Problem
In the wake of political tension and shifting corporate sentiment, NSBE—one of the nation’s largest Black talent pipelines, faced increased pressure to sustain relevance and maintain partner confidence. At the same time, its marketing and communications function was navigating increased expectations and increasingly complex cross-functional demands.
With rising visibility demands across membership, fundraising, events, and sponsorship, the department required more than tactical support. It needed a strategic moment of stabilization: one that could restore external clarity, refine cross-departmental support, drive executional efficiency, and lay the groundwork for future-facing infrastructure.
Solution
Devon was engaged during a pivotal transition period, brought in to assess and stabilize NSBE’s marketing and communications function amidst heightened public visibility and partner sensitivity. He restored operational efficiency, clarified messaging, aligned high-stakes initiatives, and reframed the organization’s external posture during a volatile moment.
Over the course of a six-month embedded engagement, the following foundational work was delivered:
- Departmental Stabilization: Restored functional cohesion across programs, development, and leadership by strengthening workflows, executional follow-through, and message consistency
- Narrative Reframing: Shifted external positioning to a values-based message architecture rooted in innovation, talent, and long-term business value
- Executional Oversight: Led delivery of experiential activations, e-commerce launch, and sponsor-facing content while reestablishing operational trust across key stakeholder groups
Payoff
What began as departmental triage became a catalyst for institutional reframing:
- Departmental Collaboration Enhanced: Refreshed processes led to stronger cross-functional partnership—driving clearer communication, improved workflows, and renewed alignment across internal teams
- High-Stakes Execution Landed: Experiential activations drew over 2,000 in-person attendees and 3,000+ digital engagements. E-commerce efforts reached profitability within five months
- Media & Messaging Impact: Refined messaging architecture supported a slate of strategic press placements, drove an 800 percent increase in total monthly reader reach, and contributed to a 99 percent lift in social engagement
- Sponsor Retention Supported: Refined positioning and public messaging contributed to continued corporate sponsorships—providing partners with mission-aligned narratives that held up under compliance review
- Strategic Foundations Laid: The department became structurally sound and strategically aligned. Enabling the development of broader brand innovation and organizational planning.