Adena White - Arkansas

Adena J. White is a social-impact storyteller with 15 years of experience in communications and public relations. She founded Blackbelt Media in 2017 to tell the stories of changemakers working to make the South a better place for all. Through Blackbelt Media, Adena co-hosts the Blackbelt Voices podcast and serves as a communications contractor for Excel by Eight and the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative.

Adena obtained a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and journalism from Arkansas Tech University and was inducted into ATU’s Hall of Distinction in 2021 as an Outstanding Young Alumna. She has a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and received the Department of Applied Communication’s “Alumni Making a Difference Award” in 2022. Adena is accredited in public relations through the Public Relations Society of America and is a past president of the Arkansas Chapter of PRSA.