Through the Noise

Cate Urban brings us into what it's like to work within a large, global organization, from fundraising to profiling alumni. Cate works to bring attention to the stories behind the scenes at World Learning. She shares some tips on how to improve team communications and guide program managers to understand the importance of communications. World Learning is a nonprofit organization advancing leadership in more than 60 countries.

Jennifer Mitchell Doncev talked to us about how she became a social media professional for large organizations. Her first lesson is that being the first disruptor is not an easy path, but being persistent and paying attention to how online media is changing the world, was a great start to her career. Jennifer Mitchell Doncev is an old-school PR pro who recognized social media as a communications essential in 2007. Over the last six years, she's helped brands find their online voice, share their messages with the right people, listen to (and communicate with) their customers and potential customers, and generate revenue from their social media efforts. BRG Communications is a nationally recognized public relations agency known for award-winning campaigns that reach key influencers, creatively deliver powerful messages, and ultimately ignite behavioral change.

Melissa Robison gives us insights to what it takes to work for Time Life as a digital director. From A/B testing product offers, to being ready for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to managing brands within brands, Melissa shares how teams prioritize planning for success. Melissa has 15 years of experience building and managing cross-functional teams in fast-paced agency and client-side environments to strategize, plan, and create large and small scale digital solutions that maximize ROI for high profile brands. Direct Holdings Global has a long history of successfully marketing unique, niche products like Time Life, StarVista Entertainment, KitchenTek, and many others.

Lauren Anderson brings us into the world of international development through healthcare. Imagine having to manage the logistics of sending a billion contraceptives to clinics overseas or ensuring the medication doesn't expire before it gets to a patient. Knowledge management is how that's done. Lauren is a health communications professional specializing in social marketing & strategic communication for application in international and domestic public health projects and health systems reform.

David is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Community IT Innovators. For David, Community IT stemmed from his desire to serve people and organizations working for social justice by supporting them in using technology effectively.The business model at Community IT has been recognized for its social mission and its commitment to sustainable business, and led it through a conversion to 100% employee ownership.

Michael Manganiello talks about how being HIV positive and working with super couple Dana and Christopher Reeve parlayed his career to cofounding HCM Strategies. His unique perspective allowed him to build powerful coalitions with great outcomes. A born advocate, Michael Manganiello believes in the power of patient groups to impact major shifts in health policy. That power is amplified when groups unite around a common agenda. HCM Strategists is a firm that not only can access major stakeholders in the health care community but can bring them together and find common ground to advance positive change.

Justin Harrison has been a member of 1776 DC since it opened in January 2013. Since becoming a member of 1776, Justin has developed Vinolovers from a simple idea with his mom in 2005, to a successful business that is currently serving 500 subscribers. // Grace Beauseigneur is the Marketing and Communications Manage of Vinolovers. Like many, Grace is a DC transplant and has cross-continental roots in Pennsylvania and France, where she first fell in love with wine. As a wine enthusiast and digital native, Grace hopes to share her knowledge and passion for wine through social channels to educate fellow millennials about how wine is approachable and fun.

In addition to being an editor of Worldview Magazine, Erica oversees all of NPCA's communications, public relations, marketing, branding and social media. She pioneered NPCA's use of online communities and social media – establishing an early Peace Corps community presence on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and moving the organization to an electronic newsletter.

Crystal Kelch has been with MCID Washington since its inception, and has held the position of director for the past decade. During the course of this time she has created countless insightful programs for distinguished visitors from across the globe. Her main focus has been on the International Visitor Leadership Program.

Allison Carney aka the "Queen of Nonprofits" has a passion for nonprofits and sharing their stories with the world. At The Nonprofit Roundtable she is responsible for the website, social media, newsletter and communication materials. She also meets with Nonprofit Roundtable members to develop strategies for the best ways share their achievements and events through the organization's channels.

John is a lawyer, a communicator, and an association executive, bringing passion and expertise to all three roles. He manages several key functional areas at Verto Solutions and holds leadership positions with several client associations. Verto Solutions offers professional management and scientific testing to food associations, and also offers and maintains social media campaigns for their clients.

Jennifer Matta's multi-faceted marketing and media relations skills make her a valuable asset to PCI's many government, non-profit, and corporate clients. With a proactive style and dedication to innovative strategies, Jennifer works on national and regional campaigns, preparing comprehensive communications plans and reports, leading media relations, pitching stories, conducting market research, and assisting in coalition building and community outreach. She also provides support for events, special promotions, and webinars, and prepares press releases, PSAs and feature articles. PCI Communications is a marketing and creative production agency. PCI's clients include corporate businesses, nonprofits and government agencies.

