Dani Jackson-Smith is a creative powerhouse who champions diversity, equity, and inclusion within the industry and beyond. As the founder of the creative management firm, The Cre8tors and in her most recent role as Vice President of Influence at Edelman, Dani taps into the cultural connection and core values that brands share with their audiences to drive social impact.

Including nearly a decade in production, Dani has worked with an array of brands including Starbucks, Kellogg’s, Foot Locker, Nintendo, Samsung, Allstate, KMart, Barilla, Del Monte and Pivotal Ventures over the course of her career.

In 2019, Dani leveraged her experience gained from years of service in the DE&I space through agency initiatives like #BlackAtWork for Havas and #No266 for Leo Burnett as well as volunteering with organizations ADCOLOR, 4A’s (MAIP), AAF, and Coalesce to become Edelman Chicago DE&I Lead. She later transitioned into VP of Multicultural Marketing and DEI, providing clients with culturally rooted strategies to build trust with internal and external stakeholders.

Honors include being recognized as the 2021 ADCOLOR Rockstar, 2021 Chicago Ad Federation Rising Star, and 2015 Coalesce (MAFA Chicago) Emerging Leader, Diversity Advocate Award.