Rice Management Company hired MWM in 2018 to develop and execute a strategic roadmap for their vision to transform the area in and around the former Sears building in Midtown into Houston’s innovation hub and district. MWM’s name for the hub, “The Ion,” was announced earlier this year by Rice and Mayor Turner. MWM’s focus now is on bringing The Ion brand to life through a series of strategically produced stories, digital platforms, printed materials, and architectural experiences designed to create a voice and narrative culminating in the building’s opening in early 2021.