Capitol Communicators: Profile of Shakirah Hill Taylor, Head of Innovation, Fenton Communications
Capitol Communicators is a profile series spotlighting the people shaping
advertising, digital, marketing and public relations in the Mid-Atlantic.
This profile features Shakirah Hill Taylor.
Shakirah Hill Taylor brings her equity lens to the C-suite, the classroom, and the delivery room. She is a finalist for Washington Women in Public Relations’ Woman of the Year, along with Dr. Sheila Brooks, and Carrie Fox.
As Head of Innovation for Fenton, Hill Taylor’s professional world means applying state-of-the-art digital strategy and technology to clients’ causes. Fenton describes itself as a social impact communication firm, an integrated and intersectional organization that prioritizes the needs of those who have been historically marginalized. One of her missions is to ensure that AI is used both effectively and ethically for and by clients.
She applies this philosophy of equity and ethics in her volunteer work, coaching high school students through Learn Serve International, and developing policy to ensure that racial disparities stop at the delivery room door. She is a certified labor and birth doula, who enjoys a wide range of activities outside the office, including Pilates, ballet, and surfing. She says she worries about the challenges facing younger people, and that we, as a nation marking its 250th, are at a turning point. In her words, “we have decisions to make: will we lead with love, or will we allow greed to reign?”
Please tell us about yourself.
I’m head of innovation at Fenton Communications. I’ve worked at the intersection of social impact communications, digital strategy, and executive leadership for twenty years. When I’m not helping clients with their digital strategy and AI adoption or leading Fenton as an enterprise alongside my colleagues on the senior leadership team, I spend time on Pilates, brushing up on my ballet practice, reading, cooking, running, traveling with my husband, and spending time with my fur baby, Maverick.
What are you are most proud of?
When I was younger, my parents would always say, “If you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem.” This ethos carried into the formation and development of my career. I’m proud to have built a career that allows me to be part of the solution. From working with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to advance health equity narratives to supporting Voice for Healthy Kids grantees in learning to talk to policymakers about the importance of protecting young people’s well-being, I’ve used strategic communications to help some of the world’s and the nation’s largest organizations scale their impact.
Being a finalist for WWPR’s Woman of the Year is a significant achievement in this region of super-performing women. What does this recognition mean to you at this point in your career?
Being named a finalist for WWPR’s Woman of the Year award means a great deal to me. WWPR is an incredible organization that supports practitioners’ work across the industry. Being seen and recognized by the board and leadership team is a legacy-cementing moment. I’m especially honored to be in such great company alongside Carrie Fox and Dr. Sheila Brooks.
What are the most significant changes or trends you see happening/ coming in the communications industry? How are you dealing with it?
I would be remiss not to name that Generative AI is one of the most significant changes happening across the communications industry. The use of LLMs and generative tools is reshaping how people access information, approach design, and connect with others. For practitioners, this means we’re learning to adapt to new, constantly evolving technology. There is an opportunity for sure: brands and organizations now have greater control over their narratives through generative engine optimization, but there are also risks we have to be wary of, such as the use of AI-generated images and videos to manipulate people.
As with other technologies, we will see a plateau, but for now, we will continue to experience disruption. In my role, I’m helping clients become more intentional about their digital transformation, especially within their organization’s internal infrastructure. My team provides AI training to help increase our clients’ competency, builds adoption plans to ensure clients know what they hope to shift, and develops GEO strategies to ensure our clients’ visibility remains intact.
You have a certificate in AI Ethics. What advice do you have on how to employ AI ethically?
The most important part of AI adoption is transparency. Across almost every industry, teams are being asked to learn to use AI, but with no clear understanding of why or to what extent. Senior leaders have a responsibility to be honest about what AI adoption means for their organizations and what is expected of their teams. Without transparency, those using the tool are flying a plane without wings.
What advice helped you most in your career, and is that advice still relevant today?
At the start of my career, I had a supervisor who instilled in me the importance of diligence and impeccable attention to detail. Through her example, I learned that taking time to remember people’s names, birthdays (and other milestones), and small details others might miss would go a long way toward building my professional relationships. I think this advice is still relevant today, if not more important. As we find ourselves inundated with content, pings, and surface-level check-ins on social media, it means a great deal to receive a physical birthday card. Being considerate, diligent, and thoughtful is a boon to your working relationships.
What platforms do you find most effective for thought leadership?
If you had asked me this question a year ago, I would have said TikTok and LinkedIn. Today, Substack is the most potent platform for thought leaders to reach audiences. Substack is one of the fastest-growing long-form, multimedia social platforms. Building a deeply engaged audience is intuitive and allows experts to choose how they want to communicate, whether it’s via video content, written newsletters, or a podcast.
Is there a volunteer activity you really love?
When I’m not working, I love supporting young people in their path towards social impact careers through LearnServe International. I also spend time doing voter education and outreach in DC and Prince George’s County.
Is there anything that most people don’t know, or something unusual you have done, that you can share?
Most people don’t know that, in addition to my professional career as an executive and C-level leader in communications, I’m also a licensed labor and birth doula. I entered birth work after witnessing someone I love deal with medical racism immediately after their baby’s arrival. The vicarious trauma from that encounter with the doctor set me on a path to learn more about advocating for pregnant people. In 2022, I was awarded the Black Futures Lab Public Policy Fellowship to develop policy for the District of Columbia. My policy proposal called for ensuring that every pregnant person could access doula care through Medicaid and employer-sponsored health insurance. While there is still much work to be done to eradicate disparities in Black maternal care, there have been small gains.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever done?
Surfing in South Africa and Portugal.
What keeps you up at night? And what brings you joy during the day?
The polycrisis we face today concerns me, especially its impact on young people. I don’t want younger generations to feel abandoned or to think that we matriculating elders didn’t do our part. That said, I don’t and won’t allow myself to be nihilistic. I believe in human ingenuity and innovation. I believe we will continue to find ways to solve problems. And I believe we are reaching a point where we respect the sovereignty of all people groups. I find joy in my partnership with my husband. He is my home base and my biggest champion. I’m grateful for what we’ve built together. I also find great joy in art: music, books, somatic movement, TV, and podcasts (yes, podcasting is art). And I find great joy in being me.
Note: WWPR’s Woman of the Year event will be held Friday, October 23, 2026, at the Potomac Hotel. The keynote speaker will be Karen Finney, CNN political commentator. The Woman of the Year 2026 will be announced at the event.
Check out other Capitol Communicators profiles.
These profiles allow you to meet some of the most interesting and insightful pros
in our region, and learn how they stay ahead during a time of constant change.
