Robert
Pantalone

About Me

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I don’t fit perfectly into a job description. I’m motivated by the curiosity that comes from diving into unsolved problems to find creative answers. All of my work is about making the best solution possible but my areas of focus include strategy, research, brand building, marketing, tool development and visual design.

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A bit of background.

I apply an interdisciplinary approach to offer independent consulting services where strategy work is intertwined with implementation. I've worked directly with ambitious founders, engineering teams, and partners of all sorts. I help them to discover the best version of their ideas and to deliver solutions with substance and style.

To see my work, visit my portfolio.

I began my work with design and marketing roles before expanding to include data-oriented work. It was a bit of an unconventional route to get there. After a bachelors in Politics and Spanish, I completed a Masters in Social and Political Thought—the kind of program that trains you to pull ideas apart and figure out what keeps them alive.My research dealt with cryptography: I wanted to know how technologies of secrecy changed political relationships. Across its discourses, mathematics, music (yes, really) and blockchains, I found an apparatus that dealt with enemies. You can read that work here.

*Please don't ask me to work on your crypto thing. I'm not interested.

Since then, I've made my career on asking quality questions, listening closely and learning quickly. I'm fascinated by how the pieces fit together and whether we can make a different picture from that puzzle.

Outside of work.

When I'm not working you can find me—or hopefully not—outdoors near my home in Calgary, Alberta. I'm often exploring the eastern Canadian Rockies and their foothills where I backpack, run, bike, and ski. If I'm not out there, then I'm likely inside tinkering with a project like my photography or a fantasy cycling game.

Data Strategy

Risk Reduction Requires Reliability

It was immediately apparent that unreliable data hindered PTT’s ability to competently and reliably target high-risk sectors across hundreds of pipeline routes. To reduce the probability of future incidents, data would need to be assessed for errors and their sources. I achieved this by creating a new KPI called the ‘Knowledge Gap’ which measured the proportion of risk attributable to a lack of information.This metric became a corner-stone reference for the engagement. By isolating data quality as an issue, it revealed where additional inspections were needed to reduce risk. Ultimately, it allowed our team reduce data errors by over 70% . Moreover, the KPI highlighted areas staff required additional training helping to prevent past errors for recurring.These advances in data quality thus led to both technical and human improvements.

E-Commerce

Making a Bag Worth Buying

With limited previous exposure, it was critical to build the bags’ value to justify their price. In Japan, Artphere relied on department store demonstrations to create value. In the US, that was not an option. Buyers would have to be convinced of their quality—even if they had never seen an Artphere bag in person.To do so, I took a feature-oriented approach on the artphere.us webstore and online advertising. Compelling lifestyle images were paired with easy-to-read icons that highlighted selling points and underscored the products high-end origins. This new e-commerce experience let customers meet the product and immediately fall in love.

Credits: Nathan Rocky, Quentin Thrash

Process Improvement

Digital Tools for a General Contractor

All small business work within narrow margins. Accurate cost projections are therefore extremely important to their profitability. I developed new tools for quoting and managing projects that made the process easier and more precise.A central component of this was a tool that made translating floor plans into estimates quicker. Built around a central database of costs, the tool allowed the team to price their work consistently as well as to custom packages. A room-by-room approach ensured that each item in a project was accounted for correctly. Branded outputs were available in multiple breakdowns so that clients were given the clearest possible presentation of the work.The process helped Sunurban to deliver more quotes with greater accuracy leading to more conversions in less time.

Graphic Design

A Cohesive Style for Diverse Creators

One of the primary challenges for PPN was maintaining a coherent, polished look for content that came from producers a wildly different backgrounds. With varying levels of experience and limited access to assets, I leaned into strong textual designs with structured brand placements to offer create consistency and recognizability.

Story Telling & Community Building

Everyone Wants to Say ‘Disrupt’

With an early-stage product and rapidly changing goals, it was important to articulate a clear and compelling message. It’s not enough to say you’re different: you need to show how and why that matters.I began with a deep-dive profile of PPN users to understand how best to direct its offerings toward their needs. Faced with an inexperienced and tech-skeptic audience, I crafted a reassuring concept. Its core value proposition was that a supportive platform would allow them to take advantage of new opportunities—regardless of their current level.

Our campaign leveraged the founder’s background in film production to present that expertise as a solution to industry shortcomings. To support that, I developed workshops and educational materials that were offered as part of user's subscriptions. Ultimately, this helped to align the company's product offering with its mission of serving content creators better.

Credits: Broken Pencil Studio