Before getting into advertising, Briana Patrick got an early start as a strategist while working as a traveling clerk at a 24-hour gas station. During that time she learned how to communicate with different kinds of people and how best to serve their needs.

She believes that the best way to serve different communities is by connecting to people in a way that is authentic and approachable. Her love for service has led her to become a mentor for programs such as MAIP, ADCOLOR FUTURES and the Nasdaq Mentorship Circle. Currently, she serves as a mentor at HBCUs, Howard University and Tennessee State University.

During her three years at Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P), Briana has worked on clients such as SONIC Drive-In, Comcast, Pepsi and the Smithsonian Museum. Her most notable work is the award-winning “Get Real” campaign by HP.?The campaign questions the imbalance in society between digital technology and people’s real lives. Briana played a critical role in bringing to life the imbalance of the digital and the real for the launch, holiday, small business and education campaigns. And the campaigns were a success. While the home-printing category declined by 9% year over year in 2019, HP’s printer sales grew by 4%.

Briana’s talent transcends her work as a strategist.? Undoubtedly, 2020 was a year full of difficult conversations about race and equity. Outraged by the lack of conversation and change happening within the walls of GS&P, Briana led the charge to overhaul the processes and protocols that prevented employees of marginalized backgrounds from doing their best work. Briana changed GS&P’s approach to research, strategy and creative work. Most importantly, her work at the agency has made employees change the way they treat and communicate with one another. But she didn’t stop there. In addition to coleading GS&P’s employee-led ED&I program, VOICES, Briana also created GS&P’s employee resource groups. Not only is Briana passionate about creating spaces for community, but she is also passionate about providing resources and funding so that those groups are able to create, educate and feel fully supported within their identities. Her work with the groups has led to groundbreaking work, such as “TalkShop”, “Black&” and “Project Honor”—all of which have been recognized by Ad Age. Briana’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed, as she was most recently named GS&P’s Employee of the Year, the highest achievement that can be bestowed upon GS&P employees, who vote for the award.

While most people have one superpower, Briana has (at least) three. She is in touch with culture and knows how to keep ideas relevant and tonally spot-on. She is incredibly adept at articulating her point of view in a room. And she is also hugely thoughtful and perceptive and can spot different people’s energies and understand what they need to succeed. These are some of the many things that make her an amazing strategist and a true rising star in advertising.