Erin Naomi Burrows

Samara Collective is a democratically run, worker-owned strategic communications agency founded in 2018. We have a demonstrated passion for equity-based work with our clients ranging from local level campaigns to state-wide unions to national non-profits. Samara Collective leverages community insights, narrative strategy, design, and integrated tactics across paid, earned, shared, and owned media.

• Provide communications strategy consultation and lead project management to ensure projects are on task and on budget for non-profit and progressive grassroots clients.

• Direct internal marketing including cohesive voice development and multi-channel inward-bound content including newsletter and blog launch. Drove over 400% increase in LinkedIn followers in 2024.

• Provide business development leadership including nurturing leads, producing proposals and closing new and renewed contracts with prospective and continuing clients.

• Conduct qualitative research on behalf of clients to develop messaging and communications plans with
measurable objectives. Track digital engagement trends and opportunities.

• Create content, creative, and copy for client campaigns, including shared, social, and earned media and press to drive engagement. Select clients include The Grassroots Fund, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Honor the Earth, Mass Budget, Participatory Budget Project, Employee Ownership Equals, and the Ohio Education Association.

• Lead “Office Hours” coordinating support for over 60 climate justice and resilience orgs in New England and the Midwest (Barr Foundation and Midwest Environmental Justice Network)

Current Implement state-wide initiative for all academic institutions in the UT system to build multi-issue bystander intervention initiatives on their campuses.

Develop and implement programming to prevent and address interpersonal violence (sexual violence, relationship violence and stalking) on campus including trainings, events and campaigns for a community of 70,000 people. Oversee program communications including digital and print materials, social media and press inquiries. Advise student organizations, recruit and supervise team of student staff and volunteers. Founded and co-chair BeVocal: The Bystander Intervention Initiative of UT Austin: oversee and participate in assessment (including large cross-sectional surveys with 800+ respondents), curricula and branding development, budget management ($100k annually) and communications. Conduct strategic planning and program evaluation.

Board Member and Trainings Coordinator, coordinate in-person student trainings. Recruit, interview, and supervise staff, interns and volunteers. Develop multi-media teaching tools for the online. Facilitate trainings nationally.

Provide direct service including advocacy, safety planning and counseling to survivors of violent crime, specializing in sexual violence. Track all client contact, maintain case notes and statistical data. Leader in Project Envision Williamsburg, organizing local primary prevention efforts. Present to diverse audiences on intimate partner violence and sexual assault.

Administer large grant to increase submissions to the public policies database. Supervise a team of interns and volunteers. Develop training curricula on sexual assault policy analysis for student activists. Organize and conduct trainings nationwide.

Present to diverse audiences on the topics of anti-bullying and healthy relationships. Create and promote curriculum for teen volunteer and peer-education training. Develop and implement evaluation. Plan annual conference for 200+ teens.