About
Strategy and craft, under one roof.
Good ideas don't advance themselves. They need advocates, allies, a persuasive story and someone who knows how the machinery works. ORSO brings together the political instincts, editorial judgment and creative imagination to turn ambitious ideas into action that lasts. We're a small firm by design, based in Washington with deep California roots, and an abiding belief that substance and style ought to be on speaking terms.
ORSO founder and principal Frank Holland leads federal government affairs for the Bay Area Council, serves on the leadership team of the New California Coalition and acts as a strategic advisor and contributor to the San Francisco Examiner Media Company, among other endeavors. Previously, he has worked to implement the settlement terms of a federal antitrust case involving the Bay Area’s dominant news organizations, aided numerous local political campaigns, steered a politically thorny rebranding initiative for a major Bay Area city, directed the award-winning, open-source redevelopment of said city’s entire digital communications infrastructure from scratch, managed public messaging in the state's most contentious labor dispute, spearheaded multiple corporate acquisitions, led the effort to establish one of San Francisco’s largest community benefit districts, negotiated an unprecedented 35-year ground lease for an Oakland charter school, and created a guerrilla pedestrian safety campaign that attracted international media attention. Along the way, he radically overhauled a 42-year-old regional magazine reaching 100,000 influential Bay Area readers as its executive editor, and conceptualized and directed the environmental design of one of the city's most innovative restaurant spaces. He holds degrees from UC Berkeley (B.A., rhetoric) and UNC-Chapel Hill (M.A., political science).
How we work
Big thinking. Small teams. No runaround.
Good work starts with understanding the problem, not selling a solution. ORSO combines strategic judgment, creative imagination and the right expertise for the job—without the layers, handoffs and overhead of a conventional agency. You work directly with the principal, from the first conversation to the final deliverable.
We ask questions, challenge assumptions and get to the heart of what actually needs to be accomplished.
We bring together the right people for the job, drawing on a trusted network of senior specialists when the challenge demands it.
We lead the strategy, coordinate the work and remain accountable for the result. One team, one point of contact, no unnecessary complications.
The ORSO Collaborative
Clients & Collaborators
Contact
Tell us what you're up against.
We'll tell you how we'd approach it.