Rebranding a purpose-led company isn’t just about swapping out a logo—it’s about capturing the heart of a mission-driven organization and ensuring the brand reflects its values, culture and aspirations. When Lumen Learning, an edtech challenger in higher education, embarked on their rebranding journey, it was a chance to break free from the “blue and boring” mold of education brands and boldly stand out. 

We spoke with Brigeth Rivera, former Vice President of Marketing at Lumen, to unpack the story—from sparking the need for change to rallying internal stakeholders around the new brand—and Brigeth shared the highs, hurdles and hard-won lessons of leading a rebrand for the first time. 

The need for change 

Lumen was thriving as a company, but there was a sense that something wasn’t quite aligned. “The brand, as we knew it, was outdated. It had been put together thoughtfully a decade before and it had never gone through an extensive brand exercise. It needed to better reflect who we are today…but, more importantly, who we were growing to be.”

Previous brand

The turning point came when Lumen’s leadership recognized the disconnect between their innovative approach to education and their generic visual identity. “We were different than other providers out there. But our brand didn’t show it.”

Fresh eyes for the challenge 

Lumen’s first challenge was finding the right agency. While some teams might prioritize partners with deep industry specialization, Lumen wanted to break free from expectations. “We wanted to find an agency that had some understanding of our market but was open to learn more. We prioritized fresh perspective—someone who could bring inspiration from outside higher ed because it keeps things from getting stale.” 

The decision to work with an agency that wasn’t steeped in edtech conventions paid off. “We ended up going with an agency that asked questions, wanted to learn more, didn’t assume anything—and that was better. They challenged assumptions we didn’t even know we had. Don’t assume you need an agency that knows your industry inside out. Sometimes, the best ideas come from left field.” 

Balancing voices and vision 

Rebranding at Lumen wasn’t a top-down mandate—it was a collaborative effort. But with a founder-led team of passionate stakeholders, balancing input was tricky. “It was important to go through the exercise fairly, while taking the founders’ opinions into account…but keep it balanced and not let them influence it too much. We all agreed we wanted to trust the pros we brought in to help us.” 

The key was believing in the process—and the agency. “I had to embrace being uncomfortable. There were times I didn’t know what to expect, but I leaned on our agency partners to guide us…and to keep me one step ahead.”

Standing out (and dividing opinion) 

The result was a breakthrough, playful brand that defied edtech norms—illustrations included. “Someone said it felt ‘young,’ and we said ‘Great! That means we’re not for the old-school crowd.’ Our actual customers loved it. And honestly, if your rebrand doesn’t polarize a little, it’s probably too safe.” 

The most rewarding part was seeing the brand come to life—and the energy it ignited internally. “People were excited. After meetings with the agency, there was buzz. Even folks outside marketing, like customer success or product teams, were fully engaged. That was our first sign of success.” 

What’s next? 

In Part 2, we’ll dive into Brigeth’s lessons for first-time rebrand leaders—from budgeting ahead to the importance of internal advocacy.