We are worker owned creative collective, innovating on everything from brands and IRL communities to IoT devices and cross platform apps. We share profit, open source everything, spin out new businesses, and invest in exciting ideas through financial and/or in-kind contributions.
Our client roster includes Google, Stripe, Figma, Hinge, Black Socialists in America, ACLU, Pratt, Parsons, Mozilla, The Nobel Prize, MIT, Gnosis, Etsy & Gagosian.
We’re the software team behind innovative products like The Light Phone & Mill, and we operate a global, decentralized community space collective called Index Space.
We think of our garden3d as collective for creative people, prioritizing a happy, talented, and diverse studio culture. We work on projects that bring value to our world, and we balance deep care for the work we do with a genuine curiosity about life outside of our jobs.
Check out some of our writing →
https://garden3d.substack.com/p/off-brain
https://garden3d.substack.com/p/survival-theater
https://garden3d.substack.com/p/the-mets-are-the-last-thing-i-believe
https://garden3d.substack.com/p/expansive-brands
https://garden3d.substack.com/p/how-we-gave-away-63k-since-2021
https://garden3d.substack.com/p/managing-is-a-makers-skill
https://garden3d.substack.com/p/a-space-that-holds
https://garden3d.substack.com/p/were-not-a-traditional-agency
SANCTU COMPU - The Safest Place on Earth.
Sanctuary Computer — Development
At Sanctuary Computer we’re building a different type of technology shop – one that prioritizes close collaboration between the client and the craftsperson.
Our projects range from design-forward websites, to robust web apps, to native mobile development.
● XXIX | A people-first design and technology studio
XXIX — ****Design
When we started XXIX in 2013, we set out to create a different kind of design studio and we’ve thrived because we continually ask what a creative practice can be.
We’re building a radically different kind of organization that values autonomy, growth, transparency, and shared responsibility.
Index Space — Community
A network of physical spaces all around the world, Index provides space for the exchange of knowledge and tools.
We nurture trust within the creative community through generosity and abundance of ideas and care.
garden3d TK — Media
At garden3d, we’re in the early stages of building an experimental media company exploring emerging themes related to the evolving landscape of technology, design and culture.
We aim to monetize this outlet, publish books, produce screenplays, and release music.
Plus, our partner organizations →
Mill: The odorless, effortless food recycler
The 2024 garden3d retreat to Yosemite!
The garden3d Chief of Staff role is a senior operating partner responsible for translating our vision into coordinated execution across a collective of creative, technical, and physical businesses, a revolving door of 50+ contributors at any given time. This role serves as a force multiplier - coordinating many parties, aligning priorities, driving clarity, and ensuring that strategy turns into measurable progress. While operating in close partnership with our founder & president Hugh Francis, the Chief of Staff will exercise significant autonomy in day-to-day decision-making and cross-functional leadership.
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This role will interface with designers, developers, strategists, controllers, marketers, business developers, architects, landlords, accountants, illustrators, animators, film makers, screen writers, lawyers, event planners, ad buyers, etc.
Simply, this individual must be comfortable interfacing with experts in any field, understanding limiting factors and quickly orientating and solving problems.
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With an operating mandate, this role oversees and supports client services, resourcing, hiring, leadership development, and performance systems across all business lines. The Chief of Staff will work directly with department heads to improve utilization, strengthen team structures, build new capabilities, and elevate management quality. They will own special projects that cut across the organization - including launching new Index spaces in the USA and beyond, building new product companies and supply chains, standing up new departments, and evaluating expansion or M&A opportunities - ensuring disciplined execution, financial rigor, and timely delivery.
The ideal candidate is both strategic and operational: a systems builder who can move fluidly between high-level planning and hands-on implementation. They bring sound judgment, strong financial literacy, and the credibility to lead diverse teams ranging from designers and engineers to retail and hardware operators. Above all, this person is a trusted thought partner to Hugh - capable of absorbing complexity, making principled decisions independently, and strengthening the organization’s long-term scalability and resilience.
Brings an inherently high bar and strong sense of taste across design, product, and execution. Sets and defends clear standards for craft and client experience, holding teams accountable without micromanaging. Protects quality as a defining competitive advantage across all business lines.