEO NY’s Communication Design practice, she worked in multidisciplinary teams translating complex systems into smart, visual narratives.

After 15 years in New York City, Ellen relocated to New Orleans and established Thought Partner to support clients who value design as a strategic force. Pulling from her wide range of in-house, agency, and startup experience, she continues to help organizations across the country develop the internal resilience and expressive brands needed to grow and thrive. 

Ellen holds a B.F.A. from Washington University in Communication Design. She currently teaches in the Design program and serves on the Design Advisory Board at Loyola University New Orleans. She has been a visiting speaker and critic at various design institutions in Boston, New York, and St. Louis.

Lauren is an award-winning creative director with 25 years of experience in wellness and lifestyle brand development.

She is a true multi-hyphenate creative, supported by a rational framework and an intuitive method to create one-of-a-kind, strategic, beautiful, and impactful solutions for brands.

With a background in product development, Lauren takes the methods, analysis and tools for creating great human-centered design, combines it with her years spent in the editorial world, and curates it all with an art director/stylist’s eye to bring it to the heart of every branding project. Committed to design as a way to change the world, she is interested is supporting the ideas behind purpose-driven individuals and brands. A wellness expert herself, Lauren walks the talk of many of the brands she collaborates with.

She holds a BFA in Design from UT Austin and has studied Apparel Design at MassArt and Photography at the New England School of Photography.

Laura supports the studio’s clients and internal work through writing, editing, project management, and day-to-day operations. She brings extensive experience across education, early-stage startups, and artist-centered initiatives, with a practice focused on making complex work clearer, more durable, and easier to carry forward. Her work spans content strategy, editorial development, research synthesis, and the operational scaffolding that allows creative projects to function smoothly.

She is known for her analytical rigor, editorial precision, and ability to work collaboratively across disciplines.

Alongside her professional work, Laura is a practicing printmaker and embroidery artist. Her studio practice influences her collaborative work, with an emphasis on process, working within constraints, and developing ideas through a hands-on approach.

Laura received a bachelor’s degree in history from University of Miami and a master’s degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

JP is an experience and product designer who specializes in translating complex ideas into intuitive, dynamic digital experiences. With expertise spanning UX strategy, product design, motion design, and Webflow development, he brings both creative vision and technical precision to every project.

His motion design background informs his approach to web development, creating engaging interactions and seamless animations that enhance usability and delight users. JP's work bridges the gap between design thinking and implementation—moving fluidly from wireframes and prototypes to fully responsive, production-ready websites that perform as beautifully as they look.

Before joining Thought Partner, JP served as Interaction Design Lead at IDEO.org and Visual Experience Designer at Gallagher & Associates. His work spans experiential design and digital product development, always grounded in the belief that great design emerges from the intersection of storytelling, strategy, and craft.

JP holds a BFA in Illustration from Maryland Institute College of Art and an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design.

Wendy is a design-trained strategist who works with founders and leaders to help businesses solve brand challenges. By listening intently to uncover the issues, Wendy provides an insights-based, design-driven approach that leads to breakthrough ideas.

Her professional experience includes four years as a public high school English teacher, and over ten years at San Francisco brand agencies Elixir and VBP Orange, Brooklyn-based Red Antler, and Foxtrot and Helms Workshop in Austin. Her consulting clients have included Allbirds, Clayton Korte, Cookie Rich, Regan Baker Design, and The Texas Tribune.

Wendy has a degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin and studied graphic design at California College of the Arts in San Francisco.