The CLIMB: Navigating Corporate Like a Person of Privilege

Watchen Nyanue is an accomplished speaker, entrepreneur, and strategic marketing and business development expert from Liberia, who resides in Chicago. As an advocate for female leadership and empowerment, Watchen has more than 12 years of executive experience, where she has excelled as a business strategy leader who understands the importance of building relationships and capitalizing on a firm “it” factor to take organizations to the next level.

In her current role as the Vice President of Marketing Partnerships for the WNBA Chicago Sky, Watchen leads the team responsible for securing corporate sponsorship deals and marketing the brand to fans through events and community activations.

She is also the Founder of I Choose the Ladder, a company focused on curating content and experiences for Black women on the corporate climb. In March 2019, the company’s The CLIMB career summit for Black women brought together more than often stands in between black women and their next career move on the corporate ladder.

Prior to her roles at the Chicago Sky and I Choose the Ladder, Watchen held positions at several world-renowned companies in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, including Comedy Central, Hearst Digital, Yahoo!, and Johnson Publishing Company.

Watchen has been recognized as a Chicago Scholars 35 Under 35 Honoree, a 2018 Chicago Business Journal Woman of Influence Honoree, a Biz Women 2018 Headliner, and a 2019 Black Women’s Expo, Presented by BET Her, Phenomenal Woman Honoree. Additionally, her work has been featured in EBONY and on Windy City Live, WGN, and Chi at a Glance.

Watchen holds a Bachelor’s degree in communication from DePauw University and is currently pursuing her MBA at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

When she isn’t immersed in her career or speaking on professional/career development for millennial women of color, Watchen serves on the Board of Trustees for the Associated Colleges of Illinois and The NextGen group of UNICEF, and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, game nights, documentaries, and a good margarita.