Now in its seventh year, the University of New Orleans’ Marketing Week is designed to help interested students, particularly marketing majors, prepare for careers by hearing first-hand lessons from those who work in the field. Featured speakers will visit regularly scheduled marketing and other business administration classes throughout the week. Marketing Week lectures are open to all UNO students, and a full schedule can be found here. 

This year’s keynote speaker is Bivian “Sonny” Lee, III. Lee is the president and executive director of Son of a Saint, a nonprofit that inspires mentorship and enhances the lives of fatherless boys. He founded the organization in 2011 in honor of his father, former Saints player Bivian Lee Jr., who died of a heart attack at the age of 36. Son of a Saint provides emotional support, life skills development and exposure to constructive experiences to its mentees. He was named New Orleanian of the Year by Gambit in 2016. 

Son of a Saint has a partnership with Privateer Athletics, which serves to benefit both the UNO student athletes and the boys from Son of a Saint through community service and mentorship activities. The student-athletes hold tutoring hours on campus for the mentees and serve as role models to the boys.

Lee earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management in 2006 from the University of Orleans. His keynote Marketing Week address takes place Tuesday, Oct. 23 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in room 122 of Kirschman Hall. The roster of scheduled speakers also includes:

Jeff Januszek, Jeff Januszek Social Media, Founder
Amanda Dailey, Queork, Co-owner
Malcolm Schwarzenbach,Trumpet Advertising, Partner & Brand Strategist 
Meagen Moreland-Taliancich, Gambel Communications, Communications Strategist
Erin D. Malbroue, Sr. Projects Manager, The Ehrhardt Group, Inc.
Dominique Ellis, Senior PR Account Manager, The Ehrhardt Group, Inc.
Morgan Valerie, Focus Group Testing, Manager
Gracie Palombo, Burger King, Area Franchise Lead
Sondra Brown, Market Dynamics Research Group, President
Melissa Sabathier, Zehnder Communications, Media Supervisor
Kristen Robinson,Touro Infirmary, Director of Marketing Communications