Our Team
Black Alder works with a trusted network of senior consultants whose expertise spans communications, media, digital strategy, and research. In addition, we maintain formal partnerships with two communications firms that are introduced once work begins, allowing us to scale thoughtfully and bring in specialized capacity as needed. This model ensures clients receive senior-level strategy with the flexibility and depth required for complex engagements.
Chelsea Fuller
Managing Partner/Senior Strategist
Chelsea Fuller (she/her) is a senior strategic communications and media strategist with more than a decade of experience shaping narratives at the intersection of power, culture, and public accountability. She has held senior leadership roles overseeing communications strategy, public engagement, and media relations for high-impact national efforts focused on justice, safety, and institutional change.
Her work has contributed to some of the most consequential narrative shifts of the past decade, helping reframe public understanding of systemic violence, racial inequity, patriarchal harm, and community safety. Chelsea is widely regarded for her ability to lead complex campaigns, develop disciplined messaging strategies, and guide organizations through moments of rapid change and heightened public scrutiny.
A former journalist and media advocate, Chelsea is especially known for her work supporting journalists, editors, and media leaders in strengthening coverage of systemic issues. Her efforts have helped advance more accurate, nuanced, and responsible reporting on issues including sexual violence, the criminalization of Black children, and state violence, particularly as they impact the most vulnerable communities.
Chelsea brings deep, trusted relationships with media, business, and civic leaders and has successfully placed stories in top-tier national and international outlets. She has advised a wide range of clients across the private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, supporting long-term strategy, crisis response, and public-facing leadership.
She holds a BA in News Editorial Journalism and Africana Studies, an MA in Strategic Communications and Social Justice Advocacy, and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity.
Takara T. Pierce
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Takara (she/her) is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Black Alder and a senior media, narrative, and communications strategist with deep expertise in shaping public-facing voice, positioning leaders, and translating complex ideas into language that moves audiences. Her work sits at the intersection of narrative power, strategy, and execution, helping individuals and organizations clarify what they stand for and how they are understood.
Takara is known for her ability to build narrative frameworks that support long-term vision while also delivering precise, responsive messaging in fast-moving environments. Her skill set includes ghostwriting, thought-leader positioning, speechwriting, message architecture, and spokesperson development, with a particular focus on ensuring that public voice remains disciplined, credible, and aligned with strategy across platforms and moments.
Over the course of her career, Takara has led high-impact communications, media, and digital strategies that have shaped national conversations and driven measurable outcomes. She brings extensive experience in digital strategy, including social media, digital advertising, SMS, and email, and is adept at integrating data, cultural insight, and narrative clarity to build campaigns that travel and endure.
In addition to campaign and organizational work, Takara regularly advises executives, public figures, authors, and creatives on voice development, public positioning, and long-form storytelling. Her ghostwriting and speechwriting work supports leaders navigating growth, visibility, and high-stakes moments, ensuring their ideas are communicated with precision, depth, and integrity.
Takara holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and public relations and two master’s degrees in communications. At Black Alder, she leads work across strategic communications, narrative strategy, digital engagement, and leadership advising, with a focus on building strategies that support clarity, credibility, and lasting impact.
