"GLOBAL & LOCAL LEADERSHIP"
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Our February speaker, Kristen Cavallo, was a transformative leader in the advertising industry for 30 years. She made history as the first female CEO of The Martin Agency in 2017. Under her direction, the firm earned recognition as  Ad Age's "Agency of the Year" in 2023. In 2022 she became the CEO of MullenLowe Global, an international advertising and marketing communications agency where she managed nearly 5,000 employees across 20 offices in 13 countries.

She retired in 2024, but like many other encorepreneurs, her retirement didn’t last long. Kelly O’Keefe, a former Encorepreneur speaker, helped persuade Kristen to become the Executive Director of the Branch Museum of Design. The Branch’s mission is to explore the impact of design in everyday life, inspiring individuals and communities to create a more equitable, beautiful, and productive future. Through its exhibits and programs, it aims to spark creativity, joy, and appreciation for design excellence and to advance successful design solutions to better lives.

Outside the office, Kristen is known for her adventurous spirit and commitment to personal growth. A goal Kristen shares with her two kids is to have more stamps in their passports than candles on their birthday cakes. A graduate of JMU, she has traveled to all seven continents with her children, summited Mount Kilimanjaro, and completed many more adventures. Every year she challenges herself to "stare one impossible thing in the face" – think climbing a dormant volcano or committing 50 acts of transformative service.

OUR HOST

The Branch Museum of Design
2501 Monument Avenue

The Branch Museum of Design is housed in the historic Branch House, a stunning Tudor-Revival mansion located at 2501 Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. Designed by renowned architect John Russell Pope in 1916 and completed in 1919, the 27,000-square-foot residence features eleven levels, a chapel-like studio, and fireproofing through concrete floors and masonry walls. The house, which is the only individual Monument Avenue building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, now serves as a museum dedicated to exploring design for the public good. Visitors can explore changing exhibits, attend programs, and enjoy the secluded walled garden, all while experiencing the grandeur of early 20th-century architecture.