Introducing Our New Blog Contributors
When launching Doerr&Co. in 2021, I knew that the company would be more than just me. From the beginning I’ve had to lean on the expertise of others around me.
The seeds of Doerr&Co were planted when I was working with friend and career coach, Joayne Larson, of Sparks of Change, to help define my own company’s mission and vision. Thereafter, Doerr&Co was launched in 2021 with the beautiful website and branding because I worked closely with Davina Grustein from the design firm, Matter, for the brand design. And more recently after over a year of managing the social media areas, and quite frankly struggling to get my footing, I hired my friend and brand marketing and social media expert Kealan Cázares Casey to help level up our social media engagement and approach. In all of these women I found a symbiosis in the approach we all take to our work. In short, they “got” me and what Doerr&Co was all about. And because of that, they helped me showcase more of what makes me tick. It’s what I do for my clients and what I look for in the people with whom I work.
And now I’m excited to be expanding not just the behind-the-scenes contracting, but also the people who are also part of the face of Doerr&Co. While the day-to-day functioning of the company, the client management, and the execution of projects is still, indeed, done by me, we are expanding the voices on the Doerr&Co blog with new regular contributors!
These writers are people who help fill in a gap of knowledge and expertise that I don’t personally have – whether it’s their identity, point of view, or their area of expertise (or all of the above!). And I’m so excited to introduce them to you.
The Structure of the New Contributors
Before I introduce these amazing contributors, a little about the logistics. I’ve been writing monthly blog posts and publishing them through the monthly Doerr&Co. Newsletter (you can sign up here for it if you’re not on the list!) and spreading the word about the post on social media. I will still be writing my monthly blog post and publishing those the first week of every month. As they have been, my posts will largely be focused on general storytelling and Doerr&Co as a business (e.g. this blog post today) with a smattering of social justice/what’s keeping me going.
Then in the middle of each month, we will publish a contributor article from one of our three new contributors in a rotating cycle. Each of the Doerr&Co contributors has a targeted focus of their posts (you can read about those below). Another thing I want to make clear is that Doerr&Co. contributors are all paid for their work. I don’t have an enormous budget, but it’s important that writers are paid for their work, which is especially important for people whose labor has been undervalued by society such as people of color and LGBTQ+ folks.
Meet the Contributors
And now, without further ado, meet our new contributors! Each of these amazing humans are writers and my dear friends and I am excited that they are bringing their gifts and expertise to Doerr&Co.
Marley Conte
Marley (They/Them) is a freelance writer, parent of one, and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community with a passion for copy and editing, reading, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Trans rights. They hold a BA in English Literature and a Diploma in Freelance and Feature Writing from the London School of Journalism. Marley has also been selected by Penguin Random House for their 2021 WriteNow editorial program. Marley is British/Italian and is based in London, UK. You can follow Marley on Instagram at @thenonbinaryparent and read more of of their work at www.mconte.co.uk.
Marley’s column will focus on storytelling and LGBTQ+ topics and stories. Their inaugural blog post for Doerr&Co comes out in a couple of weeks, so subscribe to the newsletter now to get that in your inbox!
Kealan Cázares Casey
Kealan (She/Her) is one of those people who never grew out of that "why?" phase. This lifelong sense of wonder and inquisitiveness has led to a need to seek for meaning and purpose, which she uses to deeply understand brands and effectively speak to their audiences. She used these skills as a Brand Marketing Director at Sesame Street, developing integrated marketing and social media plans featuring iconic, funny Muppets while communicating a deeper mission of helping kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Passionate about representation and equity, Kealan is committed to making sure all voices and stories are heard.
When not scrolling social feeds for work, you can find Kealan obsessively consuming media of all kinds, especially TV & film, traveling, and exploring life in the Swiss mountains where she lives with her husband and two kids.
Kealan’s column will focus on the importance of social impact work to a business and how to bring those out authentically in social media and marketing. Her inaugural post will be published in June, subscribe to the newsletter to get that in you inbox.
Ratha Kelly
Ratha (She/Her) has over a decade-and-a-half of experience as an educator. In her current role as an Ethnic Studies Resource Teacher at the San Diego Unified School District (USD), her work centers around delivering high-quality anti-bias anti-racism (ABAR) professional development to teachers in the district. She brings expertise in facilitating adult learning, including workshops and multi-day events from an audience of novice teachers to experienced educators.
She was also a National Equity Project Leading for Equity Fellow. In her workshops and events, she focuses on deep constructivist listening, and strategies to support systemic and transformative change.
Ratha is a part of Doerr&Co.’s facilitation team. Together we partner to offer transformative group experiences through retreats, workshops, and trainings through a social justice lens.
Ratha’s column will focus on Doerr&Co’s facilitation offerings by introducing tools to businesses and individuals on how lead authentic and open discussions among their own teams. Her inaugural post will be published in July, subscribe to the newsletter to get that in you inbox.