For 12 weeks this summer, the Building Leaders and Creators (BLAC) internship program has shared virtual programming that introduced us to advertising, marketing agency roles, and many Black leaders in the advertising industry. BLAC also provided the opportunity to work in an agency, and we were both selected as interns for the Boundless Life Sciences Group, a healthcare advertising agency based in Austin, Texas.
While we do have an office space, Boundless is fully remote, which provided us the opportunity to truly work “boundlessly” with the flexibility to experience what summer has to offer beyond the day-to-day business of an agency. We attended BLAC workshops and panels highlighting industry leaders, shared our experiences with other participants who were interning at agencies across the country, and found community with people who shared our career aspirations.
Although we were on different brand teams, we worked together to meet client needs and create not one, but two posts for this blog. Samone worked on the project management team, developing timelines, estimates, and slide decks, scheduling important checkpoint meetings, and tracking project progress. Brelynn worked on the creative team, tackling client branding projects, slide decks, and creative pitches. Working with others helped us strengthen our skills in time management, creative problem-solving, and communication. We grew strong connections and received support from not only each other, but our managers and coworkers at the agency.
We wanted to share more about each of our unique experiences at Boundless.
Samone
When I saw the email that I was accepted into the BLAC program, I was elated. I had been studying psychology and health communications at my university, and I found so much joy in the work. I was really looking forward to the opportunity to explore what I had learned in a real-world setting.
Over these past 2 months, I have gained so much knowledge through Boundless and BLAC that I will forever appreciate. From being able to hear from Black individuals leading the advertising world through BLAC programming—such as Neisha Tweed Bell, Kim Williams, and Amirh Davis—to one-on-one conversations with Boundless Chief Executive Officer Kerry Hilton and Chief Commercial Officer Francesco Lucarelli about their backgrounds and journeys, it's been such a rewarding experience.
I appreciate how fast-paced the advertising world is, especially within project management. I got to shadow and be a part of several accounts within the agency and develop timelines, estimates, and status sheets to keep the teams on track. I really leaned into being a sponge this summer, trying to get as much exposure as I could, coming from little to no advertising experience. Overall, I could not recommend the BLAC program enough. There is a need for increased diversity in these spaces, and highlighting companies that want to celebrate and bring in this talent is important.
The BLAC internship program is a great way to get exposure to the field and to understand what it takes to be in the industry. Another notable thing I’d like to mention is the soft skills I’ve retained from this internship. I’ve had the ability to communicate with different types of people, build on my organizational skills, be receptive to feedback, and more. I want to thank BLAC and Boundless Life Sciences for giving me this opportunity, and I can’t wait to see how both organizations grow.
Brelynn
My internship so far at Boundless Life Sciences Group has been nothing short of amazing. Looking for internships for the summer, I had a hard time picking an industry that would help me strengthen my skills as a creative while sparking my interest enough to consider working in that industry long-term. The BLAC program caught my eye because of their mission to expose Black talent to advertising, where we only make up 7% of the industry. This aligned with my passion for seeking Black representation within spaces, especially media and healthcare, which is exactly what I was looking for at that time.
Starting the program, I was nervous, since this was my first advertising internship. But by the end of my first week, I’d heard lots of encouraging words from BLAC panelists and I knew I was on the right path. In my second week in the program, I started at Boundless, where I grew my communication and technical skills by helping create slide decks and lead meetings with my coworkers. My manager, Kat West, became a beloved mentor as I navigated company culture and worked toward deadlines. My favorite thing I’ve worked on so far has been the blog, where I’ve been able to share a bit of my voice and personal art style. I’d like to thank the BLAC program and Boundless for giving me an unforgettable experience in furthering my career as a creative while making meaningful connections that’ll last a lifetime.
