Chad Easterling

EXCLUSIVE
  • Co-Founder and CEO of Obsidianworks - a culture-powered marketing agency
  • Client Roster Includes Target, Legacy Classic, Meta, Marriott and More
  • Worked at Nike for a Decade - spearheading disruptive campaigns
  • Expert in Cultural Connectivity Through Brand Strategy, Digital and Social Impact

Brand and marketing expert Chad Easterling is the co-Founder and CEO of Obsidianworks, a culture-powered marketing agency he co-founded with business partner Michael B. Jordan. Obsidianworks is a full-service advertising and marketing agency that reflects Easterling and Jordan’s diverse upbringings, specializing in cultural connectivity through brand strategy, as well as digital and social impact. Working closely with their talent and brand partners, Obsidianworks creates and executes innovative and culturally resonant campaigns and activations that connect with multicultural consumers. Their roster of clients includes Target, Legacy Classic, Meta, Marriott, and more. In powerful keynote remarks and moderated conversations, Easterling offers insights and tangible takeaways that make an impact with audiences.

Prior to partnering with Jordan, Easterling spent more than a decade at Nike, working across several categories and territories including both Nike and the Jordan Brand. While there, he spearheaded key brand moments and disruptive campaigns, including World Basketball Festival, All-Star Weekends, and Basketball Never Stops, as well as built robust strategies for key signature athletes and products, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook and Zion Williamson. Understanding the role that Nike plays in inner cities and the powerful impact those communities have on culture, Easterling effectively helped connect and establish both brands on a grassroots level through Summer Leagues, high school basketball, NBA, and most importantly, throughout the community. Easterling offers his expertise on topics ranging from the importance of representation to impacting the culture in uplifting ways, and motivates audiences to welcome diverse and multicultural perspectives in branding and business.

 

Chad Easterling  headshot
Talks & Conversations with Chad Easterling
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Impacting the Culture in an Uplifting Way

In keynote remarks followed by an insightful moderated conversation, Obsidianworks CEO CHAD EASTERLING shares key takeaways on creating a mission-driven strategy. Easterling illuminates how internal team and workplace culture reflects external goals for impact, offering guidance on how to build an u ...

In keynote remarks followed by an insightful moderated conversation, Obsidianworks CEO CHAD EASTERLING shares key takeaways on creating a mission-driven strategy. Easterling illuminates how internal team and workplace culture reflects external goals for impact, offering guidance on how to build an uplifting workplace that embodies your organization’s mission.

The Importance of Representation

In this program of keynote remarks followed by a moderated conversation, CHAD EASTERLING – marketing expert and CEO of Obsidianworks – unpacks how feeling represented is just as important as seeing representation, because to see and feel it means that you are being heard and acknowledged. ...

In this program of keynote remarks followed by a moderated conversation, CHAD EASTERLING – marketing expert and CEO of Obsidianworks – unpacks how feeling represented is just as important as seeing representation, because to see and feel it means that you are being heard and acknowledged.

Welcoming Diverse, Multicultural Perspectives in Branding

In this informative and engaging talk, CHAD EASTERLING reveals why brands need to begin to not only look at the demographics, but the psychographics as well. Easterling, the co-Founder and CEO of Obsidianworks, shares that no one race is monolithic and empowers audiences to transform their storytell ...

In this informative and engaging talk, CHAD EASTERLING reveals why brands need to begin to not only look at the demographics, but the psychographics as well. Easterling, the co-Founder and CEO of Obsidianworks, shares that no one race is monolithic and empowers audiences to transform their storytelling in marketing and branding to create more impactful ads and campaigns through diverse, multicultural perspectives.

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Biography

Chad Easterling is CEO of Obsidianworks, a culture-powered marketing agency he co-founded with business partner, Michael B. Jordan. Founded in November 2020, the company specializes in cultural connectivity through brand strategy, digital and social impact. 

Obsidianworks was built out of the desire to establish a full-service advertising and marketing agency reflective of Easterling and Jordan’s diverse upbringings. Working closely with their talent and brand partners, Obsidianworks creates and executes innovative and culturally resonant campaigns and activations that connect with multicultural consumers. Their roster of clients includes Target, Legacy Classic, Meta, Marriott and more. 

Easterling is an experienced marketer, overseeing Jordan’s holistic brand strategy and partnership portfolio. Prior to partnering with Jordan, Easterling spent more than a decade at Nike, working across several categories and territories including both Nike and the Jordan Brand. While there, he spearheaded key brand moments and disruptive campaigns, including World Basketball Festival, All-Star Weekends and Basketball Never Stops, as well as built robust strategies for key signature athletes and products, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook and Zion Williamson. 

Understanding the role that Nike plays in inner cities and the powerful impact those communities have on culture, Easterling effectively helped connect and establish both brands on a grassroots level through Summer Leagues, high school basketball, NBA, and most importantly, throughout the community.

Chad is a proud to have attended Hampton University, where he received his degree in Sport Management, graduating with honors in 2009. While at Hampton, Easterling was a member of the Men’s Basketball team and served on the SAAC Committee.