Introducing Effie LIONS Foundation: Building a Marketing Industry for Everyone

The Effie LIONS Foundation, a global non-profit organisation committed to ensuring the marketing industry is creative, effective, and open to everyone, has launched.

The launch follows Effie joining forces with LIONS in January 2025 with the aim of helping brands make a better case for investing in creative marketing that’s effective and drives growth.

The Foundation’s main objective is to give access and experience to any interested marketing students giving them the skills they need to succeed in an ever-evolving industry through partnerships with worldwide educational institutions and brands.

The Foundation aims to empower the next generation of marketers by providing access to the experience, connections, and tools they need to shape the future of the industry through their own unique perspectives.

At the heart of the Foundation’s work is the Effie Collegiate program - a marketing challenge that gives students hands-on, real-world problem-solving experience. The program continues Effie’s mission-driven work by connecting students with leading brands and agencies to foster a deep understanding of marketing campaign  development. The program operates in the US, LATAM and South Africa with plans for further global expansion.

LIONS will make a suite of educational tools and insights, including LIONS Learning and LIONS Intelligence, available to participating students helping them blend theory with cutting-edge practice. These include making Effie Fundamentals, a marketing effectiveness and insight driven strategy course: Contagious IQ, a marketing intelligence platform; Contagious Creative Accelerator, a fast-paced certificate program focused on creative trends and real-world briefs; and The Work, a platform with 200K+ award winning campaigns from Cannes Lions, all available to Effie Collegiate students. Program graduates will also gain access to LIONS Creative MBA, a digital course designed to accelerate careers.

The Effie LIONS Foundation builds on decades of commitment to global marketing excellence and is led by Allison Knapp Womack, CEO, an accomplished leader in the marketing and non-profit sectors. Its board is chaired by Jae Goodman, CEO of Superconnector Studios, board chair of Effie Worldwide, and a widely respected voice on the cutting-edge of advertising, marketing, entertainment, and brand innovation. Traci Alford, global CEO, Effie and Phil Thomas, chief creative officer, global brands, Informa PLC and chair, LIONS, also sit on the board alongside members representing cutting edge leadership from across the marketing industry including Dr. Marcus Collins, marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Lara Balazs, CMO and EVP, global marketing at Adobe; Vineet Mehra, CMO at Chime and others.

The Foundation’s leadership team brings together deep experience across marketing, communications, advertising, education, and philanthropy, ensuring its mission is guided by purpose and driven by results.

Caitlin Moses Bowser is head of programs and partnerships at the Effie LIONS Foundation, joining the organisation from StoryCorps. Tiffani Gautier is head of program delivery joining from Effie, and Nneka Norville is head of marketing and communications joining from Nike.

Allison Knapp Womack, CEO, Effie LIONS Foundation said, “The Effie LIONS Foundation exists to open doors and create opportunities - for the students who’ve never imagined a place for themselves in marketing, and for the industry that urgently needs their ideas, perspectives, and creativity. We believe that is the path to a more effective industry, and we’re here to make that future possible.”

Jae Goodman, board chair of the Effie LIONS Foundation and CEO of Superconnector Studios, said, “We are combining the marketing effectiveness of Effie, the creative force of LIONS, and the energy of rising talent from around the world. That’s a powerful mix. The Foundation is ready to deliver transformative value to the next generation of marketers with the access, insight, and inspiration that will fuel the industry for years to come.”