At the 2023 SPARKS conference held at the Museum of Flight in December, a panel discussed the critical need to apply DEI principles and practices into the social marketing framework. Then, attendees participated in workshop activities to better understand how to apply these principles into their own work. At this Forum, speakers will provide a brief recap of the December session and dive deeper into recommended strategies for integrating DEI and social marketing together. Forum attendees will then participate in a facilitated discussion about how to apply these teachings into their work.
Our Forum Speakers
Jennifer M. Gonzalez
SVP, Multicultural Communications, C+C
Jennifer González loves sharing cultural insights that help change perspectives and build more understanding of how to engage meaningfully with people of diverse backgrounds and life experiences. As a conscious leader and communications strategist, she is committed to spearheading conversations that bring intentionality into multicultural marketing practices.
In her current role as Sr. VP of C+C’s multicultural communications team, she’s at the forefront of multicultural social marketing strategies for several of Washington State Department of Health’s campaigns, including its 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and COVID-19 prevention and vaccination efforts, as well as campaigns for Energy Trust of Oregon, King County’s Hazardous Waste Management Program, Washington Traffic Safety Commission and King County Metro, among others.
Paj Nandi
Paj serves as AVP of Equity Centered-Communications at DH. He provides strategic counsel on several statewide behavior change campaigns while leading key internal initiatives to advance equity through inclusive practices. Paj is a seasoned public health practitioner and health equity leader with over 20 years of cross-sector experience in government, nonprofit, healthcare, business, and academia. Paj feels most energized about projects that integrate audience insights, cultural preferences, and socioeconomic context to influence behavior change. He believes centering equity in communications is disruptive and ultimately about creating structural changes in how we engage and connect with multicultural audiences, especially from historically excluded and underserved communities.
Paj received his BS in Community Health Education from Western Washington University and an MPH in Global Health Promotion from the George Washington University. He currently teaches at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and was recently appointed to the Washington State Board of Health by Governor Inslee. A native of India, Paj has been living in Seattle for nearly two decades, where he enjoys spending time with his husband and their beloved feline Tango.
Nico Archer
Nico is a Partner at DH — a social impact agency that provides branding, advertising, digital and public relations services in Washington State and beyond. Nico is passionate about building thriving and just communities through programs and campaigns that improve lives and create positive social change. Nico has worked across the spectrum of private, public and philanthropic organizations in government, energy, education, technology, health, consumer goods, travel, transportation and more. Nico has an MA in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University and his BA from the University of California Santa Cruz where he studied Health Sciences and Literature. Nico is a current board member with Joya Child and Family Development, a Neurodevelopmental Center of Excellence. Nico is a member of the LGBTQ+ and Filipino communities and serves in community-leadership roles to support queer youth, build diverse and multi-cultural communities and increase access to education. Nico lives with his fiancé Aaron, in Spokane, WA.
