AMA PDX Agency Storytelling: Bruna Mesquita on Creative Nonprofit Marketing
Dive into this interview with Bruna Mesquita to learn more about her experience volunteering with AMA PDX Agency so far.
This month, we’re shining our spotlight on Bruna, a seasoned marketing leader with more than 15 years of experience driving global campaigns, product launches, and demand generation. Based in Brazil, Bruna brought her strategic expertise to the AMA PDX Agency program as an Agency Associate—collaborating with a team of volunteers to support Wonderfolk, a Portland nonprofit that empowers BIPOC youth through leadership programs in the arts, nature, and community service.
With a background in brand positioning and audience-focused communications, Bruna played a key role in shaping Wonderfolk’s revamped messaging, creating tools to help the organization connect more effectively with diverse audiences, and linking every deliverable to clear, measurable outcomes.
Hear directly from Bruna about her experience with AMA PDX Agency.
Q: Can you introduce yourself and your role in the agency program?
A: I am Bruna Mesquita, and I live in Brazil. I have been working in marketing for over 15 years, focusing on driving growth and brand value through GTM execution, demand generation, and global product rollout projects. Today, as a Senior Integrated Marketing Manager at TP, I lead the planning and execution of global marketing campaigns, managing the production of promotional and sales enablement materials to support local marketing teams, leverage their growth strategies, and empower sales teams with product materials aligned with our brand positioning.
I bring this experience to my work as an agency associate volunteer, supporting AMA PDX with strategic marketing insights and impactful communication initiatives for nonprofit clients.
Q: Can you describe what AMA PDX Agency is?
A: AMA PDX Agency connects nonprofit organizations with marketing professionals who work with them to achieve their strategic goals. In my role as an agency associate volunteer, I worked cross-functionally with peers to plan, define, and deliver marketing materials that directly supported the objectives of the non-profit organization I was assigned to. It was also a great opportunity to grow my professional network while giving back to the communities.
Q: Why did you sign up to volunteer with AMA PDX Agency?
A: Last year, while traveling in the USA, I had the opportunity to visit Oregon and learn about the initiatives of nonprofit organizations. As a member of the American Marketing Association, I discovered local chapters and the volunteer projects they run, so I chose AMA PDX to provide my professional expertise to a nonprofit organization in Oregon while improving my skills.
Q: Which nonprofit client are you working with this season? What are they aiming to achieve?
A: The project I am working on is Wonderfolk. They provide leadership programs for BIPOC young people, developing their hard and soft skills to lead projects in their communities while giving them a sense of belonging. Their main goal is to be more data-driven in their communication to achieve their long-term objectives by increasing the year-over-year cohort size.
Q: What have you worked on for Wonderfolk so far?
A: In the past few weeks, we have focused on the phase two deliverables of the project — creating a messaging guide, several audience-specific one-pagers, audience toolkit, and elevator pitch phrases for Wonderfolk. I mainly focused on the last two due to my experience creating materials that align with brand positioning and specific target audiences.
Q: Have there been any unexpected challenges in the process?
A: I think the main challenge we faced was receiving feedback that the deliverables were not clear to a board member of the organization who joined the conversation in the middle of the project. This unexpected observation made us rethink how we could clarify what we would deliver and how the materials provided could be used to meet each of the goals shared by Wonderfolk.
To tackle the issue, our team reviewed each goal and KPI shared by Wonderfolk and linked them directly to each deliverable. From this analysis, we developed the Evidence Matrix — a document compiling data points from multiple sources to support Wonderfolk’s brand messaging with credible proof. It includes metrics, quotes, testimonials, and statements organized by thematic pillars, supporting themes, and target audiences. With source links for transparency, it serves as a tool to create data-driven stories, tailor messages for different stakeholders, and strengthen brand credibility through consistent, evidence-backed communication.
The document helped us connect the phase two deliverables while clearly showing the stakeholder the assets we would share with Wonderfolk and how they could be used to achieve each of the organization’s defined goals.
Q: What have you learned from your experience with AMA PDX Agency?
A: I’d say my biggest takeaway was learning how to work with non-profit organizations, finding creative solutions even with limited resources and collaborating with a diverse team of marketing professionals. The AMA PDX project leaders were amazing, they guided us through the whole process with confidence and made everything feel smooth and easy to follow.
Get Involved
Bruna’s work with AMA PDX Agency is a reminder that expertise knows no borders. By applying her professional skills to a pro bono project in another country, she not only helped Wonderfolk strengthen its brand credibility but also learned how to adapt her approach to a nonprofit environment.
If you’re seeking to use your marketing skills in a more impactful way—whether you’re local to Portland or across the globe—the AMA PDX Agency program offers a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference.
Follow along on the AMA PDX blog and social channels for updates on our volunteers in action.