The Intersection of Communications
Gabrielle Mondestin is a seasoned executive public service leader with over a decade of experience advancing mission-driven organizations by bridging strategy, storytelling, and partnerships. Across public, nonprofit, and cross-sector environments, she is a trusted advisor to executive leadership and Boards. She’s known for assessing organizational needs, building durable systems and strong relationships, elevating stakeholder voices, and guiding teams through transformative change. Mondestin is deeply committed to achieving measurable results by strengthening accountability and trust in institutions that serve communities, safeguarding and, when necessary, restoring credibility. Most recently, she served as National Delegate to the Global Multi-Foundation Leadership Forum (Cape Town), representing The Posse Foundation. She was responsible for designing and facilitating cross-cohort programming and moderated systems-level discussions with 50+ emerging global leaders from eight premier fellowship networks across 10+ countries. As a Posse Foundation scholar alumna, she has been recognized with both the Ainslie Alumni Achievement, the highest possible designation, and the Community Investment Awards. She currently serves on the Bryn Mawr College Presidential Advisory Council and previously held a position on the college's Board of Trustees. Mondestin is a proud member of WTS International, a global association dedicated to advancing women in transportation, and Young Professionals in Transportation. She is also a graduate of The Partnership, Inc.'s flagship programs, which develop and support leaders of color across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Her accomplishments have been featured in outlets including Refinery29, Cosmopolitan, and the Dorchester Reporter.Mondestin holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science and French from Bryn Mawr College and a Master’s in Organizational Communications from Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies. A Boston native, she resides in Dorchester with her husband.
Amy Pavel Shanler draws on her 30 years of experience managing communications activities for multiple organizations and industries, including retail, technology, business, health care, and entertainment when teaching courses on principles of public relations, crisis management and communication, and media relations. Previously, Amy spent 10 years as co-director of PRLab, the nation’s longest-running student-managed public relations agency. Earlier, Amy held director roles for large corporations such as Royal Philips in North America and Staples; and senior manager roles for a division of IBM and a high-technology public relations subsidiary of FleishmanHillard. Amy is frequently quoted in the media as an expert on crisis communication. She has won national, regional, and Boston University awards for her public relations work and impact on PR education, reviewed several public relations textbooks, and contributed supplemental instructional tools for the industry.
TUNJI AKINSEHINWA is a cinematographer, documentary filmmaker/photographer and academic who has lived and worked across the UK and other countries. Like in India, where he got hit by an elephant’s trunk, to Cuba, where he sat in a taxi with no brakes as it sped down hill at 90km. Much of his work has been across Africa, where he shot the first-ever Zombie horror film in Nigeria called Ojuju, which is now listed as one of the top 20 Zombie films ever on Indiewire. He was a director and cameraman on the first-ever documentary series about African Artists titled African Masters. Tunji also shot a 6-part TV drama called Dere, An African Tale for EbonyLife TV and Netflix. He earned an MA in Film Production from the Northern Film School in the UK, writing his thesis on Chinese Film, and a PhD titled Identifying the Cinematography of Nigerian Cinema in the Nollywood Era. Tunji previously taught cinematography and film production at multiple film schools in the UK. He has guest lectured at the I-Rep Film Festival, the Realtime Film Festival and the Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos. Outside of film, he managed the Nike Art Gallery, one of the largest in Lagos, and in his spare time, he is co-constructing a short-form video-sharing app called EmboziAfrica.com. He is currently an associate professor of the practice at Boston University, teaching film production and cinematography, and the Associate Dean for DEI at the College of Communication.
Mental Health
Tori Barnes is a strategic communications leader and the founder of Tori Barnes Communications. She currently serves as fractional Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at FamilyWell Health, a women’s mental health provider, while partnering with other companies across the health, wellness, and technology landscape. With more than 15 years of experience spanning startups, health systems, and global brands, Tori has led communications through many of healthcare’s most consequential moments of change. Most recently, she served as VP of Communications & Corporate Marketing at Headspace, where she helped guide the company’s evolution from a meditation app into a global mental health platform at the forefront of AI-enabled care. Prior to Headspace, Tori led integrated communications and marketing programs for organizations ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies, including athenahealth, Fitbit, Teladoc Health, Geisinger, Nuance, SAP, and Oracle. A passionate advocate for family and maternal mental health, Tori is deeply committed to elevating stories that expand access, reduce stigma, and improve support for parents and caregivers. She holds dual degrees in Communication Studies and Spanish from James Madison University and lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts with her husband, two children, and a very large Bernese Mountain Dog.
