author * equity
Hi! I’m Colin ✍🏻
I’m a Chicago-based writer, ad creative, poet, and hobby songwriter.
I refine understanding so that more of the people you want to connect with — want what you’ve got. Especially when what you’ve got does them good.
I work with people to untangle their organization’s messaging and bridge communication gaps.
I’m passionate about partnerships centered on social impact work and arts + culture.
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Grateful to serve as the Director of Communications at Vera Creative.
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Copywriting • Creative Strategy • Verbal Identity • Strategic Communications • Marketing + Branding Consultation
Projects
THE PEOPLE’S MAP
Change IL - Redistricting Reform
Building a grassroots movement to fight gerrymandering and put redistricting power back in the hands of Chicagoans.
The Challenge
For generations, Chicago’s ward maps were drawn behind closed doors, shaped by political deals rather than community needs. Residents were left divided, underrepresented, and silenced. CHANGE Illinois and the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Council needed a campaign that could cut through political complexity, educate communities, and mobilize everyday Chicagoans to demand a transparent, people-first process.
The Work
As Director of Communications, I led strategy, messaging, and copywriting to bring clarity and urgency to an often-overlooked issue. Our campaign — The People’s Map — framed redistricting as a fight for fairness, community power, and democracy itself.
Our work included:
Developing the brand identity and messaging framework for The People’s Map
Writing copy across the microsite, petitions, toolkits, and community-facing content
Coordinating PR, digital campaigns, and grassroots marketing to amplify awareness
Driving a bilingual communications approach to ensure access across diverse neighborhoods
Supporting testimony prep and public council communications to elevate resident voices
The Impact
The People’s Map campaign turned an insider process into a citywide movement:
2,067 petitions filed in support of The People’s Map
833 letters to aldermen demanding fair representation
157 official testimonies delivered to the City Council
14,103 website visits generating 37,000+ engagements
Over 1 million social impressions spreading awareness of the cause
Coalition expanded to 55+ partner organizations, uniting community groups across Chicago
In a historic effort that shifted the landscape of determining how wards are drawn. Chicagoans stepped up to take on the machine and influence how their neighborhoods are represented. The campaign reframed redistricting as a matter of equity and civic empowerment. Ultimately proving that when communities are given the tools, they can shift power in their collective favor.
Credits
Strategy & Communications: Colin Hill
Creative Direction: Camilo Vera
Art Direction & Design: Joel Lopez, Camilo Vera
PR: Cristina Vera-Bridges, Colin Hill
Social Media: Kevin Greene
Community Engagement: Jackie Marshall, Elijah Olige
Chicago Early Learning
The City of Chicago’s Official Preschool Enrollment Campagin
Year-round marketing and award-winning enrollment campaigns for the City of Chicago’s 500+ early education programs.
The Challenge
Chicago Early Learning needed to reach thousands of families with clear, accessible messaging to support enrollment in free, high-quality early childhood programs. Competing priorities, shifting policy landscapes, and a diverse multilingual audience made it essential to build a brand voice that was welcoming, trusted, and consistent across channels.
The Work
Since 2017, Vera Creative has been the agency behind Chicago Early Learning’s marketing. I led strategy, communications, and copywriting across every touchpoint — from shaping the brand voice to writing all campaign messaging, commercials, and scripts. Our work spanned website copy, PR, social campaigns, paid media, and enrollment toolkits, ensuring families could find and access programs that fit their needs.
The Impact
Our sustained strategy has transformed the enrollment landscape for Chicago’s youngest learners:
105K+ applications submitted since 2021
161,000+ early learners enrolled to date
7M social media impressions driving awareness and engagement
2.5M website views with 667K unique visitors
79K+ families subscribed for updates and resources
Chicago Early Learning has become the go-to resource for families navigating early childhood enrollment in one of the largest preschool networks in the country, and is a leading example for early childhood marketing and enrollment campaigns due partly to its roots in equity, access, and human-centered design.
Credits
Creative Direction: Camilo Vera, Cristina Vera Bridges
Art Direction & Design: Camilo Vera, Joel Lopez
Marketing: Colin Hill & Nina Perez, Adriana Rodriguez, Kevin Greene
Copywriting: Colin Hill, Nina Perez, Adriana Rodriguez, Kevin Greene
PR & Media: Cristina Vera, Colin Hill
Community Engagement: Jackie Marshall, Elijah Olige, Estrella Salgado, Leilani Fernandez
Videographer: Omar Galarza
Chicago’s School Board Election Awareness
Educators 4 Excellence | Non-Partisan Down-Ballot Voter Engagement
Driving unprecedented voter engagement for Chicago’s first elected school board since the 1970s, transforming civic participation into the moment’s movement.
The Challenge
Chicago’s school board election in 2024 was historic — but also vulnerable to low turnout and lack of awareness. Traditionally, only 5–10% of voters participate in school board elections nationwide. Educators 4 Excellence (E4E) partnered with Vera Creative to ensure Chicago communities understood the stakes and turned out to vote in a race that would shape the future of public education.
The Work
As Director of Communications, I led strategy and messaging for a full-scale civic engagement campaign designed to make school board voting visible, accessible, and urgent.
Our scope included:
Strategic messaging and identity development for Vote Chicago Board of Education
Launch of the bold “Sticker Ballot” brand concept
Copywriting across digital, OOH, print, and field materials
Development of a bilingual microsite with polling info, voter guides, and lead capture tools
Paid media strategy spanning podcasts, display ads, and geo-targeted digital
Hyper-local OOH takeovers in priority districts
Partnerships with trusted community hubs like Casa Central, Wright College, and faith-based groups
The campaign merged digital reach with on-the-ground engagement, meeting voters where they were with culturally relevant, multilingual tools.
