Meet Brownthought Academy’s Class of 2020: Kristine Dizon
Brownthought Academy is a marketing bootcamp / 5-month internship program from Kultivate Labs. Through their specific roles, interns have the unique opportunity to learn about digital marketing through campaigns for cultural and community-centric projects. The program was inspired by Marco Jastillana (1976 - 2020), our late friend, marketing mastermind, and co-founder of UNDSCVRD Night Market and Plinth Agency. A talented visionary, Brownthought Academy was founded to honor his memory to uplift the next generation of thought leaders and change makers.
In its inaugural year, Brownthought Academy welcomed 3 talented interns, who shared the same passion and energy for uplifting the community as Marco. As the first cohort, Kristine Dizon, Jimmie Flora, and Lorenzo “Jolo” Merilleno put their unparalleled skills and perspectives together to create a lasting legacy that not only honored Marco, but also theirs as well. Their efforts are the reason why Brownthought Academy was able to continue, and for that they have truly set an inspiring example for cohorts to come.
Below, Kristine Dizon reflects on curating UNDSCVRD X during the pandemic, collaborating on the final project, and being part of the inaugural class of Brownthought Academy.
“I learned how to use a lot of programs like Squarespace, Mailchimp, Sprout Social, and Facebook Business Manager. These are great tools that many companies use, so these were valuable hard skills to learn in addition to many soft skills, like communication and simply learning what ‘kapwa’ means to us.”
— Kristine on what she learned as a Brownthought Intern
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Brownthought Academy?
I was born and raised in San Francisco, majored in Sociology at Loyola Marymount University in LA, and currently work in media planning at an ad agency. I had a couple of social media marketing internships before I joined Undiscovered SF, so I was able to use those skills to work on most of the social media marketing with Marky and the rest of the team. This included writing social copy, scheduling posts, and looking at our social analytics. Outside of work, I love going to concerts and learning how to rollerskate!
What made you decide to apply for the internship?
I wanted to apply for the Brownthought Academy marketing bootcamp because I’m from SoMa and loved the work Undiscovered put in to support Filipino creatives, leaders, and small business owners in the neighborhood and in the Bay Area. I've always had an interest in digital marketing, especially when relating to events and music, and so it sounded like such an amazing opportunity, especially in the midst of the pandemic.
What was your favorite project/campaign that you worked on?
Honestly, looking back at it, I loved all of the projects I got to help with during my time in the Brownthought Academy. From promoting the Sunday Streets SoMa partnership to bring people together in real life after months of lockdown, preparing and being a part of their first virtual festival, UNDSCVRD X, to presenting the inaugural Brownthought Academy final project to Marco's family, I really enjoyed it all.
How was it like being in a cohort and working with your fellow interns?
Working with Jimmie and Jolo played a huge role in how much I got out of the internship. Learning together and brainstorming final project ideas was a lot of fun. We all had different backgrounds and skills that brought out the best creative ideas in us that we shared through our Valentine's Day cards and Kapwa Gardens plaques. I know they're both doing great things and it was so cool seeing them share their talents with the rest of us through the Twitch streams!
As part of the Brownthought Academy’s final project, the inaugural class launched fundraising campaigns through Valentine’s Day Cards and Donor Plaques.
How was it like to be part of the Kultivate Labs family?
Being a part of the Kultivate Labs family was so inspiring because everyone on the team had so much experience leading and creating the amazing initiatives of Undiscovered, Balay Kreative, and so much more. They are such a kind, supportive, and hard-working group and I'm thankful to have been a part of it!
Overall, what would you say you learned from the internship? How have you applied these skills moving forward?
I learned how to use a lot of programs like Squarespace, Mailchimp, Sprout Social, and Facebook Business Manager. These are great tools that many companies use, so these were valuable hard skills to learn in addition to many soft skills, like communication and simply learning what “kapwa” means to us.
Any advice for future Brownthought interns? Or for those thinking of applying?
Don't be afraid of sharing your ideas and talents with the team!
Enjoyed reading about Kristine’s experience? Connect with her through her social platform below!
