James Young has served as Founder and Creative Chairman of the marketing agency Tangible for more than two decades. He and his team partner closely with Fortune 500 and other industry-leading companies to distill complex concepts into clear strategies, stories, and designs that deliver results clients will feel. He is passionate about helping organizations define and develop their vision and goals, and bringing that vision to life with the right talent. He works closely with internal teams and students, teaching customer-centric innovation tools that enable people to unlock their creative problem-solving abilities. By giving team members the energy, knowledge, and space to tap into their own passions, he empowers them to build experiences that delight customers and grow the bottom line.
GGBA: Tell us more about Tangible.
James Young: Tangible is a customer experience consultancy and marketing firm. Think of us as being at the intersection of sales, marketing, and product. We work with brands of all sizes like Intel, Intuit, and Array by giving them creative strategies to become better versions of themselves and transform their business.
Day to day, it’s really important to me and to our company culture that we have a collaborative and fun work environment. We meet each other where we’re at: as regular people, not corporate automatons. And we do that with our clients, too. It’s in our name: Tangible. Real. Come as you are, no filter required.
GGBA: “Tangible” is a rare descriptor during this often virtual-centric time. How else does it convey your business’ mission and values?
James Young: Tangible is about being real, which means being authentically who we are and speaking honestly about the problems we’re solving. This isn’t just about our company culture; it’s about how we work with clients and what they appreciate about us. We’re that straight-talking friend whom you can always count on to tell you the truth, and that’s what keeps clients coming back.
GGBA: When and why did you decide to create Tangible?
James Young: I founded Tangible more than 25 years ago because I saw a need to bring together creative vision and execution to help brands evolve. I love teaching teams new ways to think innovatively, and over the years, I’ve had so many opportunities to help companies at the forefront of game-changing tech express themselves more powerfully in the marketplace.
GGBA: Who are some of your role models, and especially those who helped to influence your business?
James Young: One of my role models, even though we’ve never worked together, is David Kelly of IDEO and Stanford D-school fame. I’ve read his books in developing my training for internal enterprise teams and I use this quote frequently: “Creative confidence is the notion that you have big ideas and that you have the ability to act on them.” Everyone can benefit from internalizing this. From following him, I can tell we view the world in much the same way. That’s why I responded to his design philosophy, and I’m sure we could spark some really interesting conversations.
Funny story: I’m an adjunct instructor at the Stanford D-school. Students were giving presentations and I spotted him in the audience. It was all I could do to not be a fanboy and ask for his autograph or something!
GGBA: Why do you feel it is important for your business to be a part of the GGBA?
James Young: When I was a young man in my formative years, I did not know one queer person. Not one. The only images of queer people were from movies and media, which either couched them as villains or guys who liked to wear high heels and feather boas—neither of which I identified with. Had I known just one queer person like me, it would have changed the trajectory of my life. More recently, Harvey Milk—one of the founders of the GGBA—has become a real inspiration. He represents one of many reasons why I think diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are so important. People need to see more people like them in leadership positions so they can feel empowered to chase their dreams as their authentic selves. I joined the GGBA with that fight in mind.
GGBA: How has being a member of GGBA helped your business so far?
James Young: Everything that we strive to accomplish at Tangible is about building genuine connections. A customer experience isn’t just a transaction; it’s a relationship. And being a member of GGBA isn’t just about helping our business; it’s about building community. Now more than ever, it’s important to stand up and support our fellow community members whenever we can, whether it be small business or big. So, being a GGBA member has helped us feel united and connected to our community through our work and philosophy.
GGBA: What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of starting their own business?
James Young: Don’t hide. Don’t fly under the radar. I spent too long doing that, and now that my business is out and proud of who we are and the value we bring to our clients, we are experiencing exponential growth that could have happened much sooner. Just take the leap and be open.
GGBA: Is there anything else that you would like to share?
James Young: Our tagline is “get real and get it right.” This isn’t just about business or client work; it’s about the fact that, in order to do something correctly, you have to be real about what the problem is. When you are authentic—when you get real—only then can you get it right. I’ve adopted this philosophy both in and out of work because it’s so useful, and it also comes back to being authentic. Get real with yourself, be true to yourself, and then you’ll get it right.
Contact Tangible: hello@tangible.co or www.tangible.co
GGBA Member Spotlight
Published on March 27, 2025
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