MEET OUR 2026 JUDGES
The Women in Content & Marketing Awards (WICMAs) are judged by an esteemed panel of industry leaders and experts in content marketing. Learn more about our judges!
Donna Barker
CMO | Advisor
db Ventures | Strategic Marketing & Brand Advisory
Donna Barker is a dynamic, results-driven marketing executive with a track record of transformative leadership across health, wellness, food, and personal care. Most recently, she served as SVP, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Health Monitor Network®, the pioneering U.S. point-of-care company and a founding member of the Point of Care Marketing Association (POCMA).
Previously, Donna held senior marketing leadership roles at Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, GSK, and Unilever, leading OTC and CPG brands with revenues ranging from $50M to $1B. She has delivered high-impact omnichannel campaigns for iconic brands including Hellmann’s®, Wish-Bone®, Slim-Fast®, Centrum®, ChapStick®, Advil Respiratory®, Robitussin®, Knorr®, Ragu®, and Lipton®.
Donna is also committed to community impact through her work with United Way of Northern New Jersey, advocating for ALICE® populations. She holds a B.S. in Marketing from The College of New Jersey, graduating magna cum laude.
Stephanie Bigler-Lisch
Content Manager
Freelance
Stephanie Bigler-Lisch is a strategic content marketing and communications professional with seven years of experience developing integrated marketing programs that drive engagement, strengthen brands, and support business growth. Throughout her career, she has partnered with cross-functional teams to create impactful content strategies spanning thought leadership, digital campaigns, social media, email marketing, website content, and brand storytelling.
Known for transforming complex ideas into compelling, audience-focused narratives, Stephanie combines creativity, analytical thinking, and strategic insight to develop content that resonates and delivers measurable results. She is recognized for her collaborative approach and ability to turn ideas into action, guiding projects from concept to execution while aligning stakeholders around shared goals. She is passionate about emerging trends in digital marketing, including AI-driven search, content optimization, and evolving audience behaviors.
As a WIMCA Awards judge, Stephanie is excited to recognize innovative, effective, and meaningful marketing work that demonstrates both strategic excellence and creative impact.
T.K. Brady
Editorial Director
1-800-Flowers.com
T.K. Brady is a passionate editor and strategic storyteller. She's currently the Editorial Director for 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. leading copy and creative storytelling for iconic brands including 1-800-Flowers.com, Harry & David, Cheryl's Cookies, and more.
With over a decade of editorial experience, T.K. is a tactful wordsmith with a knack for high-performing content. She is known for driving impactful results and previously led commerce content for Food Network and HGTV, where she pioneered product testing and led social video strategies and editorial frameworks that boosted engagement and revenue.
T.K. is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
Natalia Chung
Director of Communications and Content
PhotoShelter
Natalia Chung is a marketing leader with 15+ years of experience building brand and content strategy for tech companies, advocacy organizations, and global institutions. She ran social media for the Tokyo Olympics, digital strategy for Van Jones’s Green For All, and built content teams at startups that now generate millions in revenue. She currently leads content and communications at PhotoShelter, a digital asset management platform that powers the NFL, MLB, and 75% of the Top 50 colleges and universities in the U.S. She was named a 2025 WICMA finalist for Content Marketing of the Year.
Leslie Cozatt
Principal
Adigida Marketing LLC
Leslie Cozatt is a seasoned marketing leader with over 25 years of experience in the healthcare and life science industries and currently services as Principal at Adigida Marketing, where she helps organizations unlock the power of content as a strategic growth driver. Through Adigida’s services including content strategy development, thought leadership and executive visibility programs, digital content services, and content operations optimization, Leslie partners with leaders to build scalable content ecosystems and marketing programs that drive alignment, engagement, and measurable ROI.
Leslie previously spent 12 years at Optum as Vice President of Corporate Content Marketing. There, she led the development and execution of enterprise-wide content strategies, including multi-channel, multi-touch corporate thought leadership programs and campaigns, the Community Circle blog, and the Integrated Content Community of Practice, a cross-functional network of more than 150 marketers across the organization’s business units. During her tenure, her team earned more than 85 industry awards.
Stacie Dauffenbach
Fractional CMO
Marketing by Stacie
Stacie Dauffenbach is a Fractional CMO and founder of Marketing by Stacie, where she delivers billion-dollar brand leadership to companies of all sizes. Across 15+ years in marketing, including 12 years at ADT, she's driven double-digit revenue growth, a 200X increase in brand engagement, and an 18% lift in sales from a single integrated brand campaign. Known as a "brand therapist," Stacie listens deeply before prescribing strategy, then moves fast. Her award-winning work spans Content Marketer of the Year, multiple Shorty Awards, an ECHO Award, and recognition from Meta and Google. Based in Denver, she helps leaders tell their stories in ways that drive real, measurable growth.
