We are on a mission to change the face and voice of the marketing industry. We believe in a future industry that reaches new heights through the creativity of people of any race or socioeconomic background. We advance equity through inclusive workplaces that help all talent thrive.
We are building...
the next generation of creative talent
inclusive and equitable workplaces
an industry that thrives with the creativity and insights of all
Who we are
About
The BrandLab
Through our youth work, we’re changing the face and voice of the industry
In 2020, we…
Introduced ~1,000 new high school and college students to creative careers
Placed 80 summer interns into paid internships with 100% completion rate
100% of our summer interns reported that their ideas were valued and 95% are (or are planning on) pursuing a college degree in marketing or advertising
Served youth in three markets: Twin Cities, Kansas City, and Chicago with over 100 industry volunteers supporting our summer internship curriculum, totaling over 500 volunteer hours
In 2020, the industry continued to lean into equity
Were nationally recognized by FORBES as one of the Top 100 Outstanding Internship Programs
Crossed a new milestone of matching over 170 mentor-mentee matches
Hosted over 30 Fearless workshops with agencies and corporate partners from Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Canada, and the UK
Galvanized over 80 agencies and corporations through a new initiative, The Way Forward, an industry-wide network to hold the industry accountable to progress toward equity
How we make a difference
Spark Workshops
Internships
College & Beyond
Fearless
Spark Workshops
Students can’t consider a career in marketing or advertising if they don’t know these opportunities exist. Our Spark Workshops help ‘spark’ interest and give students a peek into a creative career.
In partnership with public high schools that have at least 50% BIPOC students or 50% students that qualify for a free/reduced lunch, we bring our industry-created curriculum into the classroom and invite students to gain paid learning experiences through our internship programs.
Internships
For more than a decade, we have placed high school and college students in summer internships. This year required us to pivot. During the pandemic, we created a five-week virtual program, offered interns competitively increased pay, and paired corporate hosts with agencies in our three markets.
Thank you to our 2020 partners who made our pivot possible!
Target, 3M, Land O’Lakes, Inc., Fast Horse, UnitedHealth Group, Colle McVoy, Zeus Jones, General Mills, Knock, Inc., Best Buy, H&R Block, InTouch, Amply Media
College & Beyond
We don’t want to build interest and experience alone. We want to pave the path to a successful career through mentorship, apprenticeship and hands-on experience. Our College & Beyond program bridges the gap from college to career and connects students with a network of professionals.
Thank you to our apprenticeship partners!
Land O’Lakes, Inc., Planned Parenthood – Northern Central States, Pimento Relief Services, Target
Fearless
Through Fearless, we provide four areas of programming that help foster culturally competent work and workplaces that are inclusive of diverse identities and equitable.
Our Fearless Workshops help organizations build workplaces that include authentic voices at the table to connect with diverse communities. Our annual Fearless Conversation event brings together professionals from across the industry to address challenges in achieving diversity, equity and inclusion. Our Fearless Podcast, produced by students of The BrandLab, asks creative leaders to share insights and answer our 3 Fearless Questions. Lastly, our State of the Industry report assesses the changes in demographics within the industry and measures the changes in beliefs and behaviors around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Scholarships for Higher Education
$32k+
$32k+
Corporate & Foundation Donors
$483k+
$483k+
Individual & Community Donors
$800k
$800k
Your support allowed us to weather the many storms of 2020. More than ever, the need for diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces is clear, and our programs helped more students consider creative careers, helped more workplaces challenge their cultures, and provided more students with hands-on learning opportunities and work experience. This simply would not have happened without our donors!