Think HQ celebrates 15 years of values-led growth as it eyes national expansion

Independent agency Think HQ is marking its 15th anniversary with a renewed push for national growth, after becoming one of Australia's largest values-based and female-led indies with a team of more than 100.

Founded in 2010 by managing director Jen Sharpe from her kitchen table with just $5,000 and one client, Think HQ has grown into a fully integrated, B Corp-accredited agency with capabilities spanning creative, strategy, PR, production, multicultural engagement, First Nations communications and in-house language services.

The Melbourne-based agency, which has averaged 15% year-on-year growth for the past five years, is now actively building out its Sydney team and expanding its client base to include brands such as CommBank and Lipton.

“We have built a safe, structurally sound, ethically responsible workplace where people can thrive, all while being profitable and driving positive impact for our clients and the community. And we’re not done yet,” Sharpe said.

Recent growth has been fuelled by acquisitions including Sydney-based cultural communications shop LOUD, and the opening of Tates Place, a dedicated collaboration space next to its main South Melbourne office. Further acquisitions are now under discussion.

Sharpe said the agency’s founding purpose, to deliver communications that drive positive social change, has remained core to its success.

“I started Think HQ solo from my kitchen table with little capital, an unwavering ambition to only work on positive change projects, and one client – Scanlon Foundation, still a client today, 15 years later,” she said.

“We have achieved what I believed was possible back then – driving positive social change and commercial success through an inclusive business that reflects today’s Australia. I couldn’t be prouder.”

With 70% women in its team, 36% identifying as LGBTQIA+, and 37 languages spoken internally, Think HQ has also invested in operational inclusion, with initiatives such as its Reconciliation Action Plan, LGBTQIA+ employee group ‘Think Proud’, and a paid community traineeship to bring people from diverse backgrounds into the industry.

Recent campaigns have included multicultural health and safety programs, disability and mental health initiatives, and work focused on anti-racism, gender equity and education, often in partnership with government, social impact organisations, and corporates.

Sharpe said the agency’s momentum is underpinned by its integrated ISO-accredited model and a belief that purpose and profit can go hand-in-hand.

“The bigger we get, the more positive impact we make - so the focus is on sustainable growth, and there are plenty of opportunities.”