Hey Ashten!
My superpower? Blending strategic thinking with hands-on creative execution. While most marketers are either strategic or creative, I’m both. This rare combination has helped me generate 4.8M+ impressions per event, increase diversity hiring by 28%, and achieve 83% adoption rates for new brand launches.
From launching stealth startups to creating viral VR events, I specialize in building marketing functions from scratch and scaling them into powerhouse brand engines. When there’s no playbook, just vision and ambition—that’s where I thrive.
Current Focus: Leading breakthrough brand strategies for emerging companies and challenger brands through my consultancy, Insert Cool Name Here, while pushing the boundaries of what experiential marketing can achieve in 2025.
Thought Leader
WORDCAMP PHOENIX SPEAKER 2016 – 2017
WordPress WordCamp | Phoenix, AZ
BLACK IS TECH SPEAKER 2021
Black is Tech | London, England
LESBIANS WHO TECH FACILITATOR & HOST 2019 – 2021
Lesbians Who Tech | San Francisco, California
RECFEST SPEAKER & HOST 2022 – 2024
Recruiting Events Co | Stevenage, England & Nashville, TN
PERSPEKTYWY WOMEN IN TECH POLAND SPEAKER & MENTOR 2023
Perspektywy Publishing | Warsaw, Poland
RENDERATL SPEAKER 2023
RenderATL | Atlanta, GA
Location
COMING SOON
My Personality
MYERS-BRIGGS ENFP-A
ENNEAGRAM 7w6
STRENGTHSFINDER IMAGINATIVE PROBLEM SOLVER
Formula 1 Fan
COMING SOON.
Jill of all trades
Dynamic and results-driven Creative Marketing Strategy Leader with over 15 years of experience in live events production, talent securing and management, social media management, content creation, and strategic event programming. Proven leader with a track record of overseeing successful large-scale events, managing diverse teams, developing strategic initiatives, delivering exceptional event experiences, and creating engaging content that drives brand awareness and audience engagement. Exceptional ability to collaborate with stakeholders and vendors to deliver seamless and impactful event experiences. Strong business acumen, dynamic communication skills, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Expertise in stage production, talent securing, and content strategy, complemented by strong communication and analytical skills. Passionate about creating culturally resonant and impactful events for diverse audiences. Areas of expertise include:
Event Management & Production | People Management | Stage Programming | Project Management | Strategic Planning | Content Strategy | Vendor Management | Audience Engagement | Diversity & Inclusion | Experiential Marketing | Product Marketing | Consumer Marketing | Music Supervision | Artist Partnerships | Influencer Partnerships
- Driving Measurable Brand Impact. I don’t just create pretty campaigns—I build strategic employer brands and consumer brands that deliver real business results. My work has generated 4.8M – 9M+ impressions per event, increased hiring by 28%, and achieved 83% adoption rates. Every brand I touch is designed to attract your ideal talent while strengthening your competitive advantage.
- Outcomes by Blending Strategy with Creative Execution. Most marketers are either strategic or creative. I’m both. This rare combination allows me to develop sophisticated go-to-market strategies, elevated social media management and content creation while personally executing everything from brand identity design to immersive event experiences. When you know how to build it yourself, you create solutions others can’t.
- Scaling Go-To Marketing Functions. I specialize in building marketing teams and processes from scratch. Whether it’s launching a stealth startup’s first brand (83% adoption in 6 months) or creating entirely new event franchises, I thrive in ambiguous environments where there’s no playbook—just vision and execution.
- Creating Cultural Connection Through Events. My events aren’t just networking—they’re brand experiences that create emotional connections. From “The Drop” franchise at Dropbox to live VR events at Meta, I design experiences that attendees remember, talk about, and convert from.
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MAD SKILLS
COMING SOON.
MAD SKILLS
COMING SOON.
COMING SOON
MAD SKILLS
MAD SKILLS
COMING SOON!
MAD SKILLS
COMING SOON.
