From Activists to Advocates: Turning Your Internal Critics Into Brand Champions

Justin Joffe is the Editorial Director and Editor-in-Chief at Ragan Communications where he oversees the editorial strategy for Ragan across brands and products. In addition to his editorial duties, Joffe also advises the programming team on best-in-class conferences, webinars and workshops during a time of unprecedented change in the way that communicators and marketers learn and meet. He is also a freelance journalist and communications writer specializing in the arts and culture, media and technology, and ad tech beats. Before joining the Ragan team, Joffe worked for Muck Rack, PR News, and The Observer. Additionally, his writing has appeared in several publications including Vulture, Newsweek, Vice, Relix, Flaunt, and many more. You can find him on X @joffaloff.

To stand a chance in today’s world, organizations must invest in people in ways that attract and nurture the very best talent. That’s no easy task, but it’s precisely what keeps Sara Whitman’s mind turning and coming to work each day with unbounding energy and passion. Sara is a founding member of the executive team at Hot Paper Lantern. She leads the agency’s employee engagement and internal communications work for its global client base. As Chief People Officer, she also runs the talent management and human resources function at the organization. In her role, Sara marries business and communication strategy, vision, and operations, with the skills, experience, and interests of people. Sara is a member of the International Coach Federation and the Society for Human Resource Management. She holds a PHR certification and is a graduate of the Erickson Coaching International coaching program. Sara is also the founder of At the Start, a coaching consultancy supporting teens and adults as they navigate their lives and early career decisions.

Mia Blessing is the internal communications team lead and lead public affairs specialist at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In this role, she works closely with three other communications team leads to share the NASA story while ensuring consistent, clear and credible communications inside and outside the organization. She previously served as a NASA contracting officer and contract specialist at the Department of Defense. Prior to that, she worked coordinating deployment events for soldiers and their families as a family programs specialist for the United States Army Reserve and for the California Army National Guard Operation Families.