Rachel DeSchepper
Lead Content Strategist
Andrews McMeel Universal
Rachel DeSchepper is Lead Content Strategist at Andrews McMeel Universal in Kansas City, where she shapes content strategy and brand standards across a portfolio of beloved properties—GoComics, Puzzle Society, UExpress, and the Webby Award-winning Far Side website—serving millions of users monthly. She brings 20 years of digital content experience across some of publishing's most beloved brands—Better Homes & Gardens, Modern Farmer, Country Living, and Every Day with Rachael Ray—and has built editorial teams, launched platforms, and run campaigns reaching tens of millions. She also led content marketing for Women Leaders in College Sports, a Kansas City-based nonprofit. She lives in Kansas City with her partner, his three teenage boys, and her Aussie mix, Ruby.
Laura Dobbins
Chief Content & Commercial Officer
Highland Content Strategies / AI MOS
Great content doesn't happen by accident — it's built on strategy, craft, and the courage to say something worth saying. Laura Dobbins has spent two decades doing exactly that, across some of the most demanding audiences in both B2B and B2C including Bloomingdale's, Bed Bath & Beyond, Weight Watchers.
Her track record is built on results that move the needle: newsletter programs running at double industry benchmarks, a content ecosystem that grew 200% while generating 35% of marketing-sourced revenue, and co-authoring an executive book that sold 85% of its first print run in six months. A Silver American Business Award winner and previous WICMA Content Marketer of the Year finalist, she currently also leads the launch of AI MOS.
Laura believes AI is a powerful productivity multiplier. She's equally convinced it will never replace the creativity, craft, and humanity that skilled practitioners bring to the work — which is exactly what she'll be looking for in this year's award candidates.
Amy Fair
Content Marketing Manager
Consultant
Amy Fair is a content marketer specializing in creating impactful content marketing strategies and writing killer thought leadership content. With 20 years of marketing experience and a journalism degree, Amy excels at bringing brand and customer stories to life through content marketing.
Amy is passionate about all things content marketing. She enthusiastically promotes the benefits and value of content marketing and loves building meaningful connections with other content marketers. In 2023, Amy was recognized as the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) Community Champion for her contributions to the content marketing community.
Claire Foster
Director of Marketing
Smartcat
Claire Foster is the Director of Customer Marketing at Smartcat, an AI localization and content operations platform, where she leads customer marketing and brand strategy and helps enterprise teams scale global content in the AI era. A seasoned marketer with 15 years of experience across $1B+ revenue tech SaaS companies and startups, she's focused on building a consistent brand presence across every customer touchpoint—one that starts with trust, meets people at the right moment, and converts because the timing is right.
Before Smartcat, Claire held marketing and sales-enablement leadership roles at Impel, Qualtrics, Paychex, EagleView, and BAE Systems, building deep expertise in content marketing, sales content, and global campaign execution. She's a frequent speaker on AI-first marketing, including at Content Marketing World.
Beyond work, Claire is a proud mom of two and a wife—and there's nothing she loves doing more. It's the role that matters most.
Lauren Fritsky
Award-Winning B2B Content Marketer
Self-employed
Lauren Fritsky is a seasoned journalist and B2B content marketer whose work has appeared on CNN, AOL, USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Travel+Leisure, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Forbes and many other websites. She has over a decade of experience leading content strategy for global tech companies, and spent years living and working in Sydney, Australia, and NYC. She now works as a content marketing consultant and freelance writer for brands such as The Knot and Experian. Through the AdAge Custom Content Studio, she has also created bylines and long-form content for brands such as Amazon Ads, Smartsheet, DoorDash, Google, Kantar and DAC.
A 2023 WICMA Freelance Excellence winner and 2024 judge, Lauren has been interviewed for the NYT, USA Today, Salon, Body+Soul and 10 News First Sydney. She lives just outside Philadelphia with her husband, son, daughter and golden doodle/retriever mix.
Megan Gilbert
Vice President, Fortune Brand Studio
Fortune
Megan Gilbert is Vice President of the 400+ award-winning Fortune Brand Studio (named Studio of the Year 2023-2026). She drives the editorial direction, strategy, and production of all branded content, leading the creative studio team and guiding storytelling in all formats for high-profile global clients such as Salesforce, PayPal, De Beers, Accenture, and more. Her career includes positions at VICE, Gawker/Gizmodo, Univision, The Washington Post, and Slate. She was named to the 2024 class of Ragan’s ranking of Top Women in Marketing, won Content Marketer of the Year in 2022 (Women in Content Marketing Awards), and was included on the 100 Most Significant Women in Native Advertising list in 2026, 2025 and 2018. Megan holds an M.F.A. in nonfiction writing from Sarah Lawrence College and teaches Branded Content at New York University.
