Stacey Chapper, Vice President, Brand Strategy
"Every interaction I've had with Step Up in the last 10 years has left me inspired, motivated, and energized. From the music that kicks off a program to the tone set by the Step Up team, all details both big and small are thoughtful and productive. I was honored to be a panelist on the "So you wanna..." career exploration series and had so much fun meeting the other panelists and attendees to share my experience as a brand strategy professional. The chat was on fire, the emoji reactions were flying, and the heads were nodding the whole way through the panel. As fun as it was to speak on the panel, it was even more invigorating to chat with a Step Up mentee in the breakout room and hear all her takeaways. She picked up on interesting nuggets from the panel and asked great follow up questions."
Jody Menerey, Director, Client Partnerships
"When my company initially chose to engage in the Step Up Experienceship, I was so excited to be a part of this mentorship program. Recognizing how much of my career was enabled by others that supported my journey, I was honored to meet the kind, intelligent, wonderful mentees we had the opportunity to share our experiences working in brand strategy with. I'm already looking forward to the next one!"
Jon Cohen, President and COO
"I had the benefit of being present at both the first and last milestones of the Step Up Experienceship – the company orientation on the first day, and the participants' final presentation on the last day. On the first day our participants were exposed to so much attention, new terminology, and different topics, and I could tell it was an intense experience for them. On the final day, after their presentation, I asked them what they thought was the most valuable part for them. They mentioned 3 things: learning how brands are built, experiencing the inside of a fast-moving creative environment, and developing industry contacts. Seeing our participants be challenged with such an intense experience, and grow rapidly in response, makes it clear why this program exists."
Erin Yook, Manager, Client Partnerships
"A highlight from my experience is seeing my mentee's (young Luminary's) confidence grow little by little. The first meeting, it was clear that she was very talented and passionate about graphic design and a creative career path in general. It was also abundantly clear to me that she has the skills and proactive mindset to chase after her goals. However, she wasn't taking credit for all the amazing work she had been doing. Being able to be a safe space for her to vocalize her accomplishments, plans, and goals has allowed her to feel more confident about stepping into the next stage of her professional development. For example, she said "I guess now that I've said these things to you... I guess I actually do know what I want and do know my plan."
Kiayanna Washington, Analyst, Brand Strategy
"I had the opportunity to spearhead Step Up's most recent Experienceship at Innovation Protocol, so I interacted with the students daily as their main point of contact. During those two weeks, the student's curiosity, intellect, and kindness blew me away. They came into the Experienceship with little to no exposure to brand strategy and design. However, day by day I saw first-hand how they took the skills they learned to develop an insightful and impressive final group project. Knowing that they walked away more knowledgeable about an industry they didn't know existed and with skills that can apply to any career field reinforced my commitment to Step Up. I've participated as a mentor in other Step Up programs beyond just the Experienceship, and I've witnessed the difference each of them can make."
Nina Killingstad, Associate Consultant, Brand Strategy
"I was inspired to participate in Step Up because I had heard nothing but positive feedback from co-workers' past experiences mentoring with them. After my first program, I was hooked. Step Up is an integral part of girls and young women's personal development and confidence-building. Through Step Up programs they are supported in finding clarity around their strengths and passions. I love that Step Up honors individuality and provides girls with the program structure and community to promote self-discovery and identify their dreams of success."
Ryan Adams, Senior Integrated Producer
"I had the pleasure of participating in the Step Up Experienceship group's final project presentation. I was impressed with the quality of work they were able to create, especially in such a short amount of time. Their presentation gave me great confidence in the rising generation. They will make significant contributions to whatever field they decide to pursue. I look forward to the next Step Up Experienceship!"
