Thrive is an award-winning design firm based in Helena, Arkansas. Since 2009, we have guided rural communities to new economic opportunities through branding, placemaking, and creative strategy.

As a qualified 501c3 nonprofit organization, Thrive also engages local students through paid internships, after-school workshops, and mentorship programs that introduce skills and foster careers in art, design, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Meaning our clients not only receive high-quality design work, but are also partners in our ongoing mission to increase opportunities and quality of life for young people in the Mississippi Delta region.

Our Team

  • Will Staley

    Executive Director & Creative Director

    An Arkansas native, Will studied at the University of Arkansas School of Architecture for two years, received his BFA in Graphic Design at the Kansas City Art Institute (2004) and a Masters of Industrial Design from Pratt in New York City, where Thrive was birthed as a thesis project in 2007. Will was a design intern at the Smithsonian Institute and then worked for a year at the William J. Clinton Foundation in Harlem, NYC, as a Fellow in the Department of Domestic Policy. A co-founder of Thrive, Will is the Executive Director and Creative Director of Thrive’s Design Services department.

  • Ryan Biles, AIA

    Director of Development & Placemaking

    A graduate of the University of Arkansas' Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, Ryan has practiced as a licensed architect since 2011, designing projects for commercial developers, state agencies, churches, and communities throughout the region. This work included historic preservation and higher education projects for Phillips Community College, where he developed a love for the Delta and rural places. Ryan has served on Thrive’s Board of Directors since 2017 and has since joined the staff, lending his expertise and experience in economic development and placemaking to our team. He lives in Lonoke with his wife, Natalie, and their three sons, where he is involved in leading numerous community development initiatives.

  • Jarod Wilson Hamm

    Associate Creative Director

    Jarod is a graphic designer with a focus on nonprofit organizations and rural communities. Born and raised in rural Kansas, Jarod studied Graphic & Web Design at John Brown University, and has worked in graphic design and nonprofit administration since 2012. His previous roles have included product design at Dayspring Cards, web design at social enterprise Agency Boon in Romania, capacity building at rural design nonprofit Epicenter in Utah, and development at housing nonprofit Rebuilding Together Nashville. Jarod lives in Nashville and remains an active member of the rural design and affordable housing communities.