Desiree Peterkin Bell
Award-winning brand builder, political and public affairs strategist, and best-selling author, Desiree Peterkin Bell’s work history speaks for itself. With over twenty years of experience serving in a myriad of roles within various local government administrations, she understands what it takes to build a successful brand. Desiree is the Founder of DPBell & Associates, a full-service public relations firm with clients all over the world. She and her team specialize in public relations, brand management, development, and positioning, strategic counseling, crisis communications, media training, digital organizing, event production, political consulting, content development, and strategic partnerships.
Desiree Peterkin Bell has won multiple awards for her work, including PR Week’s “40 under 40″ and a ‘Shorty Award’. She's also been recognized by the Philadelphia Tribune as “One of Philadelphia’s Most Influential African-American Women”; by Black Enterprise as a “triple threat”, and by Philadelphia Business Journal as a “40 under 40” recipient.
President and CEO of DPBell & Associates
New York, NY
[email protected]
Work Experience
DPBell and Associates, President and CEO, Jan 2016 ~ Present
Desiree Peterkin Bell is the President and CEO OF DPBell and Associates a boutique Public Affairs Firm. Serving clients nationally and internationally
DPBell and Associates is a full service firm that focuses on brand development; crisis communications; strategic counsel; high-level, high impact events and convenings and strategic partnerships. Desiree Peterkin Bell has been honored as one of industry's best and brightest in the country by PR Week's
40 under 40; a Shorty Award' winner recognized by the Philadelphia Tribune as, One of Philadelphia's Most Influential African-American Women; and recognized by Black Enterprise Magazine as a triple threat.
University of Pennsylvania, Lecturer, Jan 2017 ~ Feb 2019
Greater Philadelphia Area
Developed an Urban Communication program, syllabus and lecture series, a first for the University OF Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communication
Democratic National Convention, Consultant, Feb 2016 ~ Jul 2016
Michael A. Nutter, Office of the Mayor, Communications and Strategy/City Representative, Nov 2012 ~ Jan 2016
City of Philadelphia
Led communications, social media, political strategy and big events for the City of Philadelphia
Obama For America, Senior Advisor, Jul 2012 ~ Nov 2012
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Led successful Communication strategies, tactics and messaging for President
Obama's re-election campaign in Pennsylvania
City Of Newark, Director of Communications, Jul 2006 ~ Sep 2010
New York City Marketing Development Corporation, Senior Director/VP of Government Affairs, Jan 2004 ~ Jun 2006
City of New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg
New York City Marketing Development Corporation, Supervising Legislative Representative, Jul 2002 ~ Jan 2004
City Of Indianapolis, Special Assistant, Aug 2001 ~ Jun 2002
Skadden Arps, Legal Supervising Assistant, Jun 2000 ~ Jul 2001
Worked closely with Partners in the Antitrust Division on the following cases :
UST; Christies and Sotheby's price fixing case. Managed a small team of legal assistants.
Education
National Urban Fellows Scholar, Master of Arts (MA), Public Administration and Public Policy, 2001 ~ 2002
Swarthmore College, Political Science and Education, 1996 ~ 2000
Desiree and Cory Booker
Desiree and Jay-Z
About DPBell & Associates
Desiree Peterkin Bell is the Founder of DPBell & Associates, a full service marketing firm. They have team members in Washington, D.C., New York City, Tel Aviv, and Los Angeles, allowing them to serve clients both in the country and across the globe. Their many specialities include public relations, brand management, development, and positioning, strategic counseling, crisis communications, media training, digital organizing, event production, political consulting, content development, and strategic partnerships.
One of their most recent projects includes a partnership with the city of Los Angeles and H Code, a LatinX digital brand, to release culturally appropriate messaging to encourage COVID-19 testing in the city’s Latin community.
The group utilized OTV, digital assets, and influencers, and their efforts paid off: they were able to calm COVID-related anxieties, promote better understanding, and increase the rates of testing.
Desiree Peterkin Bell and her firm are passionate about representing movements, not moments. They love supporting brands that matter and those people who want to make a lasting difference. One of their focuses in particular is addressing issues of racial inequality and equity. As a leading firm, they often advise organizations and executives and CEOs of Fortune 100, 500 and C suite offices.
Book
Desiree Peterkin Bell's Book
You can purchase Desiree's book "Women Who Influence" on Amazon! In this book she describes the lessons she's learned over the years about some of the women leading the industry.
Learn MorePress
- HuffPost: Powerful Women in Love: Eroding Cynicism: Love Isn't Just in Fairytales
- BW SmartCities: Technologies Can Be Manipulated
- Surprisingly Free: Desiree Peterkin Bell, Founder of DPBell & Associates
- PRNewswire: A Global Movement, The Mic: Africa
- Color Magazine: Desiree Peterkin Bell: The Power of Purpose
- Thrive Global: Response to Kamala Harris as Vice President
- Morning Circuit: Brands Are Getting Involved in the Black Lives Matter Movement
- Forbes: These Black And Brown Leaders Are Stepping Up To Normalize Mental Health Conversations
- BusinessWire: AMP Global Is Re-centering Africa as a Global Hub for Technology and Entertainment
- APNews: Marc Byers, Former General Manager of Motown Records Joins Technology Company, AMP Global, As Strategic Advisor
- EINPresswire: Award-Winning Music Competition and Docuseries, The Mic Africa is launching a search for Hosts around the World
- PRNewswire: Award-Winning Take Back The Mic Team Launches The TBTM Interactive Festival in November
The Crucial Role of Black Women in a Democratic Victory
Black women play an essential role in determining our country’s next leader. This is far from a new concept; their voices have always mattered, not just during the current election. There has not been a Democratic presidential nominee in over 40 years that has won the White House without Black women’s leadership and vote—including President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, and President Jimmy Carter. In fact, we can’t even have a conversation about how we can win the White House unless black women are included.
Continue reading at DesireePeterkinBell.org.
How to Create a Crisis Management Plan
If we’ve learned anything over the past year, it’s that crises could happen at any time. Whether they be disease, natural disasters, or civic unrest, you never know when the unexpected could occur. Despite this, less than half of businesses have a crisis management plan in place. Do you have a strategy for when the unthinkable happens? If not, here are some of the steps you need to take to create a crisis management plan.
Continue reading at DesireePeterkinBell.net.
What is Brand Activism?
In this article, Desiree Peterkin Bell discusses an overview of brand activism.
