OMC Omnicom Group Inc

sparks & honey, the technology-led cultural consultancy, announced today the newest additions to its Advisory Board, the one-of-a-kind brain trust with specialized expertise across more than 60 industries. The new Board members include philanthropist, social impact investor and author Carrie Morgridge and serial entrepreneur, venture investor and current CEO of Loeb.nyc, Michael Loeb.

“We’re delighted to have both Carrie and Michael join our board. Our culture is constantly shifting and evolving, especially during this current pandemic when the situation changes daily, and we look to our board members to provide needed context and nuanced understanding of the areas of culture we’re tracking, which they’ve become experts in. As we continue to build our technology capabilities, the human element of our system is more important than ever. We look forward to leaning on Carrie and Michael’s expertise over the coming year, and beyond,” said sparks & honey Founder and CEO, Terry Young.

Morgridge’s addition to the board will inform sparks & honey’s work on community transformation and the cultural shifts around philanthropic gifting. As Vice President and Chief Disruptor of The Morgridge Family Foundation, Carrie Morgridge invests and champions organizations and leaders that work to provide innovative and distinct solutions to some of today’s greatest and most pervasive challenges. Alongside her husband, Morgridge created the Student Support Foundation, promoting youth philanthropy, and mindSpark Learning, an organization focused on celebrating and empowering educators. Carrie speaks internationally at education advocacy forums, poverty alleviation conferences and many convenings that are philanthropically focused and has received numerous awards for her work in this space.

In addition to her philanthropy work, she is also the author of two books: Every Gift Matters – How Your Passion Can Change the World, a look at how even the smallest gifts can have an immense impact if done thoughtfully, and The Spirit of Trail, which chronicles her 2,774 mile mountain bike trip across the country on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

As a veteran entrepreneur, with a storied career in building companies like Synapse, Priceline.com and ScriptRelief, Loeb will add deep expertise in scalable business models and venture investing to the board. Loeb currently runs Loeb.nyc, a “startup factory” comprised of 18 startups and early stage investments including digital platforms, direct-to-consumer products, and enterprise solutions. Under his direction, the company established a new model for startup investments, by pairing seasoned entrepreneurs with experienced marketing professionals and technologists to launch disruptive and scalable consumer businesses of enduring value. ​

Loeb was one of the first venture builders in New York City and has been deeply entrenched in the city’s entrepreneurial eco-system since the 1990s. An active philanthropist, Loeb also provides a paid internship program for underrepresented college students in tech to work at Loeb.nyc, its portfolio companies, as well as non-affiliated start-ups across New York City.

Tapping into the intellect and niche expertise of its Board is an integral part of sparks & honey’s unique man-and-machine approach, complementing the data sourced through its one-of-a-kind, AI-powered cultural intelligence platform, Q™. sparks & honey strategists draw on the unique experience of Board members for invaluable points of view on key cultural topics and trends – from the Defense Industry and government policy to conversations around the current COVID-19 crisis, future of work, ageism and environmental systems collapse, among others – guiding the insights delivered to clients across the Fortune 500, startup world and government sectors.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to shape culture at a rapid pace, resetting how we think about and prepare for the future in our global community, sparks & honey has shifted its signature, daily Culture Briefings to unpack the impact of COVID-19 on our families, businesses and communities. The consultancy is tapping various experts and Board members to weigh in on everything from the role of misinformation and economic repressions to the changing face of personal wellness and significance of boredom.

This Thursday, April 30, Loeb and Morgridge will join the Culture Briefing on Purpose and Pandemic, exploring how organizations, from businesses to not-for-profit institutions and charities, can use this moment of crisis to reinvigorate and re-align their mission and purpose. RSVP here and tune into the live-streamed discussion at 12:05pm ET on sparks & honey’s LinkedIn.

About sparks & honey: sparks & honey is a technology-based cultural consultancy delivering innovative growth and transformation strategy for global organizations. Leveraging a unique suite of proprietary tools and a global network of human scouts to identify emerging cultural trends and industry shifts, sparks & honey helps organizations stay relevant - and ahead of the curve - in a fast-changing world. Their first of its kind, AI-powered platform Q™ sits at the center of their unique system, harnessing the best of big data and human intelligence to help organizations predict cultural change. sparks & honey is a part of the Omnicom Precision Marketing Group.

About the DAS Group of CompaniesThe DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

Press Contact: Christine Perez O’Rourke DiGennaro Communicationschristine@digennaro-usa.com

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