By Elise Robinson, Director of Marketing & Communications, Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs
I spent more than two decades chasing the truth in some of the most respected newsrooms in the country: HLN, CNN, theGrio. I’ve sat on sets and inside control rooms, in war rooms and in makeup chairs, shaping the day’s headlines, elevating the overlooked, and amplifying voices that deserved to be heard. That same journalistic instinct, to ask the right questions, to tell the deeper story now fuels the work I do at RICE.
This time, though, I’m not chasing headlines. I’m chasing impact.
RICE is a place where small businesses learn to grow. It’s also a cultural institution grounded in legacy and built for generational impact. The work of communicating RICE’s value requires cultural discernment, historical awareness, and a deep commitment to equity.
Too often, the stories of Black entrepreneurs are diluted or disregarded altogether. Their innovation is overlooked, their leadership questioned, and their market influence underestimated. At RICE, part of my responsibility is to correct that distortion. Not only by promoting our Stakeholders’ successes, but by contextualizing them within the broader story of Black economic resilience. In this sense, storytelling is not an accessory to our mission; it is central to our strategy.
Before I joined RICE, I built my own communications consultancy, advising changemakers and founders on how to sharpen their message and communicate with purpose. That entrepreneurial experience remains essential to how I lead. I understand firsthand the challenges of being a small business owner, particularly as a Black woman navigating both expectation and exclusion. That proximity informs my approach. It ensures that our communications at RICE remain rooted in the real experiences of those we serve.
When I arrived, I did so as Director. Within a few months, I started leading the MarComms department. The elevation was not about title alone; it was about experience AND capacity. It reflected both the urgency of the stories that need to be told and the recognition that this work requires thoughtful, senior-level leadership. At present, we are capturing only a fraction of what happens inside this institution. The volume of untold stories and undocumented progress is considerable. That will change.
As our CEO Jay Bailey often reminds us, “We are not trying to make this space popular. We are trying to make it populated.” In my view, the most effective way to populate a space, particularly one serving the needs of historically marginalized entrepreneurs, is through trust, transparency, and repeated visibility. People must see themselves reflected here. And once they do, they must be invited to step in, contribute, and grow.
There is still much to build. My team and I are laying the groundwork for a communications operation that does more than inform; it will convene, connect, and create access. We intend to shape a national conversation around Black enterprise; one that is rigorous, accurate, and appropriately resourced. As we expand our internal capacity, we will continue to elevate the voices of our Stakeholders in ways that feel both culturally authentic and institutionally sound.
The stories are here. They are abundant, textured, and instructive. What is required now is the sustained effort to tell them with the clarity and color they deserve.
That is the work ahead. I am proud to help lead it.
As seen in AcknowledgeMINT’s 2025 special edition with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs.
