What I Believe
My Philosophy
Organizations don’t create movements. People do.
For more than twenty years, I’ve worked with organizations trying to answer the same question:
How do you help people believe that change is possible?
Sometimes the work has focused on education.
Sometimes public health.
Sometimes youth leadership.
Sometimes policy.
Sometimes the arts.
The issue has changed. The work hasn’t.
I’ve spent my career helping organizations earn trust, find the stories that matter, and build relationships that move people from awareness to action.
Because I’ve come to believe something simple: People rarely fight for change because they’re given more information. They fight for change when they recognize themselves in the story.
That’s the work I love.
Roles I've Held
My Experience
SENIOR DIRECTOR, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS | Greater Milwaukee Area
- Brand Strategy
- Communication Strategy
- Executive Communications
• Partner with the President & CEO and senior leadership team to align communications, fundraising, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement strategies supporting a $9M+ annual campaign and a network of arts organizations serving hundreds of thousands of community members each year.
• Lead integrated marketing and communications efforts spanning annual fundraising campaigns, donor stewardship, sponsorship activation, earned media, content strategy, digital engagement, and community outreach.
• Oversee the development and execution of multi-channel communications strategies designed to strengthen audience
engagement, expand visibility, deepen donor relationships, and reinforce organizational credibility among key stakeholders.
• Collaborate with 14 member organizations, 17 affiliates, corporate partners, community leaders, and media outlets to advance shared initiatives, strengthen regional partnerships, and amplify the collective impact of the performing arts ecosystem.
BRAND & DIGITAL STRATEGIST | Greater Chicago Area
- Brand Strategy
- Digital Strategy
- Digital Storytelling
• Consulted on brand strategy and digital engagement for national nonprofits and advocacy campaigns focused on social impact, education, and equity.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary creative teams to develop integrated campaign concepts, visual identities, and digital content strategies.
• Provided data-informed insights on audience engagement, helping clients optimize message delivery across paid, earned, and owned channels.
• Advised leadership teams on digital storytelling frameworks that strengthen brand cohesion and drive measurable engagement across diverse audiences.
• Supported new business development and creative direction for campaigns that bridged storytelling and measurable outcomes in mission-centered spaces.
OWNER & CHIEF STRATEGIST | Greater Chicago Area
- Organizational Development
- Branding Consultant
- Strategic Initiative Management
Leveraging our passion for social justice and branding, Patterson Consulting LLC supports cause-based initiatives that fight for better lives, families, and communities. It is this experience, obsession with innovative tactics, and over 20 years of specialized knowledge that will help you achieve maximum impact for your cause.
Organization-development Consultant
Having experience working in non-profits ranging from a start-up structure to a premier, industry leading national non-profit, I've acquired a unique set of skills that can prove to be beneficial to a multitude of organizations and needs. Through customized engagements, I seek to partner with organizations to accomplish organizational and program-oriented objectives including youth program planning, program design & evaluation, staff development, program management, strategic planning, youth grassroots organizing initiatives, youth & adult partnerships, & social marketing.Non-profit Branding Consultant
From political campaigns to start up small businesses and re-branding projects, I've been able to respond to a demand amongst a small group of contacts through graphic design, web design, and video production services. Bringing a client's vision to reality is priority; so being able to effectively connect with their priorities and ideas up front is key. Through a combination of relationship building with clients and content, products are created with a personal touch...kind of like an extension of the clients' own creativity.Strategic Initiative Lead
Helping communities realize their potential through creative, innovated, collaborative, and empowering social impact initiatives. I provide leadership through project, partnership, and logistics management from ideation to execution.National Director of Digital Advocacy & Organizing | Chicago, IL
- Digital Strategist
- Team Management
- Campaign Development
• Led the national digital advocacy strategy to engage thousands of educators across multiple cities, integrating social media, email marketing, and grassroots organizing into a cohesive digital ecosystem.
• Oversaw digital content and campaign development, including national petitions, storytelling series, and educator-led policy actions that elevated teacher perspectives to policymakers and the public.
• Built and managed a national team of digital organizers and content creators, aligning data insights with narrative strategy to increase engagement and membership growth.
• Directed partnerships with creative agencies and vendors to develop digital assets, videos, and storytelling campaigns that advanced E4E’s mission and policy goals.
• Implemented analytics frameworks using platforms like EveryAction, Google Analytics, and social media dashboards to track performance and optimize campaign impact in real time.
Was responsible for developing and executing all aspects and assets for Educator for Excellence's most successful digital organizing campaign to date: Don't Erase History. It was responsible for (all most in organization history):
- 1.5mil+ impressions
- 300k+ engagements
- 100k+ video plays
- over 50% of US states engaged
- 1.5k+ messages sent to state law makers
Director of Creative Content | Chicago, IL
- Creative Strategist
- Team Management
- Brand Management
• Directed creative content strategy and production across digital, video, and print, shaping a unified visual and narrative identity for the CPD network.
• Oversaw the development of national campaign collateral, storytelling videos, and multimedia projects that elevated grassroots leaders and movement successes.
• Partnered with senior leadership and campaign directors to align creative execution with policy priorities and strategic messaging goals.
• Introduced new design and content workflows that increased speed, collaboration, and storytelling consistency across the organization.
• Supervised creative teams and freelancers, ensuring high-quality output that reflected brand integrity and the organization’s values of equity and inclusion.
Director of Digital Strategies | Chicago, IL
- Digital Strategist
- Team Management
- Organizational Growth
• Developed and led CPD’s integrated digital strategy, uniting 40+ partner organizations under cohesive campaigns for racial, economic, and social justice.
