Authentic 365

There is power in authenticity. Dani Jackson-Smith created the podcast Authentic 365 for Edelman to that dive into the stories and experiences of people who make it their mission to live their truths — at the office, after hours, and at home. With a cast of international Edelman co-hosts, the podcast taps into internal and external creatives, communicators and change-makers of all types to speak about how they find inspiration to show up authentically — all day, every day.

“What I appreciate most about Dani is that she holds a high bar for her performance and holds clients and the agency accountable to ensure they walk the talk – that all DE&I efforts have positive impact on communities of color.”

—Lilia Arroyo Flores, Chief Strategy Officer, HAVAS Chicago

Awards & Recognitions

In 2021, Dani was named the ADCOLOR Rockstar Winner, which reveals awards an individual for their brilliance as a visionary leader in their professional role and beyond. Landing between the Rising Star and the Legend, The Rockstar rocks their own singular path as they encourage others to shine.
The CAF Rising Stars Award recognizes the talents and contributions of four, next generation women, coming up in the marketing, sales, media, and advertising industries. They are the creators and innovators bringing fresh thinking, ideas, and execution to the communications industry, their company, and the Chicagoland community. Rising Star awardees are the difference makers propelling our industry forward.
Co- Producer of Allstate Save 11 campaign that recognized motor vehicle crashes as the number one killer of teens in the United States and urged Americans to Act to Support Passage of Federal Graduated Driver Licensing Standards
Dani was recognized in 2016 as a woman who champions diversity both within and outside of the workplace
Produced the #BlackAtWork Obstacle Course for Black History Month at Havas Chicago to address the everyday racism of a typical agency workplace.
Produced Award winning, Mayhem Local Radio spots.
Awarded the opportunity take part in the Diverse Voices in Docs (DVID) is a professional mentorship and development program for documentary filmmakers of color, organized by Kartemquin Films and the Community Film Workshop of Chicago. Founded in 2013, DVID aims to inspire collaboration and skill-sharing among its fellows, and among the larger Midwestern independent documentary filmmaking community.