Jess Graham

Strategist @Banquet

United StatesMarketing Director💸 MarketingExecutive Coach💼 C-level ExecutiveCMO🧨 ConsultingArt DirectorLife CoachingBrand Marketing ManagerCustomer Researcher

Hello! I'm Jess, a seasoned consumer brand strategist and marketer with 20+ years of experience at large companies in tech and financial services (Instagram, Visa) and start ups in the wellness/beauty space and for fintech. I've run large projects with big budgets and huge, global teams and I've rolled up my sleeves to launch new DTC businesses, brands, products, and campaigns on shoestring budgets with a skeleton crew. I understand commercialization and business so I apply a high intellectual and aesthetic standard while ensuring that what is built can be leveraged to create revenue and value in market.

Keep in touch with meI'm using Intch to connect with new people. Use this link to open chat with me via Intch app

Work Background

BanquetPrincipal

Oct. 2023New York, New York, United StatesOur mission is to launch (mostly) women (and other under represented folks) and their businesses into new growth trajectories. We support entrepreneurs, founders, and executives with insight-driven brand, marketing, commercialization, and innovation strategies and support. Our work and experience span companies at all stages of growth and before and after PMF. We operate on a fractional and project basis most often but we're also happy to be short-term thought partners on a sticky problem during a consulting call or workshop (we like running at hard problems, and sometimes it only take an hour to get a fresh perspective and a great idea).

Brindle Boxer KombuchaAdvisor

Oct. 2023Washington, District of Columbia, United StatesAdvising a new ultra premium, BIPOC woman-owned kombucha brand offering sophisticated flavours chefs love to pair with food and bartenders love to mix. *This is my not-so-guilty pleasure, clinical research has shown that drinking Brindle Boxer Kombucha regularly may have significant health benefits! It's science!*

RacquetInvestor/Advisor

Jan. 2015New York City Metropolitan AreaSeed investor in media and lifestyle brand celebrating the art, ideas, style, and culture surrounding tennis. *In the interest of transparency, let it be known that I play tennis infrequently and not very well.*

StessoAdvisor

Oct. 2023Portland, Oregon, United StatesWhere DIY gets DONE. Advising a new platform that enables success for your next home improvement project. *While I’m not a DIY person myself, I get the ethos as a fellow “doer” in other spaces (they just won’t let me around power tools)*

Miami Ad SchoolAdjunct Lecturer

Jan. 2024 - Mar. 2024New York City Metropolitan Area · On-siteTaught aspiring creatives to think strategically and develop an appreciation for the foundational pillars — problem disaggregation, insight, positioning — that empower them and produce great campaigns. 🤓

Hologram SciencesCMO

Jan. 2021 - Dec. 2023New York, New York, United StatesA DTC brand incubator on a mission to help consumers meet their wellness goals by reimagining personalised nutrition. Hologram enables people to understand themselves better through diagnostics; get closer to their goals through technology and coaching; and, help people feel better with safe, effective products and supplements. As CMO, my team delivered value by creating beloved consumer, human-centered brands that are resonant and relevant. And, we drove revenue through effective, full-funnel marketing strategies.

PhenologyGeneral Manager

Jan. 2021 - Dec. 2023New York, New York, United StatesBuilt and launched unique peri/menopause solution for Hologram Sciences that combined advanced diagnostics; digital and human support; and, safe, effective supplementation for women's physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

InstagramGlobal Head of Consumer Product Marketing

Jan. 2020 - Dec. 2021San Francisco, California, United StatesA truly epic year. I drove ground-breaking efforts to: 🎉 Launch Reels, the biggest feature launch for Instagram, ever. 🗳️Get out the Vote, a massive lift to encourage participation in this great democratic experiment! 📲 Roll out the largest UX update in Instagram history 🛍️ Support black owned businesses leveraging creators and putting social shopping on the map 😷 Respond to Covid, helping people stay safe -- stay at home, wear a mask, get the vaccine! How it happened? Via transformation of a *whip smart team* from project managers to value-added marketers who led the creation of deep insights, product narratives, and effective marketing strategies that brought together advertising, direct response, partner activations, and public relations to drive awareness, engagement, and consumer love for Instagram products and features.

MetaConsumer Brand Marketing Director, Data & Privacy

Jan. 2019 - Dec. 2020San Francisco Bay AreaHired to create a function and drive storytelling strategy for data and privacy practices across Meta family of apps (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger). I wrote the first-ever corporate global privacy narrative based on deep research and a nuanced understanding of the topic across a variety of segments including consumer, legislative, regulatory, and business audiences. I spun up a diverse, new team of 6 in <4 months. And, we launched and promoted tools as proof points for the story including Privacy Check Up and Off Facebook Activity. I also drove the Marketing organization’s response to an FTC order which required coordination across thousands of vendors, employees, and processes.

HelixVice President, Brand & Product Marketing

Jan. 2016 - Dec. 2019San Francisco Bay AreaSelected as an Interbrand Breakthrough Brand 2017 and Fast Company Most Innovative Brand 2018, Helix is a category-creating marketplace for genetic testing and deep insights. As the first marketing hire, I built the function and hired works-class talent. During my tenure we launched the brand, the platform, and a host of products in partnership with brand icons like National Geographic and Mayo Clinic. I successfully transitioned from an executive at a Fortune 100 company to an early stage startup and had so much fun building everything from the ground up!

VisaVice President, Marketing

Jan. 2013 - Dec. 2015San Francisco, CAGlobal marketing executive responsible for delivering new Visa products to market with issuing bank partners. Led a distributed team of 22 to leverage consumer, market, and competitive insights to create new product value propositions for credit, debit, and prepaid cards; loyalty and CRM programs; and, other services. Developed targeting and segmentation, positioning, messaging, and integrated multi-channel campaigns. Launched the Capital One Venture Card -- one of the most successful product launches in industry. Developed an innovative and integrated, technology-enabled solution for issuers to outsource marketing acquisitions,lifecycle, and retention marketing called Visa Campaign Solutions.

VisaSenior Director, Marketing

Jan. 2010 - Dec. 2013Led team of 14 professionals through significant function step change, transforming team from orientation toward marketing communications to creation and implementation of data-driven marketing strategies, including focus on analytics (segmentation and modeling). Launched knowledge management function to support team and create clear career pathing. Developed effective processes, frameworks and service offerings to increase team’s impact on bank partner profitability.

VisaDirector, Marketing

Jan. 2007 - Dec. 2010San Francisco Bay AreaWorked with agencies and cross-functionally to develop marketing campaigns that utilized Visa assets including Global sponsorships, merchant network, and analytics to grow credit card growth and volume.

HSBCAcquisition Marketing

Jan. 2005 - Dec. 2007San Francisco Bay AreaRan acquisitions and activation for GM card portfolio including direct mail, inbound/outbound telemarketing, digital, and event/influencer marketing.

Consumer Financial Service CorporationManagement Consultant

Jan. 1999 - Dec. 2005San Francisco Bay AreaScoped and led marketing engagements across Fortune 100 financial services clients to enable revenue growth through creation of marketing strategies spanning the full consumer lifecycle - from acquisition to cross sell and retention.