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1517

From dense storytelling to a clear, modern VC presence — positioning 1517 as the go-to fund for unconventional founders.

1517 banner image

About the Client

1517 Fund is a venture capital firm built on the belief that innovation often comes from those who choose a different path. Inspired by the spirit of challenging traditional institutions, 1517 backs founders who skip or drop out of college to pursue bold ideas in science, technology, and innovation.

Their mission is simple yet radical: support young people in building transformative companies outside conventional systems. Beyond funding, 1517 fosters a thriving community of builders through articles, podcasts, events, and its own Academy — giving founders the resources, mentorship, and connections they need to succeed.

Solution

Website Migration + Modular HubSpot CMS Build

Industry

Sustainable Homebuilding + Certification + Workforce Training

Timeline

May–October 2024

HubSpot Products

CMS Hub | Forms | Lists | Automation

The Challenge

Despite its powerful mission, the original 1517 website wasn’t doing justice to the brand:

Key goals included:


  • Content Hierarchy Issues → Important details about their mission, portfolio, and thesis were buried in long, text-heavy sections.
  • Outdated UI & Design → A lack of modern layouts, white space, and visual storytelling made the brand feel less engaging than peer VC firms.
  • Navigation Limitations → Minimal, unintuitive navigation required endless scrolling, with weak visibility of CTAs like “Pitch Us.”
  • User Experience Gaps → Limited responsiveness and no guiding cues left the site behind modern standards.
1517
1517

The Solution

We rebuilt the digital presence of 1517 Fund with clarity and boldness at its core:

Sharper Content Hierarchy

  • Reorganized into clear sections: About, Thesis, Portfolio, Resources, Team, Contact.
  • Strong headlines and concise copy that instantly communicate 1517’s ethos.

Modern Visual Identity

  • Clean, future-facing UI with impactful typography, white space, and bold visuals.
  • Engaging portfolio showcases with interactive layouts.

Enhanced Navigation & UX

  • Intuitive navigation bar with logical grouping.
  • Clear, prominent CTAs guiding users to pitch, explore, or connect.
  • Responsive, mobile-first performance across devices.

Our Approach

hermitcrabs partnered with Claromentis to deliver a full-scale design and migration project, balancing storytelling with enterprise-scale technical execution.


Our process:

Research & Discovery
Research & Discovery
Visual Direction
Visual Direction
Homepage Design
Homepage Design
Inner Pages
Inner Pages
Collaboration & Iteration
Collaboration & Iteration
Development Handoff
Development Handoff
QA & Testing
QA & Testing
Launch
Launch

Research & Discovery

Audited the old site, benchmarked VC peers, and studied 1517’s audience (young founders, partners).

Research & Discovery

Visual Direction

Built style tiles with disruptive yet modern typography, color, and UI patterns.

Visual Direction

Homepage Design

Mission-led hero section, balanced storytelling with strong CTAs.

Homepage Design

Inner Pages

Simplified layouts for Portfolio, Team, and Resources for readability.

Inner Pages

Collaboration & Iteration

Worked closely with stakeholders to refine visuals and copy.

Collaboration & Iteration

Development Handoff

Delivered pixel-perfect design files and documentation.

Development Handoff

QA & Testing

Ensured responsiveness and fast load speeds across browsers.

QA & Testing

Launch

A seamless rollout that immediately elevated 1517’s digital brand.

Launch

The Results

We worked closely with 1517’s brand manager to translate their new identity into a high-performance digital system, using HubSpot’s CMS at the core.

1517’s new website launched with:

Clearer Storytelling
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Visitors now grasp 1517’s mission within seconds.

Higher Engagement
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Streamlined UX encourages deeper exploration of portfolio and resources.

Modern Brand Presence
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Establishes 1517 as a bold, founder-first VC fund.
Better Conversion Opportunities
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Visible CTAs create clear pathways for pitching, connecting, and engaging.

What Came Next

This initial project was focused only on the website revamp — it did not include LMS functionality, podcasts, or community platforms.

After the successful launch, our partnership with 1517 expanded into building out their broader ecosystem:

Together, these initiatives extended 1517 beyond being “just a fund” into becoming a movement — a hub for learning, storytelling, and community-building for the next generation of founders.

1517 Academy
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A dedicated LMS designed to deliver structured resources, founder-focused learning, and community-driven content.

Podcasts & Videos
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Platforms to share stories, lessons, and insights directly with young entrepreneurs.

Events
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Expanding engagement through live and digital gatherings that bring founders together.

Built by hermitcrabs

We help mission-driven teams launch scalable, flexible, no-code ecosystems on HubSpot and fast. From websites to entire digital products, we work like a partner, not a vendor.