LaRissa Lawrie
LaRissa Lawrie
Strategist, Creator, Journalist,

Hello there, I’m LaRissa Lawrie

I’m a design-thinking enthusiast, avid outdoorswoman, and amateur baker. I offer product and project management, content creation, and social media marketing services. I'm a passionate marketing and branding strategist, researcher, and communication specialist with a strong background at the intersection of technology, media, and business.

I was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. I earned a B.A. in Strategic Communication from Wichita State University in 2017. I’m a Spring 2016 University Innovation Fellow with the Stanford D. School, in 2017 – I was awarded Salon's Young Americans Fellowship, and I am a 2019 Venture for America Fellow.

I have a Master of Arts in Communication from Wichita State University where my thesis focused on social media sharing. I'm currently a journalism Ph.D. candidate at the University of Missouri, where I also teach strategic communication and journalism courses as an instructor. My research expertise includes social media, misinformation, health and science communication, and innovation. In specific, how people interact with information from media psychology, media sociology, and public health perspectives. My dissertation is on information processing.

As a freelancer, I've honed my skills in creating tailored marketing strategies, managing social media campaigns, and conducting market research. My professional journey includes helping launch health and wellness brands, coordinating operations at a consumer product goods manufacturer and distributor, and creating technical white papers for SaaS companies.

I'm a strong advocate for innovation and entrepreneurship, serving as a University Innovation Fellow, a Salon Media Group Young Americans Journalism Fellow, and a Venture for America Fellow. I love giving back by teaching design thinking and creativity workshops, volunteering with Venture for America, and mentoring.

I have expertise in Social Media Marketing, Brand Development, Research & Data Analysis, Project Management, Digital Media & Google Ads, Copywriting & Editing, and Public Speaking. My proficiency in technical marketing, SEO, SMO, and various software like InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator allows me to create engaging content and implement effective marketing strategies.

Collaboration and adaptability are two of my strongest qualities. I've had the opportunity to work with cross-functional teams, streamlining marketing operations, and ensuring seamless product launches and brand growth. As a team player, I'm always eager to learn from others and contribute to a positive and productive work environment.

Looking to hire me or inquire about the services that I offer? Send me an email at larissa@lawriecreative.com

Some Nice Words About Me:

 

  • “Incredibly talented and driven' is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about LaRissa. I had the pleasure of working with LaRissa for one year at Ennovar, where we often collaborated on projects. I was always amazed by LaRissa's ability to translate abstract engineering concepts into easy-to-read and visual content. As a team member or a leader, LaRissa earns my recommendation.” – Jacob Klitzke

  • “I have truly benefited from the expertise and advice of LaRissa Lawrie for my strategic branding and social media efforts. She is such a sharp young professional. As I have progressed in my business, we have reconnected to discuss future strategies. Encouraging and insightful, I highly recommend LaRissa to anyone who needs guidance navigating their personal brand management.” – Dawn Monroe

  • “LaRissa and I worked together for Shocker Startup during the 2015-2016 school year. Her strategic mindset helped our organization develop successful programming while keeping Shocker Startup's goals as the main focus. She has a natural curiosity that lends well to solving complex problems with attainable solutions. Her skills as a communicator and marketer were made evident while working with high profile entrepreneurs and booking them to speak at Shocker Startup events. She built fruitful relationships with community members and university faculty to aid our organization. I highly recommend LaRissa for anyone seeking a creative and strategic thinker. I've greatly enjoyed working with LaRissa and have learned a great deal from her.” - Kaitlin Foley

  • “LaRissa Lawrie was part of our first KMUW News Lab intern program. She could do it all: report, write for broadcast, write for digital, take photos and promote her work through social media. We tapped into LaRissa’s photo skills extensively for our digital news site on kmuw.org. LaRissa covered city and county government for us, in addition to other topics. She also played a key role in our primary election coverage, including working on election night. In short, she is skilled in many areas and is going to be a good hire for someone.” - Tom Shine

  • LaRissa Lawrie is a talented presenter who reveals an in-depth intellectual and timely understanding of social media and the internet. She presented concise and well-researched data mixed with ideas for surviving an onslaught of information over which we seem to have little control. She left her audience impressed and in good humor with a hopeful imperative to be good digital shepherds whenever possible.” - Shannon Littlejohn

 

Speaking

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I’ve been asked to speak about media, millennials, fake news, empathy, public speaking, communication, culture, and technology. In the past, I’ve spoken at organizational meetings, conferences, and other events about my work in the innovation and entrepreneurship spaces, about how to reach out to high achieving millennials, and about bridging the gap between liberal arts professionals and engineering professionals. I also love moderating and conducting live interviews with experts and authors.

To have me speak at your meeting or event, email me directly. 

You can see a list of my recent speaking engagements on my C.V.

 
 
 

I Recommend

MY COLLABORATORS

PEOPLE WHO HAVE BOOSTED MY CAREER

  • Gary Brooking, who took a chance on me and nominated a liberal arts major for an innovation and entrepreneurship fellowship

  • Alan Snyder, who hired me to work in a computer lab with a group of software developers

  • Laura York Guy, who gave me a journalism scholarship in 2013 and told me that digital marketing and journalism would be the future

  • Dr. Carl “Doc” Isaacson, who taught me to fight the good fight and hired me to run a college newspaper

  • Frank Ballew, who said yes when I needed an on-campus job and let me ask questions about publications for a year

  • Sandy Sipes, who taught me to be my own advocate in my career

  • Mary Elizabeth Williams, who provided journalism mentorship and a national perspective on local issues

  • Tom Shine, who hired me for a journalism summer internship and taught me to write for the radio

  • Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, who wrote me a recommendation and taught me how to run a design thinking workshop

  • Dr. Pat Dooley, who agreed to be my thesis advisor and get on a few airplanes with me

  • David Neundorfer and Oscar Hackett, who taught me what excellence in entrepreneurship looks like

  • Patrick Baskin, who provided an education in consumer packaged goods marketing

  • Shuhua Zhou, who agreed to be my dissertation advisor and taught me about media psychology

  • Earnest Perry, who helped me navigate doctoral school and helped me find funding for my dissertation

ORGANIZATIONS I SUPPORT

  • HumanKind Ministries, is a nonprofit that brings people together to provide shelter, food, and basic needs to the homeless and those living in poverty.

  • The Bail Project, is a national nonprofit organization that pays bail for people in need, reuniting families and restoring the presumption of innocence.

COOL CREATIVES

NEWSLETTERS I ALWAYS OPEN

BUSINESSES I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE ELSE TO START 

  • Some way for me to find and connect with the alumni that are doing jobs relevant to my degree and/or career field. Seriously, a way for a college student who is about to graduate to go in and be able to find alumni of their university who might have connections in order to get them a job. I know it’s a logistical nightmare but why go into student debt if you can’t connect with the C-suite executives who graduated from your school? I’d pay for the tool now, and I would have paid double for it when I graduated from undergrad.

  • A store (or e-commerce site) called “The Guest” which stocks size-inclusive outfits and dresses for specific niche occasions. For instance, there would be a section for “Spouses Office Work Party” and another section for “Wedding Guest”. A lot of stores do “special occasions” but they generally include few appropriate outfits and even fewer plus size options.

  • A 24/Hour Ice Cream and Coffee Shop, I’m mostly suggesting this for the 2 a.m. milkshakes.

  • A Warby Parker-esc online shoe store that’s based on the actual measurements and size of your feet and you can custom order shoes. Mostly because shoe shopping can be difficult (I wear a size 10) and I support anything that makes it easier.

Inspired by Ann Friedman and Call Your Girlfriend Podcast