Building An Engaged Community with PR Girl Manifesto Founder Fatou Barry

Pitchin' and Sippin' with Lexie Smith

We are kicking off season 2 with the one and only Fatou Barry—a Guinean-born, NYC-raised cultural strategist best known for her work in communications and community building. Fatou is the founder of AB Media Group and PR Girl Manifesto, a digital community of over 40,000 professionals in the communications field. The community works to re-imagine the PR and Communications space while supporting its constituents through access to resources, fellowship and mentorship. Fatou’s work is influenced by her desire to bridge equity gaps for young womxn of color. She has created several spaces to grow and nurture this community by sharing knowledge and experience to generate opportunities. This includes the launch of Hold The Press, a grassroots initiative co-founded by Fatou that calls for action, accountability, and transparency in the Public Relations industry for Black people.

In today’s episode, we talk about how to build a highly engaged community, the next major call to action that is needed in the Public Relations industry—and the world—and how anyone from a single comms professional to a founder of a global agency can support the Hold The Press Initiative.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Fatou shares her non-linear journey into PR, from building fan pages in high school to finally landing her first job doing PR and social media to eventually starting her own agency.
• What led her to found PR Girl Manifesto? Fatou talks about the importance of building a diverse community in the PR industry.
• Fatou discussed how she organically grew the PR Girl Manifesto community.
• Fatou co-founded Hold The Press - An initiative to call for action inside the PR Industry. Fatou explains their work, the reception they had and what they ask and request from all companies and professionals within the industry.
• What can you do? Fatou believes that everyone can help to build a more diverse industry. She asks you to be an accomplice.
• Fatou talks about her work with AB Media Group: a multidisciplinary agency committed to helping brands to develop their community and have a social impact.

Join the PR Girl Manifesto.
Visit Hold The Press and learn how you can contribute to their work. Black in PR Series.
Check AB Media Group services.
Instagram: @itsfatoub @prgirlmanifesto @holdthe_press @heyabmg
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