Dionna
Smith
Speaker • Trainer • Consultant
Award-winning crisis communications strategist, author, and speaker advising executives and public leaders on strategic communications, public affairs, and leadership in high-stakes moments.
Dionna is known for breaking barriers, including being one of the few Black women to reach the tech C-suite, and now leading communications for one of the largest local governments in the Southeast, she knows the power of story.
Dionna is a crisis communications strategist, author, and trusted advisor to executives, public leaders, and organizations navigating high-stakes moments where trust, reputation, and leadership are on the line. Her work focuses on helping leaders communicate with clarity and confidence when scrutiny is high and the consequences are real.
She is the author of On the Record: A Practical Guide to Crisis Communication for Executives and Public Leaders, a leadership guide that equips decision-makers with a practical framework for communicating when facts are incomplete and trust must be protected.
A sought-after spokesperson and speaker, Dionna has presented at SXSW, SHRM, the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL), and many others. She has served as a trusted advisor on federal and state EdTech policy and has been featured on national platforms such as C-SPAN, NPR, Fast Company, CNN Money, Forbes, and EdTech Magazine.
Throughout her career, she has worked with some of the world's most recognized brands, including Thumbtack, Cisco, Fiserv, LexisNexis, and Delta Air Lines.
Recognized as a thought leader and media contributor, Dionna's accolades include the Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 Under 40 Award, the National Diversity Council's Diversity Champion Award, the Top 100 Chief Diversity Officers in Tech Award, and Leader of the Year in 2023 by the American Consortium for Equity in Education.
Dionna attended Howard University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Arts from Tulane University. Active in the community, she serves on the advisory board of PowerToFly and the Board of Directors for the Pathway Community Foundation. She and her family live in Atlanta, Georgia.
DIONNA SMITH
What's the story behind
If you don't
own your story,
someone else will!
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CAPABILITIES
Skills and
I equip leaders, executives, and public officials to master the moments that matter most: the speech, the interview, the crisis, the turning point.
Help executives and public leaders communicate with clarity, credibility, and confidence when the stakes are highest, to ensure that trust is protected, leadership is strengthened, and the public record reflects the best of who they are.
If you don’t own your story,
someone else will!
My main focus will always be
MY MISSION
"
I’ve been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, CNN Money, C-SPAN, NPR, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
I’ve spoken on national stages including SXSW, SHRM, the Grace Hopper Celebration, and the National Organization of Black Elected Legislators.
And I’ve prepared countless executives and political figures for their own high-stakes appearances — equipping them to deliver with clarity, confidence, and credibility.
STAGES
Media and
If you don't
own your story,
someone else will!
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Your story is your strategy. Mine is proof!
AS SEEN ON
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TRUSTED SPEAKER
WORKED WITH
