We’re a custom digital shop. We exist to create a competitive advantage for advanced clients.

Global blue chips, challenger brands and everyone in between hire us when they require speed-to-innovation, industry adaptability and cross-platform agility. Sometimes they just need brute force or a fresh perspective.

Above all else, we have a reputation for delivering.

Since 2012, we've been trusted to obsessively research, design and build transformational experiences and digital products. We've built healthcare software, intranets for 200k users, crowdfunding platforms, interactive retail experiences, financial modelers - and everything in between.

Our long-term clients trust us to perform. Our non-profit clients appreciate our frugality and experience.

Our work is always tricky; integrating with legacy systems, limited by scope or a tight calendar, mired in a list of user stories, all of it. When you boil it down, we offer execution. We have a battle tested team that knows how to see the way through, quickly, and make decisions that align with your goals and budget.

We're known for the clarity that project speed demands.

If you have a problem (do you?), if no one else can help (or if they're weird) and if you can find us (you just did), maybe you can hire Northern Ground (you easily can).

In 2012 we humbly started Northern Ground. Three of us, one project, a closet for an office.

Ryan Janecek, Jay Beckman and Matt Retzer, strategy, design and development respectively, are the three legs of the stool. Interdisciplinary set of talent needed to succeed at just about any digital project - smart, creative or powerful. Over the years, each Founder has built up their team within their leg, prioritizing driven people with diverse experience sets in digital.

We’re not idealists.

The work we do is practical, designed to accomplish straightforward goals like drive awareness and make money (while operating as expected and not costing a leg or an arm), but the internet is full of garbage and it’s nice to deliver work that rises above it. Goes further, does more, looks better, easier to use, faster, smarter. If our name has any meaning it’s maybe just this. Ambition + practicality.

For us, it’s important that the people you are talking to are the people doing the work, so we’ve stayed small. Our team bolts on to yours, creating deep value and velocity. We scale up when we need to. We partner when we want to.

We stay close to the work and we obsess over all of it.

An inspiring space for our team and co-creation.

Months before a global pandemic, we asked ourselves if we should buy a building. The answer was waiting beneath the most recognizable landmark in the city, the Allen Bradley (Rockwell) Clock Tower, fondly called Polish Moon by locals, as a tribute to the immigrants that established Milwaukee's south side. Built in 1882. Empty for decades. Transformed by us in '20.

Formerly a gothic church. Centrally located in Milwaukee’s Historic Walker’s Point. 3 floors of workspace. 9,500 sq. ft., 5 bathrooms, full kitchen + 1,500 sq. ft. deck. fiber, wifi everywhere, heavy power, secure digital access. ADA accessible. Private parking. Shit-ton of plants. 3,000 sq. ft. content studio with a loading dock, ramp and garage door, full pull-in. We’ve welcomed clients from around the world.

We look forward to your visit.