Jodi Harris
Director of Editorial Content and Strategy | Editor-in-Chief
Content Marketing Institute
Jodi Harris (she/her) is Director of Editorial Content & Strategy at Content Marketing Institute and Editor-in-Chief of its executive-focused content brand, Chief Content Officer.
She describes her role as a combination of strategic alchemist, process architect, and creative explorer, which is a fancy way of saying she evaluates essential content needs, capabilities, and opportunities, then brings ambitious marketing ideals to life through brand storytelling. Prior to her work with CMI, Jodi spent over a decade developing and managing content initiatives for brand, agency, and media clients in the entertainment, CPG, healthcare, technology, and biotech industries.
In addition to her passion for all things content-related, Jodi is an avid music fan, devoted dog owner, Australophile, and one-time Jeopardy contestant.
Amy Higgins
Senior Marketing Leader
(Taking a break)
Amy Higgins is a content strategist and speaker who believes great marketing works across the full funnel or not at all — equally fluent in demand generation, AEO strategy, video storytelling, and executive thought leadership. Data-driven by discipline and a creator by instinct, she has a particular gift for cutting through the BS of marketing language to find the story that actually resonates.
Over 15 years she's built thought leadership programs that move markets — from original research franchises, influencer initiatives, and editorial systems designed to stay distinctive in an AI-saturated world — at Cloudflare, Twilio, Lyra Health, and Salesforce. She's a long-standing Content Marketing Institute mentor, judge, and contributing author, and a Content Marketing World speaker.
She brings that same no-nonsense lens to judging with her a sharp eye for defensible points of view, an instinct for when rigor is missing, and a genuine love of mentoring the next generation of content leaders.
Brittany M. Howard
Content & Email Marketing Manager
Visit Savannah
Brittany Howard is the Content & Email Marketing Manager for Visit Savannah, where she oversees editorial content, email marketing, and digital storytelling for one of the South's most recognized destination brands. Previously the organization's Senior Copywriter, she’s spent years writing about Savannah's history, culture, hospitality scene, and the kinds of experiences that turn "someday" thoughts into right-now moments.
A Women in Content Marketing Pivot Award winner and returning WICM Awards judge, Brittany enjoys storytelling that ignites emotion, is useful, and a little unexpected. Her work spans newsletters, SEO content, paid publication partnerships, and campaign copy that aims to connect with readers rather than simply talk at them.
When she’s not chasing a stronger headline or reworking a sentence for the fifth time, she's probably telling herself one more draft won't hurt.
Farra Kober
VP BBC StoryWorks NAM
BBC Studios
Farra Kober is the VP of StoryWorks Americas, BBC Studios’ creative commercial content studio.
An Emmy-award-winning content executive and brand marketer, Farra is passionate about creative storytelling with purpose. As a creative leader, she guides teams in driving growth, customer engagement, and sales through multi-platform content born of strategic insights and data.
Prior to joining the BBC, Farra held leadership positions at WeWork as Sr. Director of Global Content Marketing, at theSkimm as VP of Content Studios—leading their extension into branded content, podcasting, and web editorial—and at NBCUniversal. As Director of Digital for MSNBC, managing creative and operations of MSNBC.com, Farra led the company to its best-year-ever in digital video viewership and launched its first-ever podcasting arm, including Chris Hayes’ award-winning program, ‘Why Is This Happening?’
Alison McCarthy
Content Director, Skift Studio
Skift
Alison McCarthy is Content Director of Skift Studio, where she leads editorial strategy, storytelling, and content execution for branded campaigns across the travel, hospitality, technology, and consumer sectors.
Over the course of her career, she has directed more than 200 branded content initiatives spanning long-form editorial, executive thought leadership, video, live events, social storytelling, and research-driven reports for brands including Amazon, American Express, Discover Puerto Rico, Expedia, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Meta, Pinterest, TikTok, and Visa.
Alison has moderated executive conversations and industry panels in New York City, London, and Delhi for audiences ranging from 100 to 1,000 attendees. She was recognized as one of Pepper Content’s Global Marketing Leaders 2025, and the Skift Studio team was a finalist for Best Branded Content Program – B2B at the 2025 Digiday Media Awards.
Kelly Meehan Brown
Content Strategist & Editor
storyarb
Irish expat Kelly Meehan Brown is a New York–based editor, writer, content strategist, and digital marketer with experience spanning editorial, branded content, social strategy, and B2B marketing. A self-proclaimed “fiend for a trend,” she loves translating complex ideas into compelling, audience-first storytelling.