The Impact
The results were record-breaking:
801,878 votes cast in the school board election
79.1% participation in down-ballot races
Over 53% of registered voters citywide participated (10x national average)
6 of 10 board seats won by independent candidates, representing families and communities instead of special interests
4.4M OOH impressions and 3.7M digital ad impressions across priority zip codes
2,464 microsite users generating 8,520 interactions
1,817 campaign materials distributed, 2,473 engagements through canvassing, 340 businesses canvassed, and 6 polling sites staffed on Election Day
Chicago’s first school board election became a movement. By blending storytelling, data-driven media, and community partnerships, we helped empower families to claim their voice in shaping the future of Chicago Public Schools.
Credits
Director of Communications: Colin Hill
Creative Direction: Sam Cronin
Art Direction: Joel Lopez
Marketing Team: Colin Hill, Nina Perez, Adriana Rodriguez
Web Development: Diana Saguin
positioning Chicago’s purpose-first
ad agency
Vera creative | verbal identity & Strategic Communications
Leading communications strategy and defining the brand voice for a purpose-driven design and marketing agency trusted by Chicago’s nonprofits, cultural institutions, and national brands.
The Challenge
Founded in 2008, Vera Creative needed to sharpen its brand voice, identity, and positioning to stand out in a crowded Chicago market. Led by Cristina Vera Bridges, the organization has continued to grow over the years in scope, notoriety, and scale. The goal was clear: reinforce Vera Creative’s credibility as a trusted partner for nonprofits, education initiatives, cultural institutions, and national brands.
The Work
I led the development of Vera Creative’s brand voice and communications strategy from the ground up. That included:
Writing all website and campaign copy
Shaping the agency’s strategic positioning and messaging framework
Leading PR, marketing, and social strategy to grow visibility
Supporting creative direction across campaigns to ensure alignment with brand values
The agency’s voice — bold, empathetic, and culturally fluent — became its differentiator, attracting clients across education, nonprofit, arts, culture, and corporate sectors.
The Impact
Vera Creative is now an award-winning design and social impact agency trusted by leading Chicago institutions and national brands.
Serving as the agency of record for Chicago Early Learning since 2017, helping enroll 161,000+ early learners to date
Driving cultural campaigns for Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, Goya Foods, and Chicago’s Puerto Rican People’s Festival & Parade
Partnering with the Chicago Cubs to produce Hispanic Heritage Night and social impact campaigns
Recognized for creative excellence in equity-driven design and communications
Today, Vera Creative is the go-to agency for enrollment campaigns, nonprofit storytelling, and purpose-driven brand marketing in Chicago — proof that communications strategy can grow not just clients, but an agency itself.
Credits
Agency Founder & CEO: Cristina Vera Bridges
Strategy & Communications: Colin Hill
Creative Direction: Camilo Vera
Design: Joel Lopez, Sam Cronin, Diana Saguin
Marketing: Nina Perez, Colin Hill, Adriana Rodriguez, Taina Fernandez
Videographer: Omar Galarza
Goya Foods – PR, Events & Corporate Philanthropy
MidWest | Media Relations + Reputation Management
This is the kind of work that gets me props at la casa de la suegra. Connecting Goya’s philanthropic dollars through Goya Gives with non-profits with intention, and getting the word out about the MILLIONS OF POUNDS of food they donate to people in need. We’ve also supported the success of their events and outreach.
The Challenge
Goya Foods had meaningful philanthropic efforts under Goya Gives, but the story lived in separate moments—donations, partnerships, and events that weren’t yet connected by a clear public narrative. The goal was to unify PR, outreach, and on-the-ground activations into a cohesive, bilingual story that felt human, local, and measurable.
The Work
As Director of Communications at Vera Creative, I led PR, outreach, event management, sponsorships, and community partnerships to elevate Goya’s Midwest presence and social good.
My role spanned:
Grand Reopening (Chicago Distribution Facility): Produced and managed the ceremony; led media relations, event design, and corporate engagement.
Earned Media: Secured coverage with CBS News, NBC 5, Univision, Telemundo, and Yahoo, reaching bilingual audiences across the Midwest.
Corporate Philanthropy Alignment: Tied milestone moments to impact:
$20,000 donation to Salt & Light Coalition (supporting survivors of human trafficking).
20,000 lbs of food to the Illinois Migrant Council.
Sustained Community Activation: Coordinated 10+ community events and 3,500+ grocery donations across 11 Illinois communities, connecting corporate resources to nonprofit needs.
Ongoing PR Support: Drafted press releases and media materials (supply-chain partnership with Colombian farmers; Buffalo blizzard disaster relief—30,000 lbs donated; NLEI Culinary Works! workforce training program launch and cohort completion; year-end Midwest magazine write-up on expansion and community impact).
The Impact
By pairing culturally fluent storytelling with measurable action, we helped Goya’s social good resonate beyond headlines.
Regional reach through bilingual broadcast and digital press.
Millions of media impressions anchored in community outcomes (survivor support, food security, workforce training).
Philanthropic milestones tied to moments that matter (facility reopening → donations and local partnerships).
Credits
Creative Director: Cristina Vera Bridges
PR & Strategic Communications: Cristina Vera Bridges, Colin Hill
Events & Outreach: Jackie Marshall, Elijah Olige, Estrella Salgado, Leilani Fernandez
Videographer: Omar Galarza
We partnered with the GRLZ WKND team to transform a vision into a movement.
On International Women’s Day, a showcase of showstopping music artists with Chicago ties took the stage at Avondale Music Hall to a packed house.
GRLZ WKND
Content Creation + Copywriting + Social Media
