Senior Director with 10+ years of experience in Creative, Marketing & Social Impact. Expert in building brands, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering innovative campaigns that drive measurable growth, visibility, and community engagement. Adept at blending creativity with strategy to achieve organizational goals.

Samantha Marie Villa Elisa

Senior Director with 10+ years of experience in Creative, Marketing & Social Impact. Expert in building brands, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering innovative campaigns that drive measurable growth, visibility, and community engagement. Adept at blending creativity with strategy to achieve organizational goals.

Available to hire

Senior Director with 10+ years of experience in Creative, Marketing & Social Impact. Expert in building brands, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering innovative campaigns that drive measurable growth, visibility, and community engagement. Adept at blending creativity with strategy to achieve organizational goals.

See more

Language

English
Fluent
Spanish; Castilian
Fluent
Portuguese
Advanced
French
Beginner

Work Experience

Creative Marketing Officer at SM LA Media
January 1, 2018 - Present
Partner with organizations and small brands to design and execute multi-channel marketing campaigns; Produce and edit high-impact video content (short- and long-form) across industries; Develop brand identity kits, pitch decks, and marketing strategies tailored to client goals.
Senior Director of Creative, Marketing & Social Impact at Crop Swap LA
July 1, 2023 - October 6, 2025
Scaled social media from <100 gardeners to 10,000+ engaged followers nationwide (+9,900% growth in 2 years). Launched viral video campaigns that boosted engagement by 75% and secured the LA 2050 competition win. Built a full creative ecosystem: logos, branding kit, website, pitch decks, marketing, merchandise, brochures, ads → 20% increase in brand recognition in 6 months. Negotiated and co-designed a capsule collection with Adidas; collaborated with Adidas + Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition program to deliver outreach curriculum during the Super Bowl. Directed a multi-generational team of employees/interns; enhanced community engagement and customer relations; applied social listening to inform content strategy and competitor analysis; elevated brand visibility unlocking new funding opportunities and partnerships with lawmakers on food security, water conservation, and urban farming policy.
Founder at Good Hood News
October 1, 2011 - October 6, 2025
Founded a nonprofit teaching journalism/storytelling to children (ages 5–11) in the Rocinha favela during conflict years. Built partnerships with NGOs and community groups to expand reach and resources. Recognized as a semi-finalist for the Echoing Green Fellowship for social impact in innovation.
Senior Director of Creative Marketing & Social Impact at SMLA Media
January 1, 2018 - Present
Senior Director leading creative marketing and social impact initiatives; partnered with organizations and small brands to design and execute multi-channel marketing campaigns; produced and edited high-impact video content across industries; developed brand identity kits, pitch decks, and strategies tailored to client goals; led cross-functional teams to align creative with measurable growth, visibility, and community engagement.
Senior Director of Creative Marketing & Social Impact at Crop Swap LA
July 1, 2023 - October 6, 2025
Scaled social media from under 100 gardeners to 10,000+ engaged followers nationwide (+9,900% growth). Launched viral video campaigns that contributed to a LA 2050 competition win. Built a full creative ecosystem—logos, brand identity kit, website, pitch decks, merchandise, brochures, ads—leading to a 20% increase in brand recognition within six months. Negotiated and co-designed a capsule collection with Adidas; collaborated with Adidas and Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition program to deliver outreach curriculum during the Super Bowl in Inglewood. Directed a cross-functional team of employees and interns; applied social listening to inform content strategy and competitive analysis. Elevated brand visibility and unlocked new funding opportunities and partnerships with policymakers on food security, water conservation, and urban farming policy.
Founder at Good Hood News
October 1, 2011 - October 6, 2025
Founded a nonprofit teaching journalism and storytelling to children (ages 5–11) in Rocinha favela during conflict years. Built partnerships with NGOs and community groups to expand reach and resources. Recognized as a semi-finalist for the Echoing Green Fellowship for social impact innovation.
Senior Director of Creative Marketing & Social Impact at Crop Swap LA
July 1, 2023 - October 6, 2025
Senior leadership role directing creative strategy for marketing and social impact initiatives. Scaled social media from under 100 followers to 10,000+ engaged nationwide; launched viral video campaigns boosting engagement by 75%; built a complete creative ecosystem (logo, brand kit, website, pitch decks, merch, brochures, ads); negotiated capsule collection with Adidas and Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition to deliver outreach curriculum during the Super Bowl in Inglewood; led a cross-functional team; applied social listening to inform strategy, expanding community engagement and funding opportunities.
Founder at Good Hood News
October 1, 2011 - October 6, 2025
Founded a nonprofit teaching journalism and storytelling to children aged 5–11 in Rocinha favela during conflict years; built partnerships with NGOs and community groups to expand reach and resources; recognized as a semi-finalist for the Echoing Green Fellowship for social impact innovation.

Education

Add your educational history here.

Qualifications

UI/ UX Specialization
January 1, 2025 - October 6, 2025
User Interface Design with Figma
January 1, 2024 - October 6, 2025
Inbound Marketing
January 1, 2019 - October 6, 2025
Social Media Marketing
January 1, 2019 - October 6, 2025
UI/UX Specialization
January 1, 2025 - October 6, 2025
User Interface Design with Figma
January 1, 2024 - October 6, 2025
Inbound Marketing
January 1, 2019 - October 6, 2025
Social Media Marketing
January 1, 2019 - October 6, 2025
UI/UX Specialization
January 1, 2025 - October 6, 2025
User Interface Design with Figma
January 1, 2024 - October 6, 2025
Inbound Marketing
January 1, 2019 - October 6, 2025
Social Media Marketing
January 1, 2019 - October 6, 2025

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Non-Profit Organization, Professional Services, Education, Retail