Kelly currently serves as Content Strategist at storyarb, where she brings topics across SaaS, tech, AI, and HR to life for clients through sharp, strategic narratives. Previously, she was Lead Branded Content Strategist at Food52, leading campaigns for brands including Porsche, Guinness, Maker’s Mark, and more. Before that, she served as Senior Editor at Foundry 360, creating campaigns across finance, healthcare, beauty, and retail.
A former WICMA winner herself, Kelly is especially excited to serve as a judge and celebrate the women shaping the future of content and marketing.
Katy Oliveira-Lambert
Head of Marketing
Civitas Learning
Katy is Head of Marketing at Civitas Learning, where she built the marketing function from the ground up. Under her leadership, the team drives measurable pipeline impact — 42% of closed deals are marketing sourced — and has grown demo requests and MQLs year over year. She led a full company rebrand and established the systems and cross-functional processes that underpin the team's operations today.
Before stepping into a leadership role, she served as Civitas Learning's content marketing strategist, where she launched the annual Student Success Impact Report, created the Next Practices podcast, and built a library of customer success stories that became core sales assets.
She brings six years of formal marketing experience, plus a foundation she built earlier as the creator of Collegehood Advice — a content brand helping college students navigate higher education through blogs, podcasts, and resources. A two-time Content Marketing Institute-recognized mentor, she was also a finalist for WICMA's Pivot Award.
Rayanne Piaña
Senior Producer
Saylor
Rayanne Piaña is a Senior Producer at a Los Angeles-based agency, with nearly a decade of experience in digital, broadcast, social, and experiential production across entertainment, tech, and non-profit sectors. She has crafted content-driven campaigns for global brands including The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, Paramount, Prime Video, Google, the NFL, and The LEGO Group among others. Previously, Rayanne served as Content Marketing Manager at The Walt Disney Company, where she oversaw multi-million dollar branded content campaigns for Disney+, Marvel, Lucasfilms, and Pixar.
A proud Women in Content Marketing Awards Rising Star honoree (2019), Rayanne holds a master's degree in Communication Management from the University of Southern California and a bachelor's in Media Studies from UC Berkeley. Also a working filmmaker, she is passionate about impactful storytelling and championing the next generation of creatives.
Megan Ryan
Owner
Bluebird Day Communications
Megan Ryan, APR, is a former in-house communications leader turned consultant specializing in content and editorial strategy, communications planning, brand journalism, community storytelling, and ensuring organizations can be found online via AI search.
Megan previously led the award-winning external communications team at BOK Financial, with previous communications, content, public relations, marketing, and event management experience in membership organizations in the technology and tourism industries.
Now operating as Bluebird Day Communications, Megan leads a consultancy focused on supporting small to mid-sized companies and nonprofit organizations. Building on her strategic content and public relations expertise, she helps elevate executive and organizational voices while pairing authoritative content with calculated tactics to ensure organizations are found online through AEO (answer engine optimization).
She’s married and the mom of a 10-year-old daughter who keeps her parents very busy. Megan loves to travel, hike, golf and volunteer in her local community.
Sarah Schaffer
Founder & CEO
Bond Studios
A journalist by training, Sarah cut her teeth in high-pressure newsrooms and reported front-page stories on a wide range of topics, from housing and crime to medicine and rock music. Today, she uses that news judgment and story mining experience to showcase organizational impact and shine a spotlight on purpose-led work being achieved around the world. Sarah launched the independent creative agency Bond Studios in 2022, forming a team that acts as on-call journalists, editorialists, and communications strategists for organizations of all types and sizes. Bond has collaborated with cultural nonprofits, higher-education institutions, and world renowned names in business, from Bloomberg Industry Group to Harvard Medical School.
Lydia Stowe
Director of Content
Precision AQ
Lydia Stowe is a seasoned content marketer, editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the industry. As the Director of Content at Precision AQ, she leads B2B content marketing strategy and execution, bringing a deep expertise in storytelling, simplifying complex messages, and engaging audiences. Lydia lives in New York and enjoys reading fiction, setting new goals, and caring for her nascent flower garden and her three children.
Chandra Turner
Founder
The Talent Fairy
Chandra Turner is a recruiter, career coach, and founder of The Talent Fairy, a boutique recruiting agency specializing in editorial and content talent. She partners with media companies, startups, nonprofits, and brands (including Hearst Magazines, Editorialist, MedShadow, and Hone Health) to build high-impact content teams and place editors, strategists, and creative leaders.
A former editor at Cosmopolitan, CosmoGirl, and Parents, Chandra brings a unique perspective on how storytelling, audience trust, and talent strategy intersect in today’s evolving media landscape. She is also the founder of Ed2010, the long-running career platform for media professionals, and is a frequent speaker and advisor on the future of content careers, editorial leadership, and the changing economics of media.