Keri D. Richardson is the Vice President of Brand Activations across the Essence Ventures portfolio of businesses, including Essence Communications, AfroPunk, BeautyCon, Essence Studios and more. She is responsible for the development and execution of partnership initiatives, leveraging Essence’s multi-platform presence to build custom programs, branded content, strategic events, and experiential activations.
Prior to joining Essence, Keri worked as Global Director of Consumer Engagement for The Estee Lauder Companies, where she led strategy, creative, and activation ideas for global campaigns, key launches, and brand initiatives. She has also served as Product Manager for Mercedes-AMG, where she’s most notably recognized for the redesign and launch of the iconic AMG G-Wagen – the first in its 40 year history. Keri has held roles in Marketing, Strategy and Finance for Booz Allen Hamilton, the National Football League (NFL), Octagon, Major League Soccer (MLS), and Coca Cola.
Keri is a 2015 alum of LEAD Atlanta and has been the recipient of the Luxury Daily’s Women to Watch 2023, Atlanta Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, Brand Innovator’s 40 Under 40, US News Best Luxury SUV (GLE), and AutoTrader’s Best Luxury Car (G-Wagen) Awards.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Emory University in International Economics and French, and a master’s in business from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Outside of her professional endeavors, Keri is also a certified gelato chef and a licensed private pilot. She is a proud native of Memphis, Tennessee who currently resides in Atlanta.