Resume AF
Fractional Chief Marketing Officer
April 2024 to July 2025
Contract: Led 0-1 brand building for dating platform, achieving 83% adoption rate in 6 months • Developed integrated marketing strategy and go-to-market approach for early-stage startup • Created comprehensive brand identity and content strategy across multiple channels • Established scalable marketing processes and cross-functional collaboration frameworks
Senior Global Marketing Manager
May 2024 to February 2025
Microsoft (Aquent Contract): Rebuilt global careers website with UI/UX best practices and EVP brand alignment • Created processes and procedures for global career site management • Implemented employee advocacy training and social media toolkits • Developed full-funnel candidate tracking system for recruitment marketing campaigns • Established benchmarks and scorecards for recruitment marketing reporting
Talent Brand Go-To-Market Leader
April 2022 to May 2024
Dropbox: Led vision and creative direction for global talent brand programs and employer brand initiatives • Improved candidate funnel quality by 10% while reducing recruitment ad spend by 20% • Drove Employee Value Proposition research and development across company stakeholders • Created and launched “The Drop” event franchise, generating 4.8M average impressions per event with 100% NPS and 80% talent community opt-in rates • Developed strategic partnerships with diversity organizations, exceeding annual diversity hiring goals by 28% • Implemented location-based recruiting strategy resulting in 8% increase in hiring talent density
Integrated Marketing Manager – Global Diversity
November 2021 to April 2022
Meta: Advised on go-to-market global diversity employer brand creative content and asset strategy • Created highest-performing Instagram reel for MetaCareers channel in 2022 • Implemented global diversity recruiting events and integrated marketing strategy • Executed first-of-its-kind virtual reality diversity event with 2.5M impressions and 100% positive sentiment
Senior Project Manager/Employer Brand Manager – Diversity, Projects, & Recruiting
August 2018 to October 2021
GoDaddy: Managed global employer brand social media strategy and creative content development • Created campaigns that increased Glassdoor score from 3.4 to 3.9 • Developed recruiting events program aligned with talent acquisition forecasts • Implemented global diversity training for international Talent Acquisition teams • Secured “Best Places to Work” awards across multiple markets for 5 consecutive years
Website Designer → Hosting Specialist → Web Pro
March 2015 to December 2018
GoDaddy: Rapid progression through technical roles.
Special Projects
- Proven track record for some of the world’s best-known companies building employer brands and integrated marketing campaigns for Meta, Microsoft, Dropbox, and GoDaddy, while leading fractional CMO work for early-stage startups and founding my own creative agency.
- Selected deliverables include competitive analysis, EVP research, development, and activation, brand identity creation, multi-channel campaign strategy, reducing marketing spend by 34%, experiential event production bringing in 9M+ impressions, content strategy increasing engagement rates by 48%, and full-funnel recruitment marketing optimization that increased quality of hire by 10%.
- Turned around Dropbox’s talent funnel quality by 10% while reducing recruitment ad spend by 20% through strategic content marketing and optimized ad placement across all digital channels.
- Invented “The Drop” event franchise from concept to execution, generating 4.8M average impressions per event, 100% NPS from attendees, and 80% talent community opt-in rates across multiple markets.
- Omnichannel recruitment marketing strategies (LinkedIn, Glassdoor, career sites, employee advocacy, video content, AR/VR experiences, social media) that exceeded engagement benchmarks by 100%+ and drove measurable business impact, including reduced marketing spend by 34% year-over-year.
- Founder of Black n Brown in Employer Brand Community and Insert Cool Name Here Creative Media. Professional DJ with 20+ years of experience performing for LinkedIn, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Dropbox, iHeartMedia, and major festivals—bringing a unique creative perspective to corporate marketing.
The Receipts
- Adobe Creator Camp Alumni and Facilitator, bringing cutting-edge creative skills to marketing campaigns
- Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate with a proven track record of campaign optimization and measurement
- NYU Music Business Essentials certification, blending creative and business acumen
Get in touch!
e: ashten@heyashten.com
BTS, I made this website from scratch!