Lauree Ostrofsky is a speaker, author, coach, PR strategist and marketer for government agencies, high tech start-ups and women-owned businesses. Clients include the U.S. Department of Heath & Human Services, the U.S. Department of Transportation, GovLoop, IBM, Canonical / Ubuntu, LogMeIn, Fodors Travel, Liz Claiborne, and Girl Scouts of the USA. She often use my marketing and communications expertise when coaching clients who want to start and grow their own business, and when designing corporate coaching programs. Simply Leap, LLC offers coaching to get clear on what you want, and how to go after it. Uniquely suited for individuals seeking personal growth and career change, entrepreneurs starting their own businesses and groups wanting to build a strong community.

Greg is an award-winning creative director, digital strategist, writer and motion graphics artist. He is also a regular contributing writer for The Washington Business Journal, Search Engine Watch and iMedia Connection. He serves as the Vice President on the board of the DC Ad Club, and also speaks at colleges in the D.C. area about DC Ad Club. Carousel 30 is a digital agency that helps brands translate business objectives into strategies that incorporate tactics such as advertising and marketing campaigns, websites, mobile apps and more. Carousel30 has worked with top brands around the world, including Toyota, AOL, Geico, CQ Roll Call, The Nature Conservancy, United Nations, National Audubon Society, AARP and MTV.

General manager Reid Snyder and writer Carl Pierre from InTheCapital, talk about what it takes to cover the DC Tech scene. Carl gives us some insights to how his inbox fills up every morning with pitches. Reid talks about their InTheCapital events and covering new beats around the Washington, DC area. Between style, education, and technology, these guys are looking to shake things up. InTheCapital combines a fast, edgy, and opinionated editorial staff with an open community publishing platform to reinvent the model of local news online. InTheCapital believes hearing from innovators in the city will allow for a range of perspectives on the growth intelligent innovation in the District.

Corey Petree is an award winning, innovative producer, editor, and motion graphic designer with over 20 years of experience in film and video production. Corey creates marketing and promotional video, broadcast programs and commercials, as well as high-end corporate video designed for live audiences. He believes that the core of visual media production is storytelling - getting the point across clearly and memorably. Story Store Media provides high-quality video production services from concept, planning and shooting, through all phases of post-production. The company's products are high production value, custom-crafted productions for discerning producers and other clients who want an impressive, attention-getting product to build energy at large gatherings, increase visitor involvement on websites, and create buzz over broadcast media.

Tinu Abayomi-Paul is the editor of Women Grow Business. Tinu rescues web sites from obscurity and shows business people how to generate leads and traffic from the web. Founder of Free Traffic Tips and Ask Tinu, she is widely published online as an ever-effective, end-to-end website promotion specialist — on Web Pro News, Search Engine Guide, AGBEAT and more. Women Grow Business is a blog community focused on leadership, marketing, operations (especially in tough economic times), benefits of social cause partnership, talent retention, online presence, entrepreneurship, social technology, mentor-ship, failure and success.

Quin Woodward Pu is the Director of Public Relations for Brightline Interactive. Quin explains what Brightline's experiential marketing services are versus tradition marketing. Think of integrating digital into live events and you start to get the right idea. Think of karaoke and green screens at live sporting events and now you got a party. But this is really about tracking raw data through the use social media, the kind of stuff brands like Nascar and Pepsi are looking for. Brightline Interactive is a digital services agency that designs, produces, promotes, and installs fun social machines and digital experiences for national brands and agencies at sporting and entertainment events, mobile tours, museums, retail stores, lobbies, and conventions.

Tod Plotkin produces online and broadcast video content that help large organizations tell their story. His production experience includes national broadcast with ABC, Discovery Channel, and the Style Network. However my company focuses on corporate video storytelling for clients like Blackboard, Sears, Hilton Worldwide, Monster.com, BlueCross BlueShield, and Under Armour. Tod hosts the "What's Next DC" marketing and communication conference annually, where he and other speakers discuss viral videos, video marketing strategy and video SEO. Green Buzz Agency is a strategic digital media company specializing in high quality video production services for organizations of all sizes. The Green Buzz team uses storytelling techniques from their experience in the feature film industry to guarantee the highest quality product for corporate clients.