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Roya Winner
Tech, comms, social impact, weddings and mama to Cyrus and Rumi
Professional Background
Roya Winner is a distinguished communications expert and strategic advisor with a wealth of experience in corporate communications, social impact initiatives, and personal branding. She joined Facebook in January 2018 as a Consumer Communications Manager for Social Good, where she leads the communications strategy for the company's charitable giving products and initiatives. Royas's expertise in social communications is pivotal in shaping the narrative around Facebook's philanthropic engagements, ensuring that the brand resonates positively with its audiences.
Prior to her impactful role at Facebook, Roya honed her skills at Google, where she contributed significantly to the company's social impact and philanthropic efforts through Google.org. Her tenure at Google began in July 2012, during which she transitioned through various essential roles, including that of Corporate Communications Manager and lead Google Trends analyst. As a Google Trends analyst, she was instrumental in highlighting trending topics across the nation, appearing on numerous media platforms to share insights on the latest trends influencing public discourse.
Roya is not only a skilled communicator but also a passionate mentor, frequently speaking on topics of personal branding and effective communication strategies. Her advisory role at Pear Ventures allows her to support early-stage startups, assisting them in developing compelling messaging and communication strategies that resonate with their target markets. This blend of corporate experience and dedication to the startup ecosystem positions Roya as a well-rounded professional, committed to driving impactful change through communication.
In addition to her corporate roles, Roya serves as a host for the UC Berkeley Network Webinar Series. In this capacity, she connects with students and alumni, fostering discussions on communications and networking. Her ability to facilitate meaningful conversations illustrates her commitment to education and mentorship in the field of communications.
Education and Achievements
Roya holds an impressive academic background, having studied Political Science at the University of California Washington Center and earning her Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley. She later advanced her studies at Georgetown University, where she obtained a Master's degree in Arab Studies, concentrating on Politics, Culture, and Society at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. This strong foundation in political science and international studies equips Roya with a deep understanding of the intersection between media, politics, and public perception.
Roya's professional journey is enriched by her involvement in various organizations and initiatives that align with her passion for social impact and communication. She founded Winner Weddings by Roya, where she takes on the unique role of Wedding Officiant, showcasing her ability to connect with people on a personal level while also managing significant life events.
Roya's diverse roles have included:
- Communications Manager, Social Impact at Meta: Streamlining communication strategies that highlight Meta's social initiatives.
- Corporate Communications Manager at Google.org: Enhancing Google's outreach and philanthropic strategies.
- Senior Communications Associate, Search at Google: Promoting the innovative search tools and features available to users.
Earlier in her career, Roya served as a Project Manager and On-Air Commentator at the Persian News Network, Voice of America, where she utilized her research background and on-air presence to engage with audiences on significant issues affecting the Persian community.
Achievements
Throughout her career, Roya has achieved several milestones that reflect her commitment to elevating communications in both corporate and social sectors. Notable achievements include:
- Successfully overseeing communications for Facebook's charitable initiatives, amplifying the company's impact in communities worldwide.
- Leading communications for social impact initiatives at Google, contributing to the company's positive reputation as a socially responsible entity.
- Establishing herself as a sought-after speaker on personal branding and communication strategies, mentoring the next generation of communicators.
- Being an integral part of Pear Ventures, where her mentorship has helped emerging startups articulate their value propositions effectively.
- Hosting the UC Berkeley Network Webinar Series, fostering engagement and networking opportunities for students and alumni.
Roya Winner's comprehensive background, enriched with both academic credentials and extensive corporate experience, represents an inspiring case of how effective communication can drive social change and enhance corporate engagements. As a thought leader in her field, she continues to impact the community through her various roles, bridging the gap between philanthropy and effective communication and inspiring others along the way.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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