J. Ellis McGinnis
Washington,DC
Summary
Transformational Global Executive and visionary leader with over 20 years of experience in high-stakes operations across public and private sectors. Strategically bridge Capitol Hill policy, multinational brand equity, and humanitarian response to deliver impactful solutions by navigating complex regulatory and diplomatic landscapes globally.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief of Staff
US House of Representatives | Rep. Maxine Waters
Washington, DC
03.2024 - Current
- Directs executive operations and legislative strategy for Chairwoman Emeritus of the House Financial Services Committee
- Strategic Liaison: Act as the principal conduit between the Office, C-suite executives, and international dignitaries to align legislative priorities with private sector interests.
- Executed annual operating budget (MRA) and led senior team of policy and communications experts to drive national legislative agenda.
- Crafted global-facing media narrative, managing high-stakes communications across major networks (CNN, MSNBC) and social platforms to influence public perception.
- Modernized office infrastructure, leveraging technical (CIS) background to implement data-driven systems enhancing constituent engagement and legislative tracking.
Founder & Managing Director
| ILLKEYZ Inc. (USA) & ILLKEYZ Ltd. (UK) Global
London, United Kingdom
10.1999 - 05.2024
- 2012 London Olympics: Developed a $30MM sponsored entertainment platform for the London Underground, providing 100,000+ hours of live music annually.
- Media & IP Strategy: Secured $70MM in media partnerships and negotiated IP rights for platinum-selling artists.
- Brand Partnerships: Negotiated deals and global campaigns with Nike, Apple UK, and Uniqlo, secured IP rights for CR7 to enhance brand visibility.
- Public-Private Innovation: Launched a flagship S.T.E.M. initiative with AT&T and CISCO to create technical career pathways for foster youth.
- Corporate Social Responsibility: Brokered JP Morgan Chase CSR engagements, delivering $500k in medical supplies to Sierra Leone and Guatemala, improving healthcare access for vulnerable populations.
- International Diplomacy (Haiti): Served as U.S. Press Rep for the Mayor of Port-au-Prince; launched a public-private project and delivered supplies to 1MM people via the UN, UNICEF and Usher New Look Foudation.
- Cultural Advocacy: Negotiated a landmark Art Therapy series with the Jean-Michel Basquiat Estate and James Peter Henry to drive social engagement.
- NGO: Led strategist for government affairs and narrative strategy for $16MM NGO.
- Revenue Generation: Supported development efforts that raised millions of dollars through strategic donor engagement, contributing to financial sustainability of initiatives.
Education
Marketing | English -
California State University, San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CAComputer Information Systems Cert -
Biola University
La Mirada, CASkills
- Legislative Strategy
- Policy Analysis
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Stakeholder Management
- Partnership Development
- Public-private Collaboration
- Diplomatic Negotiation
- Workforce Planning
- Ethical Leadership
- Media relations
- Multilingual Proficiency
Timeline
Chief of Staff
US House of Representatives | Rep. Maxine Waters
03.2024 - Current
Founder & Managing Director
| ILLKEYZ Inc. (USA) & ILLKEYZ Ltd. (UK) Global
10.1999 - 05.2024
Computer Information Systems Cert -
Biola University
Marketing | English -
California State University, San Bernardino