Vannesia Darby

Vannesia Darby is an award-winning marketing leader with nearly 15 years of experience across entertainment, digital strategy, and professional development. She has led successful marketing campaigns for industry leaders including Universal Music Group, the YMCA, and Shondaland. A compelling speaker and writer, her insights have been featured in editorials such as Teen Vogue, Thought Catalog, and MadameNoir.

With a background as a classically trained pianist, Darby began her career in the Gospel music industry working in radio and marketing, an early foundation that continues to shape her creative, people-centered approach to brand building and leadership. In 2016, she founded MOXIE Nashville, where she serves as Principal Consultant, advising founders, creators, and corporate teams on marketing and business strategy. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including the 4 Under 40 Emerging Leaders Award from the American Marketing Association Foundation and the Outstanding Young Graduate Award from Bradley University.

Darby currently serves as the Digital Marketing Director at Shondaland and is a Ph.D. candidate at Kennesaw State University. A recipient of the 2025 Diversity in PhD Scholarship from The PhD Project and the American Marketing Association Academic Council, her research examines how identity, media, and race influence consumer behavior in digital environments. A former adjunct instructor at Tennessee State University, her work has been published in The Journal of Services Marketing, The Drake Management Review, and the textbook Black Millennials: Identity, Ambition, and Activism.

Darby is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Marketing Association (AMA), the African American Marketing Association (AAMA), and the Bradley University Black Alumni Alliance.