History

Decades of NICE growth: To survive, companies need to evolve their brand cultures and external customer experiences from the inside out. As our client partners grew into major brands and global companies, we grew too. After three decades of exciting (add)ventures, our team thrives with its NICE culture, on the inside and out.

1989

At the age of 25, Steve Rosa launches (add)ventures in Boston with an initial investment of a $289 typewriter. Steve leaves his corporate job at EMC Corporation and strikes out on his own after recognizing the need for a new kind of advertising agency: one that solves problems and makes people happy.‎‎

1992

Steve Rosa moves (add)ventures from Boston to Rhode Island despite the advice of friends and family. Seeking talent with his own entrepreneurial spirit, he grows a company that improves the quality of work, speeds production to cultivate strong client relations and impacts the community.

1997

Expanding into more full-fledged public relations, (add)ventures grows its offering with the talent of Mary Sadlier, who had recently moved back to Rhode Island from Washington, D.C. Mary adds experience in the healthcare, real estate and education industries.‎

1998

With a focus on unwavering quality, Tracy Silva joins (add)ventures with vast experience in post-production printing processes and a photographer’s eye for color. During her interview, Steve and Tracy realize she executed the post-production “magic” for some of Steve’s EMC ad campaigns. Tracy sets the standards for what soon becomes her leadership over quality and production.

1999

Ho! Ho! Ho! We receive one of our favorite assignments: promoting Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys and accessories that were sold exclusively at CVS/pharmacy during the holidays. Not only do we earn national media exposure with a video news release, we also theme our annual holiday party with all of the misfits.

2000

Bank of America’s predecessor, Fleet Bank, becomes our first regional financial client. We help launch HomeLink, one of the very first online banking services in the United States, by encouraging bank employees to use the service and share the experience with their customers.‎

Riding his Harley-Davidson, Wayne Vieira joins us as the new lead of our design team. With his pipeline from RISD and experience in packaging and print design, Wayne owns the art direction for clients including CVS/pharmacy, Textron Financial and Fleet Bank.

2001

For the first time, (add)ventures is named one of America’s fastest growing companies by Inc. Magazine. We debut at #380 on the Inc. 500 list, which celebrates innovation and showcases entrepreneurial leadership and success. (add)ventures goes on to earn placement on the list for a total of 10 times.‎

With the Internet barely a decade old, Lisa Curtis joins our team to lead user experiences in the digital world. Her degree in human factors engineering, plus experiences at Sapient Corporation and IDEO Product Development, offers the perfect blend of talent to ensure digital experiences are well designed, easy-to-use and help client partners reach their business goals.‎

2002

Hooray for Hollywood! (add)ventures launches its video/animation discipline with an Oscars-themed party, complete with a live remote broadcast. The team completes video projects for its growing healthcare practice with CVS/pharmacy, Shields Health Care and Baxter Healthcare.

2006

We launch our SOLVEsessions® as a cohesive way to manage the strategic and design process in collaboration with our client partners. SOLVEsessions® align a company’s purpose with tactics to inform, inspire, recruit and retain brand stakeholders in new and exciting ways.‎‎

2007

With high surf, tattoos and a lifeguard on duty, we transform our space into a Spring Break experience for adults. Taking the oath “what happens at (add)ventures stays at (add)ventures,” our client partners enjoy a night of umbrella drinks, rides on a Harley and tropical fun.

2008

Welcome to Miami! As part of our national expansion, we open a Latin America Gateway office in the heart of South Beach on Lincoln Road in Miami. Our new office focuses on helping new and existing clients transcend language and culture through multidisciplinary and multicultural brand communication solutions.‎

2009

(add)ventures is named one the fastest-growing inner city companies in America by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC). This marks the third time we are named to the Inner City 100, a prestigious ranking that highlights our innovative practices and sustained growth.

Leaving his gun and badge on his desk at Rhode Island State Police headquarters, Joe Miech joins us as chief operating officer. With close to 30 (add)venturists and 20,000 square feet of office space between two cities, Joe brings management and operations experience from his previous role at the Rhode Island State Police to manage our explosive growth.‎

2010

With more clients headquartered in The Big Apple, we open a New York City office to support our growing client roster in the financial and insurance industries.

2012

A legendary lifestyle brand with a 40-year history of creating durable, environmentally friendly apparel and footwear, Timberland approaches us for a campaign to promote their groundbreaking SensorFlexTM technology. We create a three-pronged campaign fit for a worldwide audience.‎

2013

Fresh from a CrossFit workout, Joel Velez joins us as managing director for our LATAM office. His consulting experience with Samsung Mobile, Rubbermaid and General Mills helps us grow our client roster of multinational companies including AOC, Oster and Welch-Allyn.

2015

Boxing legend and five-time heavyweight champion of the world Evander Holyfield visits us to film a PSA for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The Emmy Award-winning spot shares Evander’s story of perseverance in the ring and in life to encourage African American men to get regularly checked for prostate cancer.‎

2017

We add the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to our client roster, which seems like destiny since we donate toys to children in need every Christmas season. We help Toys for Tots earn coverage on Fox & Friends, Good Morning America, USA Today and Sirius XM NFL Radio to promote their holiday matching campaign.

2018

We meet the growing needs of our Miami team and relocate to The Filling Station in the Arts & Entertainment District of Miami. With its centralized location, downtown views and proximity to Wynwood, our new office fuels our future growth.

2019

The best is yet to come as we move into our new EPIC HQ in East Providence, RI. With a new Collabs for 60-person gatherings and six break-out rooms, plus two full production studios, a Club House kitchen for social gathering, six phone booths and a vintage London taxi, we are ready for epic growth.