Modern home office setup with a monitor, ergonomic chair, keyboard, and indoor plants near a window with blinds.

Manhattan Venture Partners

Shaping the Future of Private Company Liquidity.

Stack of black-and-white Deadpan shipping boxes: a large white box on top with a distressed black smiley face logo (X eyes, tongue out), and beneath it several black boxes printed with small white icon patterns and “Deadpan” branding on the sides, all against a pitch-black background.

Timeline

1yo 9mo

Services

Design Partner

0→1 Designer & Builder

Client

Jared Carmel Founder & General Partner

RESEARCH TIME SAVINGS

28%

RESEARCH TIME SAVINGS

28%

TEAM ADOPTION

77%

TEAM ADOPTION

77%

DATA ENTRY ERRORS

12%

DATA ENTRY ERRORS

12%

Project Overview

As Entrepreneur & Designer-in-Residence at Manhattan Venture Partners, I led digital initiatives that reshaped the firm’s internal and external systems. The goal was to modernize MVP’s brand presence, streamline investment workflows, and foster a culture of innovation across teams.

My Role

Designer-in-Residence — led design strategy, UX, brand identity, and automation across 18 projects and multiple departments.

Process & Highlights

  • Brand & Platform Redesign: Rebuilt the MVP website from WordPress to Webflow, creating a clean, high-trust digital identity aligned with investor expectations.

  • Workflow Optimization: Improved team productivity through design thinking and no-code automation using Slack, Salesforce, and Zapier.

  • Internal Tools: Designed and developed internal dashboards and research tools to simplify data reporting and deal flow management.

  • Innovation Enablement: Introduced design systems, low-code tools, and collaborative workflows that increased efficiency and experimentation.

  • Custom Solutions: Built JavaScript-based utilities to support unique VC operational needs.

Results

  • $22,000+ in total design budget delivered across 18 projects.

  • Enhanced team efficiency and knowledge-sharing.

  • Strengthened MVP’s digital brand and product presence.

Deadpan wordmark on black: bold white “Deadpan” in italic sans-serif, preceded by a distressed white smiley face logo (crossed-out eyes, tongue sticking out) on a solid black field.
Deadpan wordmark on black: bold white “Deadpan” in italic sans-serif, preceded by a distressed white smiley face logo (crossed-out eyes, tongue sticking out) on a solid black field.
White distressed smiley face logo (X eyes, tongue out) centred on a solid black background, showing rough, hand-painted edges.
White distressed smiley face logo (X eyes, tongue out) centred on a solid black background, showing rough, hand-painted edges.
Bold white “Deadpan” italic wordmark centred on black, with no other graphics or background detail.
Bold white “Deadpan” italic wordmark centred on black, with no other graphics or background detail.
Black metallic foil pouch photographed from above, printed with a glossy white distressed smiley face logo (X eyes, tongue out) in the centre, faintly showing small white icon patterns beneath.
Black metallic foil pouch photographed from above, printed with a glossy white distressed smiley face logo (X eyes, tongue out) in the centre, faintly showing small white icon patterns beneath.

Feedback

"Phil is one of the most knowledgeable people I know and great to work with."

"Phil is one of the most knowledgeable people I know and great to work with."

Head of Research

Black drawstring fabric bag set against pitch-black, printed centrally with the distressed white Deadpan smiley face logo (X eyes, tongue out).
Black drawstring fabric bag set against pitch-black, printed centrally with the distressed white Deadpan smiley face logo (X eyes, tongue out).
Modern home office setup with a monitor, ergonomic chair, keyboard, and indoor plants near a window with blinds.
Modern home office setup with a monitor, ergonomic chair, keyboard, and indoor plants near a window with blinds.

Contact me to see the full

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