Rachel Weidinger

Overview

Rachel is a tactical optimist. From the start of her communications career at natural foods superstore Wild Oats she has successfully engaged audiences in environmental arts and social justice challenges. At Upwell Rachel leads the development of cutting edge big listening practices. She couples this big data approach with the resiliency increasing tactic of campaigning across a distributed network.Because of Rachel's vision the ocean community knows the baseline of conversation on their issue for the first time. Every week through the Tide Report 1400 individuals are campaigning for the ocean with that vital communications context. To date she has caused nine humans to be trained in the rare science/art of big listening to the ocean conversation online. There are also nine more professionals who know how to run attention campaigns and to campaign across a distributed network. Rachel is proud to have opened a near zero waste office (damn you pesky plastic film!) furnished with reused and repurposed furniture.Previously Rachel was head of international marketing at TechSoup Global where she led outreach in collaboration with 36 NGO partners collaborating with major donor Microsoft. Rachel has also worked with social enterprises including NTEN the Black Rock Arts Foundation SF Environment Copia and the Xtracycle Foundation. She is a frequent trainer and speaker on social media and mobile apps at conferences including SXSW Interactive NetSquared and the Nonprofit Technology Conference. Rachel founded her own consultancy and later was Senior Consultant and Marketing Director at Common Knowledge.Thanks to a full Harrison Scholarship Rachel graduated from Miami University's School of Interdisciplinary Studies with a Bachelors of Philosophy. She completed the coursework at the Ohio State University master's program in Arts Policy and Administration.In addition to communications and marketing Rachel makes preserves swims in the bay and gardens at her tiny home in San Francisco. She experiments in attention philanthropy on Twitter at rachelannyes. Rachel is obsessed with whalesharks.