Jacqueline Hubbard, Esq. (she/her) is the Deputy Director of Policy, Advocacy, & Communications at the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts (NAMI Mass). In this role, Jacqueline facilitates internal discussions and decision making on NAMI Mass policy/advocacy positions, coordinates engagement with key leaders, legislators, statewide coalitions, and commissions, and supports the development of positions on critical social issues related to mental health at the state and federal level. Before joining NAMI Mass, Jacqueline worked as a Public Policy Fellow with United States Senator Patty Murray, a Public Policy Analyst with the National Disability Rights Network, Chief of Staff to State Senator Barry Finegold, and a Staff Attorney with the Disability Law Center. In these roles, Jacqueline authored multiple published reports on a variety of disability rights issues. As a sibling of an autistic twin and an individual with lived experience of trauma, Jacqueline has a deep passion for using policy/advocacy work to elevate the voices of those most impacted by systemic inequities and who often face violations of their human rights. Jacqueline holds a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and a B.A. from Iona University. In her free time, Jacqueline enjoys traveling, reading, and admiring the ocean, but her greatest happiness comes from spending time with her family.
Career Readiness
Briana Curran is Executive Director of External Communications and Public Relations for JPMorganChase’s Commercial Real Estate business. She leads the development and execution of communication strategies that enhance the firm’s reputation, elevate brand visibility, and drive engagement across media, employees, and local influencers. Previously, Briana oversaw external communications for JPMorganChase across the Northeast, New England and Greater Washington D.C. regions. Before that, she oversaw philanthropy and public relations for Wells Fargo in New England, managed grant making for BNY Mellon in Massachusetts and directed Staples Inc.'s global citizenship programs and communications for Staples Brand Products. Briana began her career with Lois Paul & Partners directing public relations programs for technology and business-to-business clients. Briana is a graduate of Boston University and holds a B. S. in Communications. She lives in Arlington, Massachusetts with her husband and their two energetic sons. She can often be found frantically running after them, or from meeting to meeting, but she is always happy to stop and talk about all things movie and television.
Nikkai Mayers is a Global Early Careers Talent Manager at Edelman, supporting global and U.S. early career strategies and guiding students as they explore roles aligned with their career interests. Partnering closely with universities, Nikkai creates meaningful engagement opportunities and is passionate about highlighting the diverse career paths within the PR and communications field.
In my role as a Career Counselor, I work to help undergraduates, graduates, and alumni from the College of Communication utilize career resources and work towards their professional goals. I also build and facilitate workshops and events that aid in career exploration, development, and networking. Having worked with first-generation college students for years, I value the ability to help students gain confidence in themselves and have the context to make informed decisions about their future. This perspective has motivated my work as a higher education professional.
CSR in PR
Hessann Farooqi is the Executive Director of the Boston Climate Action Network. Hessann was appointed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to oversee the implementation of Boston’s key climate law, BERDO, and serves on the Board of Directors of Built Environment Plus. Hessann also co-chairs the Boston Green New Deal Coalition and serves on committees for Healthcare Without Harm and the Institute for Market Transformation. Hessann previously served as an advisor to The White House and Department of Energy’s Opportunity Project, as well as on the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's Justice 40 Advisory Group to write the Greater Boston Climate Action Plan. Hessann studied economics at Boston University, worked in the United States Senate under Sen. Ed Markey, and served on various federal, state, and local political campaigns. He lives in Boston, MA.
Kelley Chunn is the principal of Kelley Chunn & Associates (KCA), an award-winning, 35-year-old, state-certified (Office of Supplier Diversity) consultancy that specializes inmulticultural and impact public relations and marketing. KCA specialties include strategic communications planning, branding, community outreach, audience development, media relations, event planning and management, and training. Kelley’s journey has taken her through the neighborhoods of Boston and New York City, overseas to Nigeria, and to the White House. There, she joined other business leaders in providing counsel to the Obama Administration on best small business practices. Chunn also works as a Professor of Practice in Public Relations in the College of Communication at Boston University. In 2021 Chunn received the Diane Davis “Beacon” Award from the Boston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, and in 2022 a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Boston PR Club. In 2012, the city of Boston declared May 1st “Kelley Chunn Day” in recognition of KCA’s decades of dedication to bringing positive change to Boston and the Commonwealth. In Spring of 2013, Simmons College honored Kelley, a Simmons alumna, for her leadership role as a social entrepreneur. In October of 2013, Boston Women Communicators recognized KCA for a lifetime of achievement with a donation in her honor to Roxbury Community College. Kelley Chunn is the founding president of The Roxbury Cultural District, an arts and cultural district in Nubian Square and John Eliot Square, so designated by the MassCultural Council (MCC). In her prior role as a consultant, Chunn was instrumental in securing the designation from MCC and the City of Boston.