Minneapolis indie agency Solve knew the conversation around diversity in advertising needed more than statements and good intentions. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder—just miles from their office—they looked at how they could contribute in a way that was active, long-term, and meaningful. “We all said we needed to do better,” said Andrew Pautz, Solve’s new business lead. “But the real issue isn’t just hiring—it’s making sure people even know this career exists in the first place.”
That thinking led to Project Pipeline, a DEI initiative focused on building awareness and access earlier in the journey—specifically among students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The idea was simple: offer a curriculum that introduced advertising fundamentals, make it accessible, and support it with real-world internships for students who wanted to explore further.
Solve reached out to all 107 HBCUs with no expectations. Only one responded—Morgan State University in Baltimore. And that was all it took. The faculty there saw value in the offer and the potential for students who hadn’t yet considered advertising as a path. What began as a single Zoom session in 2020 has now evolved into a 10-semester collaboration, a hands-on internship program, and a growing network of alumni now working across the industry.
Abby Matthews is one of them. A student in Morgan State’s Project Pipeline course in 2021, she interned at Solve the following summer—and now works there full-time in account management. “I’m a creative at heart,” she said. “Solve showed me I didn’t have to suppress any part of myself to make a living in this career.” As an employee, she’s also become a mentor, walking new interns through their own experience and helping expand the effort.
Matthews helped develop “Rep Yourself”, a student-led campaign created during her internship. It addressed a hard stat—just 3% of advertising professionals identify as people of color—and flipped it into a message of encouragement. “If you don’t see yourself in the room,” she said, “get in the room. Represent yourself.”
The campaign underscored a key point: Project Pipeline isn’t proprietary. “It’s a blueprint,” said Pautz. “We’re a 40-person shop. We’d love to reach every HBCU, but we can’t do it alone. If even five or ten other agencies joined in with their own versions, the reach would multiply overnight.”
So far, Project Pipeline has touched more than 100 students. Some have gone on to work at agencies like FleishmanHillard and Media Works. One even started their own: Tykoon. For Solve, that’s the point. “It’s not about staffing Solve,” said Pautz. “It’s about creating industry access, wherever it leads.”
And while some companies are quietly scaling back their DEI efforts, Solve is scaling theirs forward. “It’s not a side project,” said Matthews. “It’s part of who we are. And honestly, this work is just as exciting as winning the Effies.”
Learn more
Agency Site
Guests
- Andrew Pautz – Director of Business Development, Partner at Solve
- Abigail Matthews – Account Manager at Solve
Contact
+1 612.677.2500
https://www.solve-ideas.com/office/
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Doug Zanger is the founder and editor-in-chief of Indie Agency News. He is also the founder of the Creative Bohemian consultancy, lives in the Pacific Northwest and is insufferable about it.
