Brandi Richard Thompson's Linkedin Analytics

Award-winning transformational leader, Brandi has built a career bringing strategic communications acumen to nonprofit, government and corporate organizations. Brandi's authenticity and transparent lived experience brings credibility to her role as trainer, speaker and mentor for the past 25 years. Brandi coaches women of color to embrace their unique brilliance, reframe the challenges they face and translate their powerful lived experience into opportunities for success. She leads a Seat at the Table Leadership and Black Girl Magic School cohort each year and regularly offers an introduction to Black History through the lens of American History. Brandi specializes in coaching black women and those who lead them, drawing on a clear knowledge and study of the unique challenges of black women in America and around the world. Through her years of experience developing leaders for the National Urban League Young Professionals, Brandi also trains high school students, college students and young professionals in how to overcome trauma and failure by growing through them. Brandi also coaches for the Women Leading Women global leadership training program and private clients. During the day, Brandi brings her gifts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, advising leaders, coaching staff and translating government regulations to nonprofit, government and faith partners. Brandi recently served as Interim Director of the DHS Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She has also served as Senior Advisor to the FEMA External Affairs Director and Communications Division Director, Interim External Affairs Director for FEMA Region 6, Public Affairs Officer and spokeswoman for FEMA Region 9, and the co-lead of the FEMA Diversity Management Advisory Council. She is the chair of the San Francisco Bay Area Federal Executive Board Public Affairs Council. She began her FEMA career as a Hurricane Katrina contract call center agent (GS-5) in the TXNPSC and has been a Caseworker, Reports Analyst, Program Analyst, Emergency Management Specialist, Strategic Communications Lead, White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Communication Detailee, New Public Assistance Delivery Model Communication Workstream Lead, and Public Assistance Outreach and Education Coordinator, and Office of Professional Responsibility Detailee in Denton, the District of Columbia, and now Oakland for the last 16 years. During her career, she has worked on every disaster type from wildfire to volcanic eruption.