In 2017, the Koffman Incubator opened its doors as a buzzing hive of entrepreneurial spirit where innovative minds could collaborate (and problem-solve) on their journeys. Among those first tenants roaming the halls with a mind full of ideas was Adam Sabol, founder and president of Key Branding Labs (KBL).

Now entering their tenth year of business and soon celebrating seven years since graduating from the Koffman, KBL recently made what is perhaps their largest move to date. At the beginning of 2024, they moved their offices back to where it all began on the second floor of 59 Court Street. The difference is this time they are commanding the entire space totaling almost 4,000 square feet with their team and client list continuing to grow. In fact, from the last time they occupied this space in 2017 to today, the number of clients they work with has more than doubled.

“We knew we wanted to stay downtown just because we like being in the middle of everything,” commented Sabol on the move. “We have a dense population of clients downtown, so we wanted to stay close and this worked perfectly.”

The sense of community KBL embodies is a value Sabol has focused on from the very beginning. He knew what type of boss he wanted to be — one that allows his employees to learn, grow and develop professionally — and the type of company culture KBL should employ.

“I just think that creating a culture is a prerequisite if you’re going to ask anything remotely close to greatness from your team, that’s always been and will always be the most important thing,” said Sabol about the tight-knit and supportive culture he has built and maintained at KBL. 

This is a sentiment echoed by Sabol’s team, including Social Community Manager and Content Lead Anna Thayne.

“We take the time to get to know our clients and their industries so we can provide them the best services possible,” said Thayne about the true family atmosphere at KBL that runs through the team and to their clients. “We walk our clients through each step of our process instead of treating them like they won’t understand and build trust through up-front, honest communication.”

Perhaps most important to KBL’s identity, however, is the fact that as Sabol pursued his entrepreneurial idea and built his business, he knew all of this should happen right here in Binghamton.

“It’s home for all of us, everybody here is local,” said Sabol. “We’re just very proud of being here and having some success in growing the business here when a lot of people told us we were nuts.”

Another source of pride for Sabol and KBL is being the first business to move into the Koffman in June 2017 and the first incubator graduate later in November 2017. He fondly looks back on the connections he made with former Koffman Directors Dan Mori and Laura Holmes, as well as fellow tenants from South Sixty and, at the time, student entrepreneurs Matt Gill and Dave Axelrod. 

“It was some of the most fun I ever had because you would have like your normal workday and then you would go out and you had a second workday where all these like crazy entrepreneur kids would just be there until [between] 9 to 11 p.m.,” remembered Sabol. “Being around that vibe and energy was just the coolest thing — we would not be anywhere near the company we are today in terms of what we learned. Going back to [the] point about culture, we wouldn’t have half of that if it wasn’t for the six months we were there… It was just an incredible time.”

Sabol says the reason he joined the Koffman was in part for the community and in part due to the instant connection he had with Holmes, who recruited him to join and take on Binghamton University’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships and the Koffman as social media marketing clients. He describes Holmes as a “second mom” from the very beginning of their relationship. 

“I’ve been blessed to be a small part of Adam’s journey and watch his growth from solopreneur to a prosperous businessman over the last decade. In addition to having the skill set required to succeed as an entrepreneur, his integrity and genuineness are an integral part of Key Branding Labs and its achievements,” said Holmes.

The support provided by Holmes and others at the incubator has been integral to Sabol and KBL’s success. Proof of this can be seen in the growth they have already experienced and continue to strive toward. 

“We have the physical space to grow [now],” said Sabol. “The other thing is how much our offerings have grown. We still do a ton of content marketing on social media which was our calling card forever, but in the last year especially we’ve built out a whole branding and design department. It puts us in a position where there are really no roadblocks to any growth we want to have and that we earn.”

From its beginnings as a one-person social media content agency to today where their six person (and growing!) team provide more encompassing marketing and branding services to their clients, KBL is always striving to be the best and grow its suite of expertise — whether supporting local companies like Animal Adventure and Kathy, Dave and Eric’s Flavored Coffee Company or brands across the country like Lenny’s Lemonade and Strut Whiskey. 

“My professional growth has progressed immensely since I started here at KBL in 2021,” commented Thayne on her personal experience working at KBL. “I have gained so much valuable knowledge — not only within our specific industry but also on the importance of creating structure and implementing effective and repeatable systems. Through working at KBL I have been able to sharpen my communication skills, think strategically and creatively, build strong client relationships and take on a leadership role. In the next year and beyond, I’m very excited to see continued growth to both our client base and staff. There is so much room to grow here and the sky truly is the limit!”

Looking forward to the remainder of 2024 as they settle into their new space, Sabol is excited at the potential ahead as he discusses what’s next for KBL.

“I think just more of everything — more clients, more projects, more in Binghamton, more outside of Binghamton — I think that’s kind of the really cool part about where we’re at now. There’s really no opportunity for growth that we can’t say yes to, which we haven’t always been able to say,” commented Sabol. He continued to explain that his plans for KBL are focused on three main themes: “we can keep growing the team, we can keep everybody happy, excited and not dreading coming into work Monday and keep growing revenues to support [everything else].”