With 17 years of communications experience in civic engagement, arts and culture, and consumer engagement, Ayofemi cares most about ensuring that stories told about and to communities are done accurately and with great depth and care. Her expertise is in developing culturally-relevant messaging and cross-channel strategic campaigns that are reflective, that resonate with what communities care about the most, and that move people to take inspired action.
Ayofemi has managed digital and corporate communications in the financial sector, and developed award-winning programs that empowered Millennials across the country to be leaders in their communities and more active in our democracy. As a communications director on Capitol Hill, Ayofemi led communications for Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) and for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) under the leadership of Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and former Congresswoman and HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge (OH), where she crafted messages delivered from the stage at the Democratic National Convention to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Ayofemi also directed communications for advocacy efforts across 44 CBC member offices and the House Democratic Caucus on issues such as immigration reform, voting rights, and a more socially-responsible federal budget.
Ayofemi has shaped and shifted public conversations and sentiment about policy, high-profile entertainment and cultural initiatives as a Senior Publicist and Manager of Communications and Publicity at The New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and for LIVE from NYPL, as a consultant working on large-scale projects such as Kehinde Wiley’s “Rumors of War” unveiling in Times Square and at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and with clients such as The Africa Center, Mickalene Thomas, Me Too. International, the National COVID Remembrance, Japan Society, Sean Kelly Gallery, Sony Pictures, the NYC Office of the Mayor, the International Center of Photography, A.I.R. Gallery, Recess Art, Museum Hue, The Laundromat Project, among many others. Ayofemi’s work has earned thoughtful media coverage for her clients in many major and niche outlets including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Art Newspaper, Town & Country, BBC Culture, OkayAfrica, The Washington Post, Newsweek, CBS This Morning, and more.
Ayofemi graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with her BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, completed her certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University, and earned her MA in Public Communications from American University. She most recently completed her Masters of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies at Harvard Extension School, where she focused her on culture, communications, and the impact of a healthy, creative economy. Ayofemi has also completed coursework at Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
In her free time she does lots of yoga or you’ll find her on a beach catching up with a good book or magazine.