Our Story
Made in Vermont
Haystack began in Vermont.
Not as a grand strategy, but as a practical response to a simple question: what if a company could do exceptional work, move quickly, and build lasting relationships without being tied to one place?
In 2008, our founder, a native Vermonter, left a desk in corporate America and launched Haystack with the goal of creating a different kind of agency. He envisioned a company built on trust, accountability, and the freedom to work from anywhere.
Technology made the model possible. Google Apps and Dropbox had recently launched, and Haystack was an early adopter of Slack. But technology was only part of it. The more important decision was who to bring along.
When choosing colleagues, our founder started with people he already trusted: people he had worked with, gone to school with, or grown up with. From there, the network expanded naturally through friends of friends. Many were from Vermont and chose to return. Others found their best work in states with fewer seasons.
While the geography varied, relationships were foundational. Today, Haystack is nine teams strong, with clients and colleagues across the country and beyond. But the small-town Vermonter ethos that shaped the company remains central to how we work.
A quiet way of doing things
Vermont isn’t known for making a lot of noise. It’s known for showing up.
We share that virtue. We have a quiet, unshowy work ethic built on trust, accountability, and follow-through. Deadlines are commitments, and people stand behind what they make.
We also have a certain Vermont instinct to figure things out. If something doesn’t exist, build it. If it breaks, fix it. If the conventional solution isn’t quite right, keep working until a better one emerges.
In agency terms, that means practical, nimble, creative problem-solving. We bring imagination to the work, but we keep our feet on the ground. We listen closely, speak plainly, and stay with a problem until the right answer takes shape.
It’s satisfying to see ingenuity in action.
Trust travels
In a small town, your reputation travels faster than your marketing. Trust is not an abstract value; it’s a form of currency.
That understanding has shaped the way Haystack partners with clients. Relationships are long-term, not transactional. Transparency matters, success is shared, and integrity compounds over time.
Our culture is grounded in creativity, collaboration, and workmanship. We’re intentional about bringing together people who are comfortable working remotely but also value the opportunity to connect in person. When we gather, it feels special because the bonds are real. We enjoy working together, and that enjoyment shows up in our work.
We don’t have a traditional org chart. Everyone at Haystack plays a role in the larger picture, and every contribution matters. Craft, candor, and commitment form the backbone of our work and the partnerships it sustains.
Keeping the human in the work
Haystack attracts people who care deeply about their craft and take pride in what they put into the world.
As AI and automation continue to change the nature of creative work, we are intentional about keeping human judgment, care, and creativity at the center. For us, purpose is less about what we produce and more about how we support one another, how we partner with clients, and the standards we hold ourselves to.
That’s the part of our Vermont roots we value most. The belief that good work is personal. That details and people matter. And that the way you do something is inseparable from the thing itself.
Getting ahead by giving back
We have spent equal time thinking about how to improve the places where we live.
Across Vermont, we have proudly supported dozens of businesses and organizations, including the talent found at:
We have also developed brands and supported marketing efforts for our friends at:
These relationships matter to us because they reflect the kind of work we believe in: useful, durable, and connected to the people it serves.
A place that attracts the right people
Haystack is based in NYC. But it's from Vermont.
We’ve learned that our Vermont roots set us apart because they help us attract the talent and clients we value most.
Our clients and team members now live across the country and beyond. The places may be different, but the fundamentals remain the same: thoughtful work, strong collaboration, clear communication, and a commitment to seeing things through.
Vermont is where we began and, in many ways, it’s still how we work.