The Sway Effect

In this episode, our Founder and President, Jennifer Risi, sat down with Julia Herbst, Senior Editor for Fast Company's Work Life section, to discuss some observations made last month at SXSW, specifically tied to the future of work and how it's being impacted by technologies like AI and 'taboo' topics like DEI.

In this episode, our Founder and President, Jennifer Risi, sits down with The Associated Press' Aimee Rinehart live at SXSW to chat about her upcoming SXSW session that looked at how AI is transforming today's newsroom and how reporters deliver the news today.  

In this episode, our Founder and President, Jennifer Risi, chats with BBC's Anthony Zurcher ahead of next week's inauguration and official start of a second Trump presidency. During their chat, Jen and Anthony discuss why Trump 2.0 feels 'different,' how his beat on U.S. politics and culture is changing and what's in store for 2025.

In this episode, our Founder and President, Jennifer Risi, chats with Axios' Kerry Flynn on the good, the bad and ugly of the recent Omnicom and IPG merger as well as who benefits from this deal and other potential M&A news on the horizon for 2025.

In this episode, our Founder and President, Jennifer Risi, chats with ABC News' Beatrice Peterson on the noticeable shift of how we consume and report the news, especially coming out of this last election, as well as what she expects to see in 2025 from this new administration.

In this episode, our Founder and President, Jennifer Risi, chats with The Hill's Miranda Nazzaro on the upcoming U.S. presidential election and AI, the future of political journalism and what's on her radar post-election.

In this episode, our Founder and President, Jennifer Risi, chats with Lola Bakare on the DEI cutbacks that are dominating the headlines, winners and losers and what brands can do right now to bring DEI and responsible marketing to life.

In this episode, our Founder and President Jennifer Risi chats with Jabari on his experiences this past year leading ForbesBLK, what he is hearing across the business community today and expected impact of the upcoming election.

In this episode, our Founder and President Jennifer Risi chats with Antonia at Cannes Lions on take aways from this year's festival, how AI is disrupting the PR game, and how Nextdoor's generative AI tool is benefiting local communities.

In this episode, our Founder and President, Jennifer Risi, sat down with Alexis live at SXSW to discuss how to empower women leaders, what it means to be an inclusive leader, the changing landscape of media and why purposeful partnerships are vital in 2024.

In this episode, our Founder and President, Jennifer Risi, sits down with Eleanor live at SXSW to about the increasing importance of the communications function, how PR leaders are incorporating AI into their workflows, and the outlook for the rest of the year.

In the latest episode, Founder and President Jennifer Risi caught up with Aisha Counts, tech reporter at Bloomberg News, who covers the latest in social media and Big Tech. Jen and Aisha discuss the recent Super Bowl, why more people are turning to TikTok for their news and what's in store for Big Tech.

As we kickoff 2024, Founder and President Jennifer Risi chats with Kathy Baird, Chief Communications Officer for The Washington Post, following their time at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss all things AI, what readers can expect from the Post in the run up to the U.S. election, and why the outlet is increasingly utilizing TikTok to share the news today.

On this month's episode, Founder and President Jennifer Risi reconnects with Resh Sidhu, Global Director of Arcadia Studio for Snap Inc, following their time together at Cannes Lions to discuss two key topics - the increasing impact of AI on the creative industry, and the importance of creating lasting personal connections especially during these challenging times.

In honor of The Sway Effect's 4th birthday, our Founder Jennifer Risi sat down with network partners Tanya De Poli, Founders Agency, and Alvaro Melendez, CRANT, to discuss how they started, entrepreneurship, and how they are collectively navigating today's challenging environment. #FourYearsofTSE

This month, after recently connecting with IRTH App's Kimberly Seals Allers at SXSW, we're discussing the racial disparities in maternal health care. A timely discussion as Black Maternal Health Week was recognized this month. Kimberly has created an app that aggregates prenatal, birthing, postpartum and pediatric reviews of care from Black and brown parents to combat inequalities in health care. While there are multiple factors that contribute to these disparities – it's time that we pause and ask ourselves what we can do to stop this.   

On this month's episode, Founder Jennifer Risi takes the podcast on the road to SXSW and sits down with Rohit Bhargava, Founder & Chief Trend Curator, Non-Obvious Company to discuss their recent Female Quotient panel at SXSW where they discussed how AI will affect DEI communications, his latest book “The Future Normal,” and non-obvious trends in the digital & marketing industry today. 

