Vanessa Wakeman

Vanessa Wakeman is a bold visionary in the world of social change. Since launching The Wakeman Agency in 2003, she has been recognized as a champion for nonprofits and progressive organizations. Her deep knowledge about the politics of social change, and mastery at advancing the efforts of nonprofits, has made her a trusted advisor to organizations around the country. Equal parts entrepreneur, futurist, and agent of change, Vanessa has spent more than a decade as a strategist, advising organizations on approaches to generate revenue and create awareness for mission-driven causes. She provides powerful insights into the challenges facing the nonprofit community, masterfully identifying opportunities to leverage their social capital and the emotional pulse of stakeholders, to drive change. Vanessa’s talent as a PR professional has been recognized by the industry in various ways. Most recently, she was selected to be one of PRWeek’s 2017 “Champions” of PR”, amongst a prestigious group of other female PR professionals. She has been quoted by The New York Daily News, ABC Eyewitness News, Smart Money, Westchester, Philanthropy Journal, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Crain’s and other key media outlets. Vanessa also served as the inaugural special events columnist at WAG, a society and lifestyle magazine covering Westchester County. She is currently a Huffington Post contributor, writing on issues related to thought leadership and the nonprofit sector. Consistently acknowledged as an innovative leader with a proven track record of shaping the trajectory of organizations, Vanessa's career milestones began as early as high school, where she organized workers at her after-school catering job to advocate for better working conditions. While at Morgan Stanley, she developed a highly profitable business model that was later replicated throughout the organization. At The Wakeman Agency, Vanessa has led highly impactful campaigns for UCLA's Civil Rights Project, Metropolitan College of New York, YWCA of New York City, New York Urban League, Real World Scholars and other nationally recognized organizations. In 2016, as a natural extension of her years of PR coaching for nonprofit executives and leaders, Vanessa launched She Roars, the first thought leadership program for women in the social change sector. Through her writing, speaking, and leadership, she seeks to create a revolution that amplifies the voices of women working in the nonprofit world, with the goal of developing 2,020 female thought leaders by the year 2020.