Sean Stokes believes that the most pressing social challenges aren’t just solved with data—they are solved with stories that people actually trust. As a social impact strategist and communications leader, he builds the bridge between complex information and human connection to advance equity in health, the arts, and culture.

At FEMA, he led external affairs, working across government, media, and the public to support disaster survivors in their most critical moments. As Communications Director at the Ad Council, he harnessed the power of national PSAs to address the country’s most urgent social issues. In the South Bronx, he led pandemic communications for a Federally Qualified Health Center, turning public health data into community-led outreach that expanded vaccine access and saved lives.

His approach is rooted in his early career in journalism at Voice of America and later in New York’s performing arts scene. These experiences taught him how to engage diverse audiences and center the human experiences that shape his work today.

Sean holds an M.S. in Community Health Education from Columbia University and a B.A. in Journalism & Dramatic Art from UNC-Chapel Hill. As a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®), he blends creative instinct with public health rigor to help organizations navigate today’s social landscape and drive measurable, lasting progress.