On this month's episode, Founder Jennifer Risi takes the podcast on the road to SXSW and sits down with Kathryn Finney, Managing General Partner, Genius Guild to discuss the current state of funding and advice for entrepreneurs during times of economic uncertainty.

On this month's episode, Founder Jennifer Risi sat down with Caroline Dettman, Chief Marketing & Creative Officer, The Female Quotient to discuss the latest news on the Sway Effect being named the official communications partner for the Female Quotient, an industry leading organization committed to closing the gender gap in the workplace. They explore what gender equality means and how advancements have a ripple effect on all areas of development for communities.

On this month's episode, Founder Jennifer Risi sat down with Jeanette Settembre, Senior Features Reporter, New York Post to discuss consumer holiday trends, how consumers are feeling this season, what they're buying, and how public relations experts can leverage these trends. They explore what the landscape of holiday shopping looks like this year, as well as the impact COVID-19, inventory shortages, and inflation have all had on shopping trends.

On this month's episode, in light of recent Twitter news, Founder Jennifer Risi sat down with Jessica Heygate, Associate Editor & Technology Editor, Campaign U.S. to discuss Twitter's data, privacy, and security concerns in light of recent leadership and policy changes, how this might affect advertising, and where the future of social media is headed. They also discuss how the industry is at an inflection point about the platforms we will use to connect communities and build experiences in the future.

In honor of ADHD Awareness Month, Founder Jennifer Risi sat down with Dr. Rod Berger, Doctor of Psychology, to discuss the challenges associated with what we think we know and how we can help neurodivergents succeed. ADHD is real, though many do not understand its impact. We need to focus on awareness and education in order to create acceptance.

In this episode, The Sway Effect's Founder, Jennifer Risi, sat down with Adweek's Creative & Inclusion Editor, Shannon Miller, to discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in media and the need for stewards in journalism to be representative of the audiences they serve.

This month, The Sway Effect is three, and we're reflecting back on our journey and celebrating the brands we work with. Founder Jennifer Risi sits down with Denise Broady, CMO of Appian and Diana Kroeber, Director of Marketing for Point of Care at BD to discuss how as leaders they have used their positions for good and rely on #DEI to build their teams and drive their work.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Founder Jennifer Risi sits down with Dr. Andrew Kahn, Subject Matter Expert in Psychology and Learning at Understood to discuss the social impact organization's mission, how parents can support their children's mental wellbeing, and Understood's exciting new "Be the Reason" campaign.

In honor of Earth Day, Founder Jennifer Risi sits down with Dr. Susanne Etti, Global Environmental Impact Specialist at Intrepid Travel to discuss her story and passion for sustainability, how Intrepid Travel became the world's largest travel company to be certified B-Corp, and its mission of creating positive change through the joy of travel.

In celebration of Women's History Month, Founder Jennifer Risi sits down with Jaqui Lividini, Founder and CEO of Lividini & Co. to discuss her career in brand strategy and retail communications. Jennifer and Jaqui also discuss their partnership, their combined work for brands, such as Signet Jewelers, and how coming together has expanded and attracted new clients to their respective agencies.

In celebration of Black History Month, Founder Jennifer Risi sits down with Tangie Murray, the new leader of the 4A's Foundation to discuss her views on the state of DE&I across the advertising and marketing industry today, upcoming programming, her vision of what's next for the 4A's Foundation, as well as the black makers and creatives who have impacted her career journey.

In this episode of The Sway Effect podcast, we're flipping the script and having our team members, Natalie Kawam and Megan Trivelli, ask Founder Jennifer Risi about the past year and lessons learned amid the pandemic. Join us as we turn the page to 2022 and share some of our most impactful client programs, recent wins, and how we are growing our team and creating a culture of inclusion that will fuel our work in the year ahead.

In this episode of The Sway Effect podcast, Founder Jennifer Risi sits down with Senior Writer and Host, Bloomberg News, Karen Toulon to discuss the launch of her new book 'The ABC's of Paradise Found,' how she paved the way for women in media and communications, and why she launched the #BloombergNews series ‘Black in Focus' to normalize black excellence across Corporate America today.

