AUSTIN BRAUN
Longmont,CO
Summary
Dynamic Communications Manager with a proven track record at the Office of Kimbal Musk, excelling in visual storytelling and strategic leadership. Spearheaded impactful campaigns that enhanced engagement by 2,000%, while fostering cross-functional collaboration and brand identity development. Adept at translating complex concepts into compelling narratives for diverse audiences.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Communications Manager
Office of Kimbal Musk
Boulder, CO
12.2023 - 06.2025
- Led strategic communications across a portfolio of philanthropic and business ventures in sustainable food systems, community philanthropy, efficiency, and technology innovation.
- Developed integrated communication and visual storytelling strategies that linked complex technology and social-impact programs to clear narratives for public, partner, and donor audiences.
- Designed and oversaw decks, briefing visuals, and digital content that explained programs, progress, and outcomes to government officials, media, and community stakeholders.
- Served as a primary media liaison for select initiatives: drafted press releases, talking points, and Q&A; prepared visual briefing materials to support interviews and public appearances.
- Managed online presence and campaigns for multiple initiatives, using data to refine visual content and messaging and to grow engagement among diverse audiences.
- Coordinated with internal teams and external partners to ensure consistent brand expression and visual standards across channels and materials.
Co-Founder, Strategy & Business Development
Galactiv
Austin, TX
01.2022 - 03.2023
- Co-founded a SpaceWERX Orbital Prime Phase I awardee enabling on-orbit servicing in geosynchronous orbit in support of U.S. national security interests.
- Partnered with technical leadership to translate complex orbital-servicing concepts into investor- and customer-ready visuals, slide decks, and narratives.
- Built Galactiv's visual identity from the ground up (logo, color system, typography, web UX) and managed the website and social channels to reinforce a cohesive brand.
- Researched, selected, and directed an animation studio to storyboard and produce a technical explainer sequence for Galactiv's on-orbit servicing concept, ensuring accuracy and clear messaging.
- Established digital collaboration systems (Teams, Slack, Monday.com, Google Workspace) to support agile work, documentation, and cross-functional project tracking.
- Represented the company at industry conferences, collaborating with defense and NewSpace stakeholders to align messaging and visual materials to customer needs.
- (NewSpace / Defense)
Co-Founder & Creative Strategist
Ascend Engineering
Chicago, IL
01.2020 - 11.2022
- Co-founded a firm delivering American-made UAV and fixed-wing software engineering solutions for national security customers.
- Led brand identity and tone, creating a unified visual system across website, marketing materials, social feeds, and proposals to communicate complex technical solutions to stakeholders.
- Managed the company's online presence and paid campaigns, using performance data and visual experimentation (imagery, layouts, short-form content) to strengthen positioning as a premier UAV software partner.
- Produced data-driven visuals and dashboards (revenue, P&L, pipeline) for leadership using tools such as Flourish Studio and spreadsheets, enabling clearer strategic decision-making.
- Served as the central liaison between clients and technical staff; maintained CRM and documentation to keep visual requirements, timelines, and deliverables aligned.
- Built hiring and onboarding frameworks, mentoring interns and new staff on brand standards and communication practices.
- (UAV & Drone Software)
Digital Media Strategist
University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, CO
08.2018 - 12.2021
- Designed and implemented a comprehensive content-strategy framework to elevate the College's reputation and student engagement, with a strong focus on visual storytelling.
- Led social media strategy, content creation, and analytics; improved monthly engagements by ~2,000%, impressions by 358%, and follower count by 191%, driven largely by compelling visual and video content.
- Produced a mini-documentary on drone-based tornado research and additional multimedia campaigns showcasing engineering projects, translating complex technical work into accessible, high-impact narratives.
- Built and managed media/influencer lists; collaborated with central communications to magnify key stories through coordinated visuals and messaging.
- Ghost-wrote digital content and managed the Dean of Engineering's Twitter presence, designing content that balanced institutional brand standards with an authentic, visual-first voice.
- Served as a primary digital communications point of contact during the early COVID-19 response, crafting crisis messaging and visual updates aligned with student sentiment and leadership direction.
Skills
- Strategic communication
- Visual storytelling
- Media relations
- Content strategy
- Infographics and data visualization
- Social media content
- Video production
- Storyboarding
- Stakeholder analysis
- Human-centered messaging
- Crisis communications
- Brand identity development
- Project management
- Vendor management
- Board support
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Webflow
- WordPress
- Wix
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft Office 365
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Mondaycom
- ClickUp
- Sprout Social
- Flourish Studio
- Strategic communication
Projects And Visual Storytelling Highlights
- On-Orbit Servicing Explainer Animation, Galactiv, Directed an external animation team to visualize a complex on-orbit servicing concept for defense stakeholders; oversaw narrative structure, storyboards, and technical accuracy to support business development and funding conversations.
- Drone Tornado Research Mini-Documentary, CU Boulder, Produced and scripted a mini-documentary on experimental drone data capture for tornado research, simplifying advanced engineering concepts into an accessible visual story for public and student audiences.
- Engineering Social Media Overhaul, CU Boulder, Designed a new visual approach to social content (graphics, photography, short-form video) that shifted student culture around engagement and dramatically increased key performance metrics.
- Multi-Venture Communications & Visuals, Office of Kimbal Musk, Created visual frameworks and content concepts for philanthropy and tech-innovation programs, supporting change in behaviors and adoption of new initiatives among donors, partners, and community stakeholders.
Education And Professional Programs
- University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, Bachelor of Arts, Strategic Communications & Public Relations, 05/01/18
- United States Army War College, Carlisle, PA, Fellow, National Security Seminar, 06/01/24
- NATO, Washington, DC, Delegate, 2023 NATO Youth Summit, 06/01/23
Leadership Board And Community Engagement
- Board Member, Higher Orbits Foundation, Denver, CO, 04/01/24, 05/31/25, Advised on communications and outreach strategies for a STEM/STEAM nonprofit connecting students with astronauts and industry professionals., Supported planning and promotion for the Galactic Golf charity event, helping drive donor interest and awareness for student space programs.
- Co-Lead, TEDxBoulder, Boulder, CO, 05/01/23, 04/01/24, Co-leads a large-scale TEDx event for 1,300+ attendees, coordinating sponsorships, speaker preparation, media relations, and digital presence to deliver visually compelling programs and experiences.
- Advocate, Citizens for Space Exploration, Washington, DC, 05/01/23, Present, Advocates for a fully funded NASA budget; engages with Congressional offices and staffers, communicating the value of human space exploration programs and capturing feedback to refine advocacy messaging.
- Member & Delegate, Defense Entrepreneurs Forum (DEF), Washington, DC, 06/01/22, Present, Participates in innovation-focused national security forums; selected as a delegate to the 2023 NATO Youth Summit, collaborating with international peers on complex geopolitical and defense topics.
- Media Strategist & Organizer, Feed The Frontlines Boulder, Boulder, CO, 03/01/20, 07/31/20, Supported media outreach and digital storytelling for a community initiative that raised $687K+ from 1,475 donors, funding over 35,000 meals from local restaurants for frontline health workers.
Timeline
Communications Manager
Office of Kimbal Musk
12.2023 - 06.2025
Co-Founder, Strategy & Business Development
Galactiv
01.2022 - 03.2023
Co-Founder & Creative Strategist
Ascend Engineering
01.2020 - 11.2022
Digital Media Strategist
University of Colorado Boulder
08.2018 - 12.2021