Katelyn Jackson Nnake (Journalism ‘06) lives by a simple motto – to be salt and light, adding flavor to every situation and always seeking “the light.”
Nnake feels she embodies this life mantra best in her role advocating for people and building community as the global head of equity, diversity and inclusion at Klaviyo. Klaviyo is a Boston-based digital marketing automation company that helps over 130,000 companies gain insights on their customers to grow, learn and connect.
However, Nnake's journey traces back to her college years at Ohio State where she became an on-campus brand ambassador for Coca-Cola. At a time when brand ambassadorship was a novel concept, Nnake stood out by helping to coordinate a Coca-Cola March Madness event tied to the grand opening of the Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC).
The internship ambassador program was the start of a 15-year career at Coca-Cola. During her time there, Nnake moved up through the ranks and concluded as the director of stakeholder partnerships and diversity, equity and inclusion. After Coca-Cola, Nnake moved to X, formerly known as Twitter, to be the head of global inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility partnerships. After X, Nnake transitioned to Klaviyo where she works today.
As Klaviyo’s global head of equity, diversity and inclusion, Nnake works to build community and belonging while catering to her and Klaviyo’s stakeholders. Nnake values her responsibility and “ability to create an impact and legacy that goes beyond a product” since her stakeholders include employees, the CEO and even customers. However, of all the audiences she impacts, Nnake sees her internal work as the most important.
“[Employees] should feel like rock stars,” Nnake said. “They should feel like the Beyoncés and Taylor Swifts of our company because of the work that they continue to do.”
Nnake attributes her ease and comfort in her career to her experiences at Ohio State, especially working as a resident advisor during her junior and senior years.
“I do think it was that role, I was an RA for two years, that really prepared myself for, one: actively thinking about how can everyone feel and be included and feel as though they belong. As well as identifying ways to connect people and build community,” Nnake said.
With a career that allowed her to make a difference at Coca-Cola, X and now Klaviyo, Nnake continues to look for ways to be the salt and light.
In addition to being a resident advisor and a Coca-Cola ambassador, Nnake was also a Morrill Scholar. The Morrill Scholarship Program is Ohio State’s highest diversity and merit scholarship, awarded to high-achieving academic- and leadership-focused high school students.
Nnake was also an ambassador for the university through the Speaker’s Bureau, a public speaking program on campus, and the Early Student Program, which encouraged visiting high schoolers to attend Ohio State. In the time she had left, Nnake was also a Lantern reporter, host and producer on Black Horizons Radio and a sorority sister in Delta Sigma Theta. All these experiences helped prepare Nnake for her future career.
Early last year, Nnake received the College of Arts and Sciences Emerging Leader Award. Nnake made sure to recognize and thank those that helped prepare and continue to support her in her career.
“They continue to pour into me and encourage me from afar. It speaks to the community of people we created,” Nnake said.
Article by student Christian Harsa
