AAF Omaha Virtual AdConnect Panel Discussion
Reaching Out - Crafting Campaigns Combating Racism
Thursday, February 11, 2021
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Free to AAF Omaha Members | $5 Non-Members/Guests
With incredible experience crafting campaigns that combat racism, to founding an agency that elevates the stories and lived experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) owned brands and companies, our panelists will share their thoughts and advice on how advertising and marketing professionals can better support diversity and inclusion efforts within our communities through our work, relationships, actions, and beyond.
Inclusive advertising means having diversity represented in your ads and promotions, while aligning it to your market's composition of diversity. It also means considering the many dimensions of human diversity, including (but certainly not limited to) age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, location, language preference and gender expression.
Ultimately, inclusive advertising is understanding with empathy who your customers are, representing them accurately, and more importantly, recognizing whom you're excluding in your marketing materials.
Moderator:
Shonna Dorsey, Information Services Manager at Mutual of Omaha
Shonna Dorsey is an Omaha native who holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Management Information Systems from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is currently an Information Services Manager on the Talent Strategy team at Mutual of Omaha, Commissioner for the Nebraska IT Council and active volunteer board member for a number of nonprofit organizations focused on local workforce development and tech career advancement. Her career includes roles as a startup co-founder, nonprofit VP, IT intern. Shonna has earned awards including: Excellence in Community Service (National Daughters of the American Revolution), Changemaker (Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals), Women in Technology (InformationWeek), Ten Outstanding Young Omahans (Omaha Jaycees), Tech Community Builder of the Year (AIM Institute) and 40 Under 40 (Midlands Business Journal).
Panelists:
Fernanda Reutzel, Marketing Analyst, Demand Generation at Physicians Mutual
Fernanda is a Mexico native who has called Omaha home for the last 19 years. She graduated from Creighton’s Heider College of Business with a BSBA in Marketing and Management in May 2019. Upon graduation, she joined Physicians Mutual as a Marketing Coordinator, worked her way up to Marketing Campaign Specialist, and today works as a Marketing Analyst for the Demand Generation team with her focus being on digital campaigns. In addition to her daytime job, Fernanda serves as Vice President of Collegiate Relations for Omaha's American Marketing Association, is a member of the Junior League of Omaha and is in her second year on the Greater Chamber of Omaha’s Young Professionals Council. In 2019, Fernanda published her first book, “The Female Collaborative”, and most recently was highlighted in Omaha's B2B Magazine for their "Women in Business" issue. With a “glass half-full” personality, she aspires to motivate those around her, and aims to continue to be a voice for Latinos and Young Professionals who aren't yet at the table.
Krysty Becker (She | Her), Communications Manager with Inclusive Communities
Krysty joined the Inclusive Communities team in April 2020, first as a social media contractor before moving onto the staff as Communications Manager. She has spent the past 8 years doing strategic communications work for clients in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and her country of origin, Trinidad and Tobago. Most recently, she consulted on a campaign for a Nebraska State Legislature candidate.
Prior to moving to Nebraska, Krysty worked for the Local Government Ministry in Trinidad and Tobago where she supported the creation of legislation for reform. She holds a doctorate in International Relations from Florida International University and has a research specialization in foreign policy analysis and security studies in relation to drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere.
You can usually find Krysty exploring the great outdoors, cooking up a storm, or trying to pet every dog. She currently lives in Springfield, VA with her husband Christian and their two dogs, Levi and Zulu.
Devin Owens, Founder and CEO of Less the Agency
Drawn to all things earth tones and eco-friendly, Devin is a heart-led entrepreneur and minimalist who enjoys pushing herself and others to new limits—ask her about her scuba diving certification!
The proud Founder and CEO of Less the Agency, to her team Devin brings more than 10 years of communications experience with a knack for brand development and copywriting. She is committed to elevating the stories and lived experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) owned brands and companies, while actively dismantling the systems which suppress these voices from being heard. Devin is a 2018 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a 2012 graduate of Benson High School. Though grateful for her academic endeavors and accomplishments, she believes the best teacher is seeing the world. To date, Devin has solo-traveled to more than eight countries, including: Senegal, Iceland, Morocco, and the Netherlands, sharing those stories on her Instagram account, @dayswithdev. In her free time, she enjoys watching nature and travel-related documentaries, planning her sustainable home build, and snuggling with her pup, Penelope!
Dan Gibson, Executive Creative Director at Archrival
Dan is the award-winning, trend-smart, insert-hyphenated-word-here Executive Creative Director of Archrival who leads the charge on their biggest clients including adidas, Red Bull, Spotify, Hollister, Reebok and Vans. Considered by many to be a youth culture expert, Dan is beginning to reach the age where that is not okay.
Thank you to AAF Omaha's Elite Sponsors:
.png)
