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Natalie Marie Byrne

Founder of blank space I Legacy, Impact & Brand Purpose Strategist Speaker I Founder Whisperer I Cross Cultural Advisor

Natalie Marie Byrne is the founder and CEO of blank space, an impact strategy firm that specializes in brand purpose strategy, capital deployment, partnerships, and global communications.12 As a leader in shaping legacy and impact, Natalie works with a diverse range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, brands, foundations, CEOs, celebrities, and thought leaders who aim to create a positive impact on the world.1

Professional Background

Natalie founded blank space in 2018 after working for decades in the impact space.3 The firm offers a variety of services, including:

  • Brand DNA and positioning
  • Impact strategy development
  • Organization and culture alignment
  • Global communications and marketing tools
  • Thought leadership and advocacy
  • Coalition and industry ecosystem building
  • Investment and funding strategy2

Notable Achievements

Coalition Building:: Natalie developed the Healthy Living Coalition, a global alliance of over 30 companies addressing nutrition gaps and food insecurity. This initiative includes major corporations such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Chobani, Beyond Meat, and Grubhub.1

Global Recognition:: She has been recognized as a 'Tastemaker' and the 'Founder Whisperer' for her work in executive coaching for legacy and thought leadership.1 Natalie was also a White House & State Department Global Entrepreneurship Delegate under President Obama.1

United Nations Advisor:: Natalie advises the UN on integrating business leadership into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on areas such as gender equity and food systems.1

Speaking Engagements

As a seasoned speaker, Natalie travels globally to inspire audiences and share her expertise on impact and legacy. She has spoken at numerous high-profile events and venues, including:

  • SXSW
  • United Nations
  • Cannes
  • Sundance
  • The White House1

Her insights have been featured in major publications such as The Guardian, New York Times, and Vox.1

Through her work at blank space and her speaking engagements, Natalie Byrne continues to inspire and guide individuals and organizations in creating meaningful impact and building lasting legacies.

Highlights

Aug 30 · linkedin

On the other side of both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, I was interested to see the amount of media and cultural focus on three things:

  • Business sponsorships of the DNC and RNC
  • If sponsorship amounts to political partisanship 
  • If companies should be entirely apolitical moving forward   Given the huge pullback of money from brands during the RNC, Scripps News invited me on their broadcast to discuss these topics.    Put most simply, I urged all companies to “DO THE WORK” consistently rather than selectively.

What does “doing the work” mean?

It requires the leadership team to establish business value alignment across all business functions by encompassing the following imperatives:

  • Who you are as a brand ?
  • Why you matter to your customer ?
  • What your value proposition is ?
  • Why your tribe of employees, consumers and communities should care?   When you meet these imperatives consistently, rather than an on-again-off-again basis, you create legacy and longevity in the marketplace.

This leads to business growth and garners positive public attention and momentum.

Do this, and you can plug into the conventions in an authentic way.

Ultimately, the spotlight that comes with sponsoring any convention, conference or event is not what’s most important…

Rather focusing on the ways you can contribute to the communities you serve in ways that make them better in the long run – that’s what matters. We do this by being issue-driven around big ideas that affect us all on the societal and personal level, i.e., education, nutrition, safety.

This is “doing the work”.

And “doing the work” PAYS OFF.

Oct 28 · linkedin

Congrats on the official launch of #BasBlue! Could not be more proud to have worked alongside BasBlue’s team of incredible women to support their foundation strategy. Beyond providing a space for women to connect, they are doing amazing work for the women #entrepreneurs of #Detroit by giving access to resources like mentorship, education and grants to grow their businesses. Stay tuned, there’s more in store, we are just getting started!    Check out this great interview #Bloomberg did with the incredible @NancyTellem & Natacha Hildebrand - https://lnkd.in/gj5ZRjtB #communitybuilding #femalefounders

Related Questions

What inspired Natalie Byrne to start blank space?
How does Natalie Byrne's work with the UN impact her strategies at blank space?
What are some notable projects Natalie Byrne has led at blank space?
How does Natalie Byrne's approach to brand purpose differ from traditional marketing strategies?
What is the Healthy Living Coalition, and how did Natalie Byrne develop it?
Natalie Marie Byrne
Natalie Marie Byrne, photo 1
Natalie Marie Byrne, photo 2
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Location

Marina del Rey, California, United States