Stephanie Bluma

Award-winning global brand strategist and creative leader with 20+ years of experience developing world-class campaigns across public and private sectors. Proven track record mobilizing diverse stakeholders, including UN agencies, governments, and civil society organizations, to drive policy action across 75+ countries. Expert in managing international teams, building strategic partnerships, and delivering data-driven communications in complex geopolitical contexts. Deep expertise in SDG advocacy and transforming organizational brands through innovative storytelling and stakeholder engagement.

• Transformed presidential initiative into independent NGO by creating unified brand identity and communications framework and scaling operations across 75+ countries, achieving 40% increase in member engagement on key issues.
• Led 30+ person global public affairs team at USAID, managing and updating global brand and developing comprehensive engagement strategies and campaigns with UN agencies, civil society organizations, and governments.
• Optimize campaign performance by maintaining a worldwide network of agencies and creative talent while driving excellence through AI-powered production systems, including analytics and measurement systems.

• Winner – Gold ADDY, American Advertising Awards, 2014
• Winner 12 x Agency-Wide Awards USAID, 2013 – 2017
• Meritorious Honor Award USAID, 2014
• Nominee, The Webby Awards, 2012
• Nominee, Cannes Shortlist, 2012

• Managing Director, Social Impact & Strategic Advisor, Real Chemistry and Independent Consulting, Washington, DC, 02/01/23, Present, Guide international development organizations in modernizing foreign aid approaches, including messaging, creative development, and branding; advise on inclusive AI and implementation campaign optimization.
• Chief of Communications & Campaigns, Open Government Partnership (OGP), Washington, DC, 07/01/17, 02/01/23, Spearheaded transformation of US presidential initiative into independent NGO serving 75+ countries, developing external and internal communications and advocacy strategies while managing brand, messaging, partnerships, earned media, and reputation., Defined brand and created holistic organizational narrative - including revising vision, mission, and values - influencing executive-level thought leadership, major research and policy programs, and engagement with key stakeholders, governments, and civil society., Motivated 40% of members, exceeding goal, to act on diversity with Break the Roles campaign; positioning initiative with 25 partners, including CARE, Oxfam, and governments – resulting in inclusion being OGP’s fastest-growing policy area., Fostered regulatory and policy action in 30 countries within 1 year and gained support of many heads of state, ministers, and key civil society leaders with rapid creation and deployment of Open Response + Open Recovery platform., Created Open Stories platform to pair policy solutions, data-based evidence, and first-person narratives in interactive format; platform now hosts 90 stories produced by OGP, partners, and member governments., Launched global call to action - Open Government Week - that generated 1,600 grassroots events in 60 countries within 3 years., Cultivated high-performing global team in rapidly expanding, fast-paced organization; recruited and managed working group of 80 communication professionals, public relations and ad agencies, and independent creative talent.
• Deputy Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington, DC, 11/01/13, 01/31/17, Trusted advisor to senior leadership at Agency and in Missions, well-versed in Congressional operations, interagency collaboration, intergovernmental institutions, multilateral relationships, civil society, and private-public partnership., Led all brand integrity and reputation globally, including implementation of marking with US Missions, partners, and governments; modernized all branding standards, trainings, and waiver policies., Launched USAID’s new mission statement; messages were adopted in 75% of speeches, statements, and blogs, plus messaging had 90% recognition rate from external stakeholders., Conceived and launched Let Girls Learn with 30 celebrities becoming funded $200 + million program and White House priority., Drove brand, messaging, event planning, and interagency coordination for key events at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP), and White House Summit for Global Development., Devised and launched communications strategy for the Global Development Lab, including endorsements from 29 key partners and 60 first-person impact stories garnered through Addy Award-winning Extreme Possibilities campaign., Reached audience of 15 million in Middle East with advertising campaign, Our Hands; used quantitative and qualitative data to devise digital and earned media campaigns raising support for American aid by 20% among content viewers., Steered real-time crisis communications in close coordination with disaster response teams for humanitarian disasters in Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and Nepal, plus liaising with partners in UN to deliver Ebola response communications to counter disinformation., Reorganized Office of Public Affairs with 30 + team members to act as in-house agency serving USAID leadership and offices., Oversaw training and activities of 150 specialized communicators in 80+ countries.
• Senior Vice President, Management Supervisor & Creative Director, Weber Shandwick, Washington, DC, 10/01/10, 11/30/13, Co-founded Social Impact, a global strategic communications practice providing strategic thinking to companies, non-profits, NGOs, and governments on advocacy, policy, and communications; served as creative director., Led global relationship with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, overseeing agency team and providing strategic counsel on grantee relationships, message development, press relations, and social media., Built 500,000-strong community of advocates that took over 3 million actions within 1 year by conceiving and delivering grassroots digital campaign – This is Personal – utilized extensive research to target audiences and develop key messaging., Amplified fundraising for MAC AIDS Fund through Via Glam celebrity campaign with smart international media strategy., Coordinated launch strategy, comprising influencer acquisition, content creation, outreach activities, and global event participation for UN Foundation’s Sustainable Energy for All program, run in partnership with UN System., Oversaw strategic communications and built network of partnerships and key influencers for W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s $75 million campaign to support racial equality, including creation of Cannes Shortlisted interactive video, Healing Histories.