Case Studies
NYC Service
Corporate engagement strategy for New York City Mayor’s Office
The Work: NYC Service needed to understand what corporate partners actually wanted before it could build a long-term engagement strategy. I led a three-month research initiative, conducting 42 executive-level interviews across 20 existing and 22 new corporate partners, including leaders from LVMH, Chobani, Mastercard, and the NY Yankees, to map the landscape of volunteerism and social impact in New York City. I authored the resulting Corporate Engagement Blueprint, which surfaces key themes, challenges, typologies of service and case studies. Additionally, the blueprint provides a set of concrete recommendations to guide how NYC Service strengthens corporate engagement and supports a cross-sector culture of service across the city.
Results:
Qualitative data from 42 companies about their corporate engagement efforts
Wrote and published Corporate Engagement Blueprint now guiding NYC's cross-sector partnership strategy
Recommendations adopted across partnership pathways, impact reporting, and cross-sector convenings
Proposed Corporate Partner Board framework included as a long-term engagement model
Corporate Partners Featured:
City Year
Funded coalition program design and partnership development for a national nonprofit
The Work: City Year needed to design and launch a funded coalition program in New York State across regions where they had limited presence, which meant building trust and relationships before a single application was released. I built the full program infrastructure from scratch: designed the listening tour process, wrote the first draft of the RFA, created the pre-proposal webinar, and led early partnership outreach to generate stakeholder buy-in ahead of launch.
Results:
5 organizations were selected for the pilot cohort from a highly competitive applicant pool with double the number of applicants
Built a replicable framework, including the listening tour methodology, RFA, and webinar process, that will be used as the roadmap for expansion to other cities
“Working with Aarati on the Student Success Coach Learning Network in New York was a true joy. She came in with curiosity, tenacity, and a level of thoughtfulness that shaped every part of the process, from the listening tour to the RFA to the pre-proposal webinar. Aarati has a rare ability to take something complex and build it into something that actually works on the ground. The care she brought to understanding community needs before a single application was written set the foundation for everything that followed. We received strong applications for our first cohort and so much of that success traces back to the infrastructure Aarati helped us build. She is incredibly talented, motivated, and inquisitive, and has helped us to design a framework that we’ll leverage as we expand this work across other states.”
Pistakio
Brand marketing and pop-up execution for an emerging food brand
“Working with Aarati Cohly on Pistakio’s NYC pop-up with Malai truly felt like a partnership. She led the collaboration from the very beginning — identifying Malai as the right strategic partner, shaping the pop-up as a meaningful moment in the consumer journey, and helping us think intentionally about community, creators, and innovative details that would actually deepen brand connection. Aarati has a great instinct for how experiential marketing fits into broader brand growth, and she balances strategy with execution in a way that feels seamless. The pop-up felt authentic to Pistakio and generated real momentum, and I’d absolutely recommend Aarati to any CPG founder looking to create thoughtful, high-impact brand experiences.”
The Work: Pistakio was building brand presence in New York City and needed a moment that would put them on the map. I planned and executed a NYC pop-up event end-to-end, from venue and overall marketing concept to partnerships and outreach, securing a collaboration with Malai and nine content creators to amplify reach. The event trended on Partiful, drew a line out the door, and converted browsers into buyers on the spot.
Results:
450+ RSVPs, 9 creator partnerships, and 60+ direct sales — establishing Pistakio as a brand worth watching in the New York food scene
Akkio Tech
Go to market strategy and brand awareness for a b2b company
The Work: Akkio Tech needed to sharpen their go-to-market strategy and build visibility with the right audience. I came on to advance their overall GTM approach and serve as a true strategic partner from day one, identifying the right opportunities to build visibility, then designing and executing a brand awareness event specifically built around client acquisition. The event, hosted at 50 Rockefeller Plaza, brought together ~50 founders and operators across beauty and aesthetics. I personally secured four product sponsorships, Dossier, Something & Nothing, TALEA Beer Co., and GlassFX, as well as the headliner, Rachel Liverman, the CEO and Founder of Glowbar, and led all on-site execution.
Results:
Generated a pipeline of qualified leads directly from the event, with several conversations converting into active opportunities
A highly curated room that sparked meaningful conversations
Opened the door to new business opportunities
Built broader momentum around Akkio’s positioning in the market
“Aarati came in as a true strategic partner from day one. She sharpened our go-to-market approach, identified the right opportunities to build visibility, and designed an event that brought exactly the right people into the room. What stood out most was her ability to hold the big picture while staying deeply hands-on. She personally secured our sponsorships and headliner, including the CEO and Founder of Glowbar, and when challenges came up, she tackled them head-on and always came back with creative solutions that moved things forward. The conversations that came out of that event opened real doors for Akkio, her fingerprints are on some of the most meaningful traction that came directly out of that event. I’d recommend Aarati to any founder who needs someone who can think strategically and execute with creativity and precision.”