KNDRD x The Field Museum
Account Management | Project Management
KNDRD is a Chicago-based, purpose-driven cultural consulting and creative services firm that helps brands build authentic connections with communities through culturally grounded advertising and strategy. Their expertise spans creative strategy, cultural consulting, campaign development, content creation, creative production, branding consulting, art direction, brand design, and shoot production. By centering lived experience, storytelling, and equity-driven insights, KNDRD bridges the gap between companies and the audiences they serve.
I partnered with KNDRD as an Account and Project Manager to lead the development of a Culture Council—an initiative designed to elevate authentic community voices and meaningfully integrate those perspectives into The Field Museum’s marketing strategy.This work was part of a larger institutional effort to better understand how local communities—particularly African American Chicagoans—perceive the museum and what they hope to see from it moving forward. While Black communities were a core focus, the initiative also considered the broader museum audience, including long-time members and non-Black visitors, to ensure future communications would be inclusive and resonate widely.
I managed the end-to-end process, including casting and onboarding council members, facilitating in-person sessions, and overseeing all client communications and timelines. Through listening sessions and facilitated workshops, we captured honest and thoughtful feedback that informed our final report—guiding early-stage creative exploration for the museum’s upcoming African Fashion exhibit (premiering in Chicago in February 2025) and laying the foundation for the long-term reimagining of the museum’s African Hall, set to reopen in 2027. Working closely with cross-functional teams, I helped translate community insights into actionable recommendations around cultural programming, digital storytelling, and engagement strategies—ensuring the museum’s narratives were rooted in lived experience and community voice.
Account Management
In my role as an account manager, I served as the primary liaison between clients and internal teams—ensuring clear communication, timely feedback, and alignment across all phases of a project. I managed expectations, facilitated decision-making, and kept stakeholders informed while driving project goals forward. My approach balanced strategic oversight with hands-on execution, allowing me to build strong client relationships and deliver high-quality outcomes on time and within scope.
Project Management
In this role, I oversaw key operational processes to ensure projects ran smoothly and efficiently from start to finish. I managed vendor relationships, tracked budgets, and coordinated purchase orders and invoicing in alignment with contract terms and timelines. By proactively identifying issues and collaborating closely with the finance team, I ensured seamless execution and financial accountability across all phases of the project.
Goal:
Served as the Account and Project Manager for the The Field Museum x KNDRD partnership, overseeing all aspects of the Culture Council initiative—including timeline management, stakeholder communications, session facilitation, and vendor coordination. Led the capture, synthesis, and translation of insights from Black Chicagoan community members into actionable recommendations to inform the museum’s communications strategy for the African Fashion exhibit and the future African Hall launch.
Results:
Established a five-member Culture Council representing diverse backgrounds that functioned as more than a traditional focus group—directly shaping The Field Museum’s approach to inclusive marketing and community engagement. Insights gathered across multiple sessions were consolidated into a comprehensive key insights deck, with recommendations spanning digital storytelling, local partnerships, and programmatic activations. In addition, produced and managed eight interactive fabrication workshops, engaging over 300 attendees per session.
Managed community engagement efforts for The Field Museum with KNDRD, leading the development of a Black-led Culture Council to inform marketing for the African Fashion exhibit. Oversaw logistics, timelines, and insights synthesis, while proposing inclusive campaign ideas to guide future communications strategy.