How a Silicon Valley–Trained Marketer Turned Publicist Is Reimagining the Creator Economy for Writers and Scholars

Most 15-year-olds are worried about passing algebra, but Ellen Yang was launching her first digital marketing agency. By 17, she was named one of Boston's Top 25 Under 25. After studying English and Linguistics at Stanford and cutting her teeth in Silicon Valley's creator economy, she

Sister Act: How Lina and Manar El Mugammar Turned Personal Hair Frustrations into Knotless, a Beauty-Tech Solution for the $10 Billion Textured Hair Market

Every woman with textured hair knows the anxiety of a new salon appointment. The uncertainty of whether your stylist will understand your hair, the disappointment when they don't, and the exhausting cycle of searching for someone who truly gets it. For sisters Lina and Manar, this frustration became

From Brooklyn Backyard to Cultural Movement: How Lovaeta K. Amoako Built LOCnificent Fest to Celebrate Black Hair and Joy

LOCnificent Fest is produced by Culture Unloc’d, a Brooklyn-based cultural events organization centered on black joy, diaspora identity, and community. Founded by Lovaeta K. Amoako, whose personal journey with locs began in 2010, the festival expresses her vision to create space where natural hair is not merely accepted—but

From Poetry Circle to Platform: How Araceli Esparza Transformed Storytelling into Economic Liberation for Women of Color

Araceli Esparza's journey from a high school poetry circle to becoming one of Wisconsin's Most Influential Latinas wasn't linear, but it was inevitable. Growing up with migrant farmer roots, she learned early that storytelling isn't just art—it's survival, connection,

Meet Talia Wolf: The CRO Pioneer Transforming Marketing Through Emotional Targeting

When Talia Wolf quit her job at six months pregnant to launch her first online course, she had what she calls a "jaw-dropping moment" of realization: she would never work for anyone else again. That leap of faith during one of life's most vulnerable times wasn&

From College Side Hustle to National Success: Adrienne Burgos on Growing CEA Staffing Without Losing Its Soul

When Adrienne Burgos was working as a brand ambassador in college to make ends meet, she loved the energy and excitement of bringing brands to life at events. But she also saw something troubling: a disconnect between what brands expected and what they were actually getting from staffing agencies. Communication

From Dinner Table Conversations to National Impact: How Katie Test Davis Built a PR Empire for Organizations That Love Kids

When Katie Test Davis moved from Washington, D.C. to Raleigh in 2019, she thought she might take another traditional in-house communications role. Instead, her phone started ringing a lot. Former colleagues and new contacts across North Carolina were calling with projects, seeking the expertise of someone who had spent

The Woman Who Brought Elevated Marketing to 'Urban' Artists

For nearly two decades, Anastasia Wright has been rewriting the rules of music marketing—not by climbing corporate ladders, but by building her own. As the founder and principal owner of Imperial Marketing Group, a cultural programming, creative, and marketing company centered around supporting underrepresented creative voices globally, she'

From Campaign Trail to Co-Founders: How Two Best Friends Built All In Strategic Consulting on the Power of PR Meets Social Work

When Anna Michaels-Boffy and Abby Leeper Gibson met in 2013 on the campaign trail, they were young idealists united by a shared passion for public service. Then they went their separate ways. Abby spent years honing her public relations expertise in the private sector as well as serving as the

From Writer to Strategic Communications Consultant: How Ruby Veridiano Built Gold Thread Communications on the Power of Emotionally Resonant Narratives

Ruby Veridiano's path has never been linear, but somehow, all the dots connect. She started as a spoken word poet, arts activist, and journalist working with young women in vulnerable communities. She studied Sociology of World Development, earned a Master's in Global Communications from The American

From Postpartum Isolation to Empowering Sustainable Brands: How Andrea Olmsted Built Sustainable Fashion PR While Raising Two Kids

Andrea Olmsted launched Sustainable Fashion PR shortly after her youngest child turned two. During postpartum, the majority of her time was given to her children, although she spent several nights a month freelance writing. It wasn't until her husband at the time had been laid off from the

From Agency Life to Her Own Firm at Nearly 50: How Amiee Watts Built Watts PR Group on Two Decades of Hard-Won Experience

Amiee Watts spent nearly 20 years in senior-level positions at top PR agencies, managing major financial services clients like Federated Investors, Aegon Asset Management, and Thornburg, and overseeing more than $1.8 million annually in monthly retainers. She knew the agency world inside and out, and she also knew what