God-Is Rivera, Shannon Washington and Gabrielle Wesley are among the communications industry leaders honored in ColorComm’s third annual recognition of Black women in the communications sector.

The 28 executives—one for each day of Black History Month—are being recognized for work at their respective companies and for behind-the-scenes efforts to improve the communities they serve.

Honorees include Rivera, the former Twitter executive who is now VP of inclusive marketing at Disney; Washington, U.S. chief creative officer, R/GA; Wesley, chief marketing officer, Mars Wrigley; Kim Godwin, whose appointment as president of ABC News in April made her the first Black woman to lead an American broadcast news network; and Candi Castleberry, who as VP of global diversity, equity and inclusion at Amazon, who is tasked with helping the company meet goals such as increasing the number of Black and women leaders. 

Like Godwin, many honorees are the first Black women to hold their positions at their respective companies. 

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ColorComm, founded in 2011, advocates for diversity and inclusion across the communications, marketing and media landscapes. 

By using Black History Month as an opportunity to amplify Black voices and achievements, ColorComm Founder and CEO Lauren Wesley Wilson hopes to spotlight the work that Black executives do year-round. 

“The women on the list do the daily work to help strengthen the voices of those who are often underrepresented in the overall business and political discourse,” said Wilson in a statement. 

The ColorComm28 nominees will be honored at an invite-only event on Feb. 28. 

The ColorComm28: 

• Kim Godwin, President, ABC News
• Alexis Kerr, VP, Mahogany Brand, Hallmark Cards 
• Eden Bridgeman Sklenar, CEO, EBONY Media Group 
• Kimberley Goode, Chief Comms Officer, BMO Financial Group 
• Sade Muhammad, Chief Marketing Officer, TIME 
• Star Jones, Attorney, Media Personality and Divorce Court Host 
• Jemele Hill, Journalist, Author and Podcaster 
• Marva Smalls, EVP, Global Head of Inclusion, Paramount 
• Sandra Sims-Williams, Chief Diversity Officer, Nielsen 
• Kristi Henderson, Global Head of DEI, Anomaly 
• Bria Bryant, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Assembly 
• Gabrielle Wesley, Chief Marketing Officer, Mars Wrigley  
• Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Editorial Director, The Hollywood Reporter 
• Elaine Welteroth, Author and Columnist, The Washington Post 
• God-Is Rivera, VP, Inclusive Marketing, The Walt Disney Company
• Erin Harris, Chief Marketing Officer, Lobos 1707 
• Karen Horne, SVP of DEI, Warner Bros. Discovery 
• Fatima Jones, Chief Marketing & Comms Officer, Apollo Theater 
• Remi Kent, Chief Marketing Officer, Progressive Insurance 
• Eboni K. Williams, Author, Lawyer, Host of theGrio News 
• Candi Castleberry, VP of Global DEI, Amazon 
• Shannon Washington, U.S. Chief Creative Officer, R/GA 
• Erika Bennett, Chief Marketing Officer, Essence Ventures 
• Keyra Lynn Johnson, VP and Chief DE&I Officer, Delta Air Lines 
• Karen Greenfield, SVP of Content, D&I, National Geographic Partners 
• Lydia Smith, Chief Diversity Officer, Victoria’s Secret & Co. 
• Deirdre Findlay, SVP and CMO, McAfee 
• Rebecca Lowell Edwards, Chief Communications Officer, ACLU