Chad Easterling

Brand and marketing expert Chad Easterling is the co-founder and CEO of Obsidianworks, a culture-powered marketing agency he co-founded with business partner Michael B. Jordan in November 2020. Obsidianworks is a full-service advertising and marketing agency that reflects Easterling and Jordan’s diverse upbringings, specializing in cultural connectivity through brand strategy, as well as digital and social impact. Working closely with their talent and brand partners, Obsidianworks creates and executes innovative and culturally resonant campaigns and activations that connect with multicultural consumers. Their roster of clients includes notable companies such as Target, Legacy Classic, Meta, and Marriott. In powerful keynote remarks and moderated conversations, Easterling offers insights and tangible takeaways that make an impact with audiences.

Prior to partnering with Jordan, Easterling spent more than a decade at Nike, working across several categories and territories including both Nike and the Jordan Brand. While there, he spearheaded key brand moments and disruptive campaigns, including World Basketball Festival, All-Star Weekends, and "Basketball Never Stops", as well as built robust strategies for key signature athletes and products, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, and Zion Williamson. Understanding the role that Nike plays in inner cities and the powerful impact those communities have on culture, Easterling effectively helped connect and establish both brands on a grassroots level through Summer Leagues, high school basketball, NBA, and most importantly, throughout the community. Easterling offers his expertise on topics ranging from the importance of representation to impacting the culture in uplifting ways, and motivates audiences to welcome diverse and multicultural perspectives in branding and business.

A graduate of Hampton University, Easterling earned his degree with honors in Sport Management in 2009. During his time at university, he was a member of the Men’s Basketball team and served on the SAAC Committee. This background not only shaped his professional trajectory but also his commitment to sports and marketing. His work focuses on creating mission-driven strategies that reflect both internal team culture and external goals, emphasizing the importance of representation and the impact of diverse, multicultural perspectives in branding and marketing.