Shanita Akintonde
Shanita Baraka Akintonde, MBA, M.Ed., DTM is a professor in The School of Media Arts at Columbia College Chicago. For the past 20 years, this German-born, Chicago-raised academician has transitioned thousands of students from the classroom to the boardroom by sharing what she learned on her great-grandmother’s front porch. This knowledge led her to graduate from high school at age 16 and earn three college degrees: BA, Columbia College Chicago; MBA, Illinois Institute of Technology; and .Ed., Loyola University Chicago.
Shanita built her expertise in PR, marketing, media communication, diversity, and leadership through a combination of grit, grace and a whole lot of home-cooked GREENS.
A highly sought-after speaker, Shanita takes the stage in front of audiences that range in size from 10 to 10,000 that are in places from Honolulu to Houston; San Francisco to South Africa. She draws on her experience as an advertising and PR account manager and brand ambassador who has worked for the BEST agencies in the field, including Porter Novelli, BBDO and Burrell Communications Group. Her client roster has included McDonald’s Coca-Cola and Sprite, among others.
Shanita has worn many hats over the last two decades spent at Columbia College, too. She has been a President-appointee on several high-profile committees, including service as Mistress of Ceremonies for her university’s commencement program from 2012-2016.
Shanita also created and produced the largest and most successful career conference for marketing, advertising and PR majors in Columbia's history, called ADSTOCK. ADSTOCK connected thousands of undergraduates to industry professionals who provided much-needed advice. Over its ten-year span ADSTOCK attracted over 50,000 students to its annual conference and was featured on CNBC's The Brian Williams Show. The event’s success also earned Shanita national recognition as a marketing communication expert.
She has been profiled in ADWEEK, the Chicago Sun Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Defender and She has also won numerous awards such as Illuminating Treasure, The Crown Jewel Foundation, Inc., (2019) Outstanding Educator, National Council of Negro Women (2018), Women of Excellence (2017); #Redefine Possibilities Leadership Award, The Chicago Sky WNBA Team (2016) and the Change Agent Award, ADCOLOR (2013).
Shanita is a past Faculty Advisor of the Columbia College Marketing Association and was named Faculty Advisor of the Year in 2004. A writer at heart, Shanita has written a leadership memoir entitled, Hear Me ROARR which was released this year. She is a contributing author of two other books, Leading from the Heart (2018) and Unleash The Leader Within You (2005). Her fourth book, The Art of ROARR is set to be released in Spring 2020.
Shanita writes and produces a podcast called Marketing Insights for McGraw Hill and pens a blog for them under the heading, “From Classroom to Career.” In addition, she is a columnist for The Chicago Defender, the oldest Black newspaper in the nation. Her column draws on her Southern familial roots and is called, On the Front Porch.
A if all of that isn’t enough, Shanita contributes to professional and community spaces like PRSA. She is the 2019 National Chair, PRSA Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and a member of the PRSA Global Affairs Committee. She serves on several boards including The Northshore Auxiliary, the Metropolitan Club Chicago and the AKArama Foundation, Inc.
At the end of the day she credits her family with keeping her grounded and sane. She has enjoyed a 23-year marriage to her college sweetheart, Jimmy, President/CEO of UJAMAA Construction, the largest Black-owned construction management firm in Chicago and builders of the Barack Obama Presidential Center. They are the parents of two college students, Jimi and Anthony.
Shanita built her expertise in PR, marketing, media communication, diversity, and leadership through a combination of grit, grace and a whole lot of home-cooked GREENS.
A highly sought-after speaker, Shanita takes the stage in front of audiences that range in size from 10 to 10,000 that are in places from Honolulu to Houston; San Francisco to South Africa. She draws on her experience as an advertising and PR account manager and brand ambassador who has worked for the BEST agencies in the field, including Porter Novelli, BBDO and Burrell Communications Group. Her client roster has included McDonald’s Coca-Cola and Sprite, among others.
Shanita has worn many hats over the last two decades spent at Columbia College, too. She has been a President-appointee on several high-profile committees, including service as Mistress of Ceremonies for her university’s commencement program from 2012-2016.
Shanita also created and produced the largest and most successful career conference for marketing, advertising and PR majors in Columbia's history, called ADSTOCK. ADSTOCK connected thousands of undergraduates to industry professionals who provided much-needed advice. Over its ten-year span ADSTOCK attracted over 50,000 students to its annual conference and was featured on CNBC's The Brian Williams Show. The event’s success also earned Shanita national recognition as a marketing communication expert.
She has been profiled in ADWEEK, the Chicago Sun Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Defender and She has also won numerous awards such as Illuminating Treasure, The Crown Jewel Foundation, Inc., (2019) Outstanding Educator, National Council of Negro Women (2018), Women of Excellence (2017); #Redefine Possibilities Leadership Award, The Chicago Sky WNBA Team (2016) and the Change Agent Award, ADCOLOR (2013).
Shanita is a past Faculty Advisor of the Columbia College Marketing Association and was named Faculty Advisor of the Year in 2004. A writer at heart, Shanita has written a leadership memoir entitled, Hear Me ROARR which was released this year. She is a contributing author of two other books, Leading from the Heart (2018) and Unleash The Leader Within You (2005). Her fourth book, The Art of ROARR is set to be released in Spring 2020.
Shanita writes and produces a podcast called Marketing Insights for McGraw Hill and pens a blog for them under the heading, “From Classroom to Career.” In addition, she is a columnist for The Chicago Defender, the oldest Black newspaper in the nation. Her column draws on her Southern familial roots and is called, On the Front Porch.
A if all of that isn’t enough, Shanita contributes to professional and community spaces like PRSA. She is the 2019 National Chair, PRSA Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and a member of the PRSA Global Affairs Committee. She serves on several boards including The Northshore Auxiliary, the Metropolitan Club Chicago and the AKArama Foundation, Inc.
At the end of the day she credits her family with keeping her grounded and sane. She has enjoyed a 23-year marriage to her college sweetheart, Jimmy, President/CEO of UJAMAA Construction, the largest Black-owned construction management firm in Chicago and builders of the Barack Obama Presidential Center. They are the parents of two college students, Jimi and Anthony.