• Designed digital organizing frameworks that expanded reach, strengthened member engagement, and empowered local affiliates to mobilize through data-driven content and storytelling.
• Managed national digital campaigns for initiatives on immigrant rights, education equity, and fair housing, achieving multi-million-impression reach across platforms.
• Mentored a distributed team of digital organizers, creatives, and partner communications leads, building capacity for sustained, values-aligned engagement.
• Collaborated cross-functionally with policy, communications, and field teams to translate complex policy goals into accessible, high-impact public narratives.
Community Programs Manager | Oakland, CA
- Staff Management
- Program Development
- Partnership Management
• Led the strategic planning and day-to-day operations of school-based and community programs serving youth and families, aligning program delivery with organizational goals and grant objectives.
• Managed multidisciplinary teams, providing coaching, performance management, and professional development while fostering a collaborative, mission-driven culture.
• Built partnerships with school districts, community organizations, public agencies, and local stakeholders to expand services, strengthen engagement, and increase community impact.
• Developed systems to evaluate program performance, improve service delivery, and ensure accountability across multiple initiatives and funding requirements.
• Collaborated with organizational leadership to identify emerging community needs, launch new initiatives, and advance long-term strategies supporting educational achievement, youth leadership, and family engagement.
Manager, Youth Activism | Washington, DC
- National Youth Development
- National Convener
- Technical Assistance & Training Provider
• Led the Youth Activism department overseeing national programming, fellowships, and campaigns that mobilized young people around tobacco control and public-health equity.
• Directed the Youth Activism Fellowship and Youth Leadership Institute, guiding strategy, curriculum, and participant engagement for emerging youth leaders nationwide.
• Designed and implemented national advocacy campaigns using media, grassroots organizing, and technology to amplify youth perspectives in public-health policy.
• Provided technical assistance and strategic support to youth-serving organizations across the country, strengthening local capacity for health education and civic engagement.
• Elevated Truth Initiative’s reputation as a youth-organizing leader by integrating storytelling, cultural relevance, and digital innovation into program design.
Youth Engagement Network Director | Milwaukee, WI
- Education Reform
- Youth Development
- Trainer
• Led TALC New Vision’s Youth Engagement Network of more than 30 small high schools, managing the Youth Leadership Ally Program and Student Internship Program to embed youth leadership in school culture.
• Developed and facilitated project-based curricula that supported students in designing and leading initiatives focused on education reform, school climate, and community issues.
• Co-authored and was the lead teacher for a high school level elective, "Social Justice & Technology", offered to the inaugural students of a new small school.
• Recruited, trained, and supervised staff, and community partners to deliver consistent, mission-aligned programming for diverse cohorts of high school students.
• Ensured student perspectives were included in Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded small school initiatives through activities such as an annual small high school fair, student internships, and school-based youth voice projects.
• Elevated TALC New Vision’s profile by organizing public events and student-led presentations that showcased youth leadership and the impact of small-school reform in Milwaukee.
Testimonials
My Impact
Jason M. Fields, CFEI, CCRS
"
Bennie Patterson is arguably one of the most dynamic, charismatic, and intelligent community leaders of his generation. The truth is that it would literally take me a day to begin to sum up his professionalism, his moral compass, and his passion and commitment for his family, friends, acquaintances and the community at large! He is detailed oriented, an awesome communicator and teacher, and a student who has mastered the full embodiment of listening!
His writing ability remains an asset to any organization he collaborates with. His attention to staying focused and on the often times right but yet brutal path is a testament to his strength and character. I would not only urge and recommend Bennie Patterson, I would be go well above and beyond my abilities to advocate for him to become a valued member of any team!!!
"Via LinkedIn
Laura Hamasaka
" Bennie is capable of working both at the big picture vision level and at the details level that goes with program planning and implementation. Bennie is what could be called a “bridge person” which means he is someone who is able to build relationships with stakeholders within a community and he can create authentic connections between representatives from different communities. As someone who has worked on community engagement and programming for nearly twenty-five years, I’ve learned that it is a rarity to find a person who can enter very different communities and work with people who have varied roles in society – and do so comfortably. Bennie is this rare person and I would without reservation, send him to any meeting or work event and know that he would be successful. "
Via Written Recommendation
Nick Fradkin
" As my fellowship supervisor, Bennie shared his advocacy expertise and passion for youth activism with myself and ten other fellows. He struck a nice balance between professionalism and amiability, inspiring us to engage deeply with the curriculum of the youth activism program, while allowing us to take time to appreciate and enjoy each other's unique contributions to our work. I believe that it is rare to find someone, like Bennie, who truly lives up to the "human" aspect of "human resources," so I highly recommend him as a leader of ambitious, diverse teams. "
Via LinkedIn
Natalie McKay
" I had the privilege of working with Bennie during my Youth Activism Fellowship at American Legacy Foundation and reported directly to him throughout the 18-month program. Bennie made me feel very comfortable in my assigned tasks and projects and was easy to reach when needed. He leads with passion in anything and everything he does, which influenced others, including myself, to achieve the same drive for our work - whether in tobacco control, or anything else. Bennie is an efficient, dependable, trustworthy, creative, loyal, innovative and thoughtful individual. I've seen him spearhead both national and regional youth projects, and he never fails to leave a lasting impression and impact. "
Via LinkedIn
Jumoke Hinton-Hodge
" Bennie has impressed me with his intentional, strategic and collaborative thinking. He has a deep knowledge of youth development and community building principles that can be strategically utilized to help us ensure alignment with District values and activities. Bennie is a great writer, graphic designer, listener, and broad thinker. I don’t know too many people that are able to connect with families, teachers, school board members, students and various other groups in the way that Bennie does. "
Via Written Recommendation