BOLD’s 6th Annual ComCon Inspires FIU Panthers to ‘Make Their Mark’
On Tuesday, March 21st, BOLD held its 6th Annual ComCon! This is a time in which everyone can come together to celebrate the field of communications. The theme that was chosen this year was Make Your Mark. Through this, BOLD’s goal was to highlight industry professionals who have managed to ‘Make Their Mark’ within their careers and inspire current FIU Panthers to do the same. BOLD had the honor of hosting Carla Santiago and Jared Edelstein as the two guest speakers for ComCon.
Carla Santiago is currently General Manager for Edelman here in Miami. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Santiago came to the US to get her bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She then went on to get her Masters in Public Relations and Corporate Communications at New York University. Throughout her career, Santiago has worked closely with the Latin and Hispanic markets for brands. Prior to working for Edelman, she was at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, P&G, and FleishmanHillard Miami. There are many ways in which she ‘Made Her Mark’ within all her roles, the most notable one being that she recently won the Edelman Global Culture Awards. Santiago cherishes this award the most because she was nominated by her colleagues and it highlights how impactful her leadership has been to her team. All in all, Carla Santiago showcased how she got to where she is now, any challenges she had to overcome, and how she managed to balance her life.
Jared Edelstein is currently the Brand Communications Manager and Senior Copywriter for the Miami Heat and has been working there since 2019. Edelstein delivered his presentation in an interactive TEDTalk style, introducing himself as having studied Advertising and Psychology at Florida State University. After FSU, he went on to work for a Public Relations firm where he worked for brands such as Dunkin’ Donuts and Burger 21. After that, Edelstein went on to work for Zimmerman and had the opportunity to work for brands such as McDonald’s and Spirit Airlines. Jared’s Make Your Mark moment occurred in his current role with the Miami Heat. As the Senior Copywriter, Edelstein has been able to introduce new concepts for the team’s iconic uniforms! His presentation gave a brief rundown as to what the uniforms looked like to what they are now. Edelstein was also able to express the meaning behind these concepts and what they represent. His day-to-day within his role involves working for the Miami Heat, Court Culture, and the Miami-Dade Arena. Overall, Jared Edelstein was able to showcase what it means to be a Copywriter and how to make your mark!
As per usual, after each of the guest speakers finished their presentation, each was given approximately 15 minutes to conduct a Q&A session. This was a time when attendees could gain insight and figure out what they would like to pursue one day. It was a very engaging time where everyone was able to connect with one another. The BOLD agency is thankful to have been able to bring on Carla Santiago and Jared Edelstein to encourage Panthers to pursue a career in communications!
Click here to connect with Carla Santiago and Jared Edelstein!
BOLD is a student-run strategic communications agency at Florida International University. Click here to learn more.
Written by: Jefrany D’catry, Director of Public Relations