Taylor Yarbrough

2012 honoree

Like so many others in this industry, I did not seek out a career in advertising, it found me. My initial plans in school were to become a family therapist. I wanted to help people make meaningful connections between their thoughts and actions, and how they affect the people around them. I never even thought about ads outside of billboards and commercials until my Spelman College sister (classmate) told me about an incredible internship at Ogilvy in NY, where I'd be surrounded by strategic, creative thinkers from around the world. The prospect of this blew my mind and I soon found myself diving headfirst into the world I now know and love. 

I've worked on the business side of advertising, but my heart was always with the people - those that created the work and those that were affected by it. This brought me to the talent side of the industry, which resulted in me joining the 4A's and running the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP), the largest and longest-running program of it's kind. I had finally realized my purpose, which was to enable people to overcome societal barriers by developing meaningful connections. 

As the current Associate Director, Global Culture & Inclusion at FCB Global, I've found an even deeper connection community building and storytelling through our Intentional Inclusion philosophy. 

If you are interested in joining this industry, consider this: Focus on building strong communities, telling compelling stories about those communities, and at every turn, highlighting underrepresented people who create the culture advertising thrives off. This is our way forward and my charge to each of you. 

Past honorees