Marketing Professional and Truman Alumna to Deliver Commencement Address

Laura Brooks, co-founder and managing partner of the marketing agency Foundation Collective, will serve as the December commencement speaker.

Foundation Collective specializes in developing actionable go-to-market and brand strategies. In her capacity at the agency, Brooks serves as a fractional chief marketing officer for a diverse range of clients, and she is an advisor and investor to early stage consumer packaged goods companies.  

As a seasoned marketing professional in the consumer packaged goods industry, Brooks’ expertise spans a wide array of leadership, marketing, e-commerce and insights roles, solidifying her reputation as a classically trained marketer. Her career took root at The Clorox Company, where her tenure in a Fortune 500’s brand management department laid the groundwork for her subsequent accomplishments with venture-backed companies.

Brooks’ passion for working with small, mission-driven companies ignited during her role as director of marketing at Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP where she spearheaded the brand’s inaugural national TV advertising campaign. In part to her work, the company was acquired by ConAgra for $250 million in 2018. Brooks’ track record continued to flourish when she assumed the role of vice president of marketing and e-commerce at Solid Gold Pet. Her strategic vision repositioned the brand, sparking a remarkable business turnaround that culminated in the company’s sale to H&H Group in 2020 for $163 million.

This background ultimately led Brooks to embark on the journey of entrepreneurship as co-founder and CEO of Dojo Labs supplements, achieving national distribution with GNC upon launch.

A 2009 graduate of the University, Brooks earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration, with concentrations in marketing and management, along with a minor in psychology. Apart from her career, she works with the Women on Boards Project, a non-profit organization with a mission to facilitate the placement of more women in first-time board seats.