About
Over 30 years of combined strategy, design and content experience
Protogist is a branding agency dedicated to solving business challenges and creating lasting company value for our clients through a thoughtful approach to brand-building.
We employ only senior staff and best-of-class talent to deliver brand research, strategy, and identity work for clients in disparate industries. Informed by sound strategy, we are well-equipped to develop brand marketing, including the design, production and management of creative for a variety of channels—including web, social, mobile, video and print.
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A message from our CEO
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Aris Mendez is a Los Angeles native whose career has been defined by a lifelong commitment to culture, creativity, and innovation. After completing junior high in Los Angeles, his family relocated to San Francisco to establish a non-profit organization. He later graduated from high school in Silicon Valley during its formative years as the global epicenter of technology and entrepreneurship.
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Aris began his professional journey in the entertainment industry, specializing in sound engineering and film production. Following the closure of the studio where he worked, he recognized the transformative potential of technology and innovation taking place in Silicon Valley. That realization inspired a strategic pivot from entertainment to technology a decision that shaped the trajectory of his career.
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By the late 1990s, Aris transitioned from computer science into the business and investment side of the technology industry. Identifying the emerging value of digital assets early on, he began acquiring and developing them strategically today holding ownership of more than 80% of the digital assets within his industry.
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His experience expanded as he joined a Silicon Valley startup, securing funding from angel investors along Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto. In this environment, he presented corporate business plans to investors who were driving the evolution of global technology. Immersed in the heart of the Valley’s innovation ecosystem, Aris gained firsthand insight into how vision, timing, and strategic networks propel companies from concept to global prominence.
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Throughout the early 2000s, Aris attended key industry expos and conferences in San Jose, engaging with leading executives and staying at the forefront of emerging trends, mergers, and acquisitions that would later redefine the market landscape. His consistent presence in these circles often including exclusive venues such as the Silicon Valley Capital Club provided him with unparalleled exposure to the dynamics of high-level business development and investment strategy.
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By 2008, Aris had become deeply entrenched in Silicon Valley’s culture of innovation, witnessing major market shifts and landmark events such as Microsoft’s $44.6 billion bid to acquire Yahoo moments that reflected the rapid evolution of the global digital economy.
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With over 30 years of experience in business development and brand strategy through the rise and transformation of Silicon Valley, Aris has cultivated a clear philosophy: a well-defined brand is among the most powerful assets any company can possess. To him, a brand represents far more than a name or logo it embodies identity, culture, and long-term value creation.
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Today, Aris is dedicated to partnering with forward-thinking leaders and organizations that share this vision those committed to building brands that not only achieve market success but also endure and lead through changing times.