Vanessa Richmond's Linkedin Analytics

I’m fascinated by identity. How we form our values and beliefs, how those influence our thoughts and actions, and how those inform our conversations and relationships. In my early twenties, as a high school English teacher, I was already interested in identity and conversation, focusing on critical thinking to help students have agency in the world. Then, when I coached the debating and public speaking team, I focused as much on style as content, realizing that how they presented their ideas was as important as what they were saying. Later, as a journalist, I focused on values debates in pop culture. My column, Schlock and Awe, which was often featured in Huffington Post, AlterNet, CKNW and Global TV, showed me that values are a lightning rod — creating more emotional engagement with readers than other kinds of pieces. Now at Vigilantes, which I co-founded in 2012, I focus on distilling complex ideas into clear and intriguing ones, so that companies can have vibrant and effective conversations with real people. My clients have included Hootsuite, Nike, Jim Beam, and local and international purpose-driven businesses. Specialties: values, identity, writing, copywriting, brand, teaching, psychology.