Pro Bono Consultant Profile

Luke Johnstone, Marketing Manager in San Francisco

Background

VP Marketing for Wells Fargo with over 15 years of experience in financial services marketing.

Pro Bono Client & Project

Chinatown Community Development Corporation, Visual Identity & Brand Strategy

What was your Taproot Foundation project experience?

Chinatown Community Development Corporation was a great organization to work with. They were very engaged in the Taproot Foundation project and wanted to be involved in every stage of the process.

How have you grown from your pro bono work?

It was a great opportunity to meet and work with other marketing professionals from different backgrounds and industries, as well as an opportunity to work on an interesting project for an organization that is really helping the community.

What were the biggest challenges?

The only challenge we faced was that the organization was so engaged and had so many stakeholders that decisions required a great deal of discussion, which delayed the project.

How can the business community and nonprofit sector strengthen one another?

Through shared experiences and partnerships come greater knowledge and understanding, benefiting both sectors. Organizations like Taproot Foundation do a great job of bringing these two worlds together and giving individuals with business skills and experience a chance to contribute in a meaningful way - which not only benefits the nonprofit, but allows the individual to really connect with the nonprofit client and gain a greater understanding of what the organization is working toward.

What community issues hit home and what did you learn from the project?

I particularly care about homelessness, substance abuse, and environmental issues. My project was a great opportunity to learn about an important part of the local community - the Chinese community. The rich and colorful history of this important part of our community, whose roots run almost as deep as the city itself, was illuminating and gave me a better understanding of San Francisco.

What do you do when you’re not doing pro bono?

I am actively involved in the music community and help produce a wide range of events.