Allison Wehrley

I regularly speak for the Innovations in Marketing undergraduate course at New York University, where students are introduced to contemporary and innovative brand and marketing strategies.

Students explore concepts through the lens of design, research and culture.

Each term, I facilitate new thinking among this community of students, with a people-first focus. 

Goal: To inspire students to see the value of the human lens. That much of what we want to understand about innovation and marketing can be uncovered by understanding the way humans perceive their realities. 

Core Values: Curious, empathetic, open-hearted, inspired

Based on the notion that we all have personal passions that we seek to tackle, but can't find the dedicated time to accomplish, my partner and I bring together a small group of people in a space where they can talk, think and help each other develop their personal projects. 

Each month, we hand select a small group to give, receive and leverage our collective talents, so we can transform ideas into something real.

Goal: To move ideas forward by giving and receiving in a way that leverages our collective talents. 

Core Values: Courageous, curious, empathetic

In June 2016, I volunteered for a Syrian refugee camp in Greece. From running a shop to tending a boutique to serving fresh vegetables just before Ramadan and endless shoe sorting, my fellow volunteers and I provided immediate and flexible support to make life more comfortable, improve health and work towards finding the refugees a new home. 

Commonalities around shared experiences and around the need to share stories, formed community. Everyone had a relative in Germany. Everyone was trying to get a placement interview with the UN. And everyone had lost multiple family members.

Because my stay was short, but my connection to the refugees, volunteers and staff was life changing, I wrote a digital strategy to help the NGO achieve its goals around fundraising and scaling. I approached the strategy through the camp’s core story.

Goal: To support a temporary community for refugees that leveraged stories, spirit and shared experiences to lovingly guide refugees towards a new home. 

Core Values: Determination, reciprocity, immediacy

In 2012, I completed a Masters of Science in Digital Anthropology from University College of London (UCL). 

I spent much of my time with startup CEOs and London’s Angel investors studying their artifacts and networks. 

I discovered that London’s startup investment community was archaic compared to other markets of its size. I found that open Angel networks were critical to societal and technological innovation and that the motivations behind investment decisions were hindering network evolution. 

Goal: To examine London’s Angel investment community and explain its identity, influences and its potential for evolution. 

Core Values: Immediacy, intentionality, curiosity

I've traveled and all over the world, not only heavily immersing myself in diverse cultures, but fostering community through a range of cross cultural channels. 

In 2016, I led insights and data strategic integration across Mastercard Europe for its UEFA campaign, in order to bring global football fans together through Priceless connections. 

In 2012, as the marketing director for London-based citizen journalism platform, Demotix, I worked towards defining a stronger purpose to strengthen the publishing community, creating partnerships with large media outlets that would bring more value to the community and grow the readership to scale the community’s voice. 

In Egypt, I helped a tourism company better target, message and grow its American and European community advocates after the Arab Spring.  

As an avid member of the Airbnb traveler and host communities, I've helped several global Airbnb hosts re-think the experience they were providing through the lens of defining their own global community. 

Goals: To foster community by remaining open to possibility and embracing connection in expected and unconventional places. 

Core Values: Nurturing, open-hearted, celebratory

For the past three years, I've journeyed into the Nevada desert with an ethos towards radical self-expression, immediacy and community. Each year,  I contribute to both the larger burner community and my camp's micro community, evolving my experience with a commitment to building early and gifting often. 

This year, I cycled to the ends of the burning man earth with a massage table, gifting free energy to burners in need. Roving bartenders, artists, sunset admirers and bikers gathered for connection, stories and gratitude. 

At the end of the massage, I asked each burner to consider how they could pay this experience forward in an unexpected moment. 

Goal: To create an open hearted experience that motivates recipients to change some aspect of their day/moment/life so it enhances the spirit of others. To achieve being through doing. 

Core values: Camaraderie, mindfulness, reciprocity