Vondell J. Burns - Creative Strategist & Ecosystem Builder
Multidisciplinary marketing and communications leader with a proven track record of building brands, growing mission-aligned communities, scaling high-impact teams, and advancing equity through narrative strategy. Skilled at designing and leading cross-sector campaigns that drive engagement, spark strategic partnerships, and have catalyzed over $1M in community investment. From Wall Street to grassroots ecosystems, I specialize in connecting vision to execution and turning purpose into platform.
Professional Experience
1
Atento Capital
Director – Marketing & Communications (Aug 2022 – Feb 2025)
Founded and scaled the Marketing & Communications department, managing a team of six across digital marketing, PR, community engagement, and experiential marketing.
2
Redfin
Program Manager – Employer Brand (Sept 2021 – June 2022)
Created Redfin's Employer Value Proposition (EVP) and implemented a unified recruitment storytelling strategy.
3
Goldman Sachs
HR Associate – Strategy and Brand (June 2016 – Aug 2020)
Managed employer brand strategy and launched 'Make Things Possible' campaign, reaching 4M+ impressions.
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Key Achievements at Atento Capital
55%
LinkedIn Growth
Increased brand visibility through enhanced digital presence
35K+
New Website Users
Expanded digital reach through strategic content marketing
268%
Newsletter Growth
Dramatic increase in newsletter subscribers through MailChimp
$1M+
Social Impact
Directed sponsorships powering community events like Legacy Festival
Event Leadership & Community Impact
Flagship Summits
Produced major events like Third Sphere Climate Summit and Tulsa Aerospace Summit, convening 200+ investors, founders, and experts to facilitate funding and talent opportunities.
Community Engagement
Led 75+ gatherings engaging 7K+ attendees, accelerating founder education, visibility, and deal flow through First Friday Mixers, Venture Pathway events, and more.
Strategic Partnerships
Forged relationships with institutions like NYU Tisch, MIT Solve, Techstars, HBCUvc, and Fund of Funds to amplify thought leadership and funnel resources into Tulsa's founder pipeline.
Entrepreneurial Leadership
Thankless Production LLC
Founded and currently serving as CEO (Aug 2020 – Present), launching 'Let's Launch,' a creative virtual accelerator supporting entrepreneurs with a 38% lead-to-client conversion rate.
Black Tech Weekly
Led media strategy and expansion planning, serving as liaison with media outlets including Inc., NBC, and CNBC, and developed the foundational charter for program expansion.
Creative Production
Led branded content experiences with HBO, Squarespace, and Estee Lauder through Creative Collective NYC, reaching 5K+ creatives with virtual programming.
Mentorship
Mentored 17 Black Ambition Prize finalists, coaching founders in AI, VR, EdTech, and film/media through a tailored accelerator focused on brand clarity and go-to-market strategy.
Board Seats & Community Service
Management Leadership for Tomorrow
Ascend Mentor (2025 – Present)
Tulsa Creative Engine
Member Board of Directors (2024 – Present)
Tulsa Regional Chamber
Member of the Board of Advisors (2024 – Present)
Tulsa Arts District Business Association
Board Member (2023 – Present)
Transformation Church
Assistant Director (2021 – Present)
Speaking Engagements
Industry Conferences
New Media Ventures Summit: "Leading Models in Social Impact Investing" (San Francisco, CA)
CultureVations: "Black Wall Street Homecoming: The Power of Ecosystems" (Tulsa, OK)
Panel Discussions
HBCUvc: "Voice of Our Ancestors: An HBCUvc Story" (Virtual)
Women Empowering Nations: "Learning from Leaders" (Tulsa, OK)
Workshops
Black Ambition HBCU Pre-Accelerator: "Building a Brand" (Virtual)
Popcorn Series: "How to Launch a Creative Project" (Tulsa, OK)
Education & Certifications
Howard University
B.B.A in Marketing, School of Business Executive Leadership Honors Program
KEDGE Business School
Study Abroad Program, Marseille, France
Professional Certifications
VC University Certificate, Boolean Optimization, Film/TV Industry Essentials
Hobbies
Facilitating a creative writer's meet up (weekly).
Writing and hosting murder mystery dinner parties.
Filmmaking, camera operating and directing (weekly).