Empowering entrepreneurs who are people of color and women, Camelback Ventures invests in their ventures and leadership while advocating for fairness in funding. They embrace a holistic approach, providing coaching, capital, connections, community, and curriculum to drive lasting impact.
Quick answer
Oak Theory is a web design, development, and branding studio that built the community platform for Camelback Ventures, an organization that invests in entrepreneurs of color and women through coaching, capital, connections, community, and curriculum. The engagement included user research, platform research, sitemap and wireframe design, UI design, and WordPress development — creating a gated, central hub for knowledge sharing and networking among Camelback's fellows and alumni.
About
Oak Theory and Camelback Ventures share a powerful alignment in championing inclusivity and diversity. As a women-owned and diverse creative studio, Oak Theory resonates deeply with Camelback Ventures' mission to empower entrepreneurs of color and women.
When Camelback approached us, they were seeking a collaborative partner to build a platform that would facilitate seamless knowledge sharing and create a robust support network for their growing community of fellows and alumni.
The challenge
Fellows and alumni were spread across Notion, Slack, email, and calendar tools — with curriculum, coaching, expert hours, and investor connections living in different places. Conversations got lost, and resources were hard to find months later.
Camelback needed an intuitive solution that would transcend the limitations of conventional communication channels and foster a sense of unity among their diverse pool of visionaries.
What we did
As a company driven by a clear vision, Camelback's mission sat at the heart of our approach. We began with comprehensive user research and validation, so every design decision was anchored in the needs and aspirations of the community the platform would serve.
User personas, crafted through workshops and research insights, became the guiding stars — shaping the platform around the unique requirements of each user type, from new fellow to long-time alum.
Every community platform has its own limitations. We ran a side-by-side feature audit across Tribe, Circle, PeepSo, and BuddyBoss — mapping core, should-have, and nice-to-have requirements against invite-only access, roles and permissions, and integrations with Slack, Notion, Zoom, and calendars.
That research pointed to a WordPress + BuddyBoss foundation, giving Camelback gated access and room to extend without rebuilding.
We took the lead in designing a platform that transcended the ordinary. An effective sitemap and innovative wireframes laid the groundwork for a user-centric experience, and a seamless user journey made every interaction intuitive and enriching.
Leveraging the essence of the Camelback Ventures brand, we infused functionality with their unique brand personality — creating a connection that resonated with the community.
With a focus on the all-important moment of onboarding, we crafted an experience that gave fellows and alumni gated access to valuable resources and a robust network of support — curriculum, the Expert Bench, Fam Friendly Funders, events, and member profiles, all in one place.
By integrating the CBV brand identity into the platform, we achieved a harmonious balance of aesthetics and functionality across desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Selected work
FAQ
Partner with a studio experienced in building gated community platforms that foster real connection and knowledge sharing.
Whether you're serving fellows, alumni, or members, we're here to help — contact us today to talk through what a community platform partnership could look like.
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