In this episode of The Sway Effect podcast, Founder Jennifer Risi sits down with long-time friend and network partner Carlos Thompson, President of the DLC Group, to discuss leading trends in the marketing and communications industry, how to build a culture of transformation at your agency, and how you can celebrate and embrace diversity at your organization.

Founder Jennifer Risi sits down with Caroline Dettman, Founder of Have Her Back Consulting, to discuss the leading trends on how businesses can impact their internal culture by empowering women, working parents, and historically excluded groups. Caroline leverages her background as Chief Creative Officer at Golin, where she delivered award winning campaigns - from Cannes Lions to PR Week to Clios for McDonald's, Clif Bar, and Unilver, to inspire her clients towards a new vision of diversity, equity, and inclusion and to better attract, retain, and cultivate talent. By working directly with the C-suite at global brands, Caroline is making an indelible mark on humanity so that all people can authentically say 'We have her back. And his. And theirs.'

A new episode of the ‘The Sway Effect' podcast series! This series features the innovators, disruptors, movers and makers that are shaping the future of today's leading businesses. Our second anniversary episode features Per Pedersen, Founder of ‘by the Network', and our Founder & President Jennifer Risi Take a listen as they discuss the growth of the network within a network model and its future as the new agency model.

Jen sits with longtime friend, Suresh Raj, Chief Growth Officer at Virtue. Raj is one of the most vocal proponents of diversity, inclusion and equality, sitting at the intersection of being a person of color, LGBTQ+, and of multicultural background. Listen in as they discuss how brands may show up in the 21st century as allies through action.

Jen sits with Meagan Hooper, founder of bSMART, and a seasoned mentor, advisor, and inspirational speaker who has has helped thousands of people overcome their unconscious bias and manifest their professional purpose.

Johnel Evans sits down with Jen to discuss her journey through human resources and her work with diversity, inclusion, and engagement in her roll at BD.

On this Episode of The Sway Effect Podcast Jen is joined by Alvaro Melendez CEO and Co-Founder CRANT.

Jen is joined by Cheryl Overton, Founder of Cheryl Overton Communications.

Jen sits with Kat Gordon of The 3 Percent movement to talk about 2020 and 2021, diversity in the workplace, and of all things...a coup!

Co-Founder/Editor of the Creative Salon, Sonoo Singh sits down with Jen from across the pond in London to discuss female empowerment and the bright future for 2021.

Philips McCarty and Erin Dawkins join Jen to discuss how branding has evolved in light of this year's events, including the pandemic and the strongest surge of the Black Lives Matter Movement to date. Philips McCarty is the Vice President for Advancement and the executive director of the FIT Foundation, as well as the founder of Good Scout, a social impact and cause marketing consultancy that served brands such as the American Heart Association, Brooks Brothers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, the NASCAR Foundation, Nationwide Insurance, Share Our Strength, and UNICEF. Erin Dawkins is the Vice President of Brand Operations at House of Taylor and ensures that all projects, processes, and strategic planning related to the Elizabeth Taylor brand and its revenue development and expansion are directed and implemented effectively, both internally and externally.

This first episode of 'The Sway Effect' features network parter Mitch Markson, Creator & Ground Control of Markson IdeaCraft. Mitch takes our clients on a journey through his imagination workshops to help them discover what is possible inside of the future of their brand. Mitch has also recently released his new book, The Imagination Playbook, where he shares insights into these revolutionary workshops and gives readers a reminder about the wonders of imaginative thinking. Join Mitch and The Sway Effect founder Jennifer Risi for this premier episode as they discuss all things imagination, brand development, and trends in the marketing and communications industry. Don't forget to tune in each month for new episodes of 'The Sway Effect', available on www.theswayeffect.com.!

The Sway Effect', a podcast series featuring the innovators, disruptors, movers and makers that are shaping the future of the Marketing & Communications Industry. The Sway Effect knows how to create trends, shape opinions and drive behavior. Together, we will explore what's now and what's next in marketing and communications, and The Sway Effect's sweet spot -- connecting brands with industry experts, media and influentials the world over. We're not the usual cast of characters you'll find on Madison Avenue. We're authors, creators, warriors, neuroscientists, influencers, and all sorts of movers and shakers. Tune in to hear perspectives from our clients and partners from across our global network each week on 'The Sway Effect.