Calista Phair is the founder and CEO of SKKY Marketing and has a zeal for business and marketing. She left her hometown of Seattle, Washington to attend Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C., where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in Global Studies. In the course of her matriculation, she was selected as the student representative to sit on the Consumer Advisory Panel for AT&T North Carolina Corporate for two years. She was assigned as a legislative intern for the City of Greensboro and recruited by City Council members to build a bridge between community youth and the City. Working with these agencies Calista gained access and a wealth of first-hand knowledge of business opportunities and resources in the community and beyond. She was surprised to learn many in the community were unaware there were diamonds in the rough in their own backyards and began requesting her services and expertise. (SKKY Marketing was creating itself before she was aware it existed!)
Calista’s extensive work with local churches, businesses and various organizations on program development and marketing, buoyed up by her enrollment in Claflin University’s MBA program provided fertile ground for the sprouting of her dream venture, “SKKY Marketing”. She has over 15 years of experience conducting leadership training, cultural competency and community development projects while working with city officials, non-profits, police departments and schools. Calista said “SKKY Marketing will offer a personal approach to develop marketing needs to local, small businesses and entrepreneurs via a myriad of today’s technologies. SKKY takes your lead and craves your vision like a chisel into your reality.”
In May, 2016 Calista was selected along with 25 other students to the inaugural launch of Newsroom U: White House Student Press Briefing Multimedia Weekend. Newsroom U facilitates and captures immersive learning experiences for journalism students. As the only business student, Calista produced two video projects about how Washington Metro Area millennials living in the shadow of government are affected by election year issues. Partners include: Adobe, Canon, USA Today, Huffington Post, the Journalism Education Association, Ford Foundation and the Student Press Law Center. Calista’s production videos can be found on www.newsroomu.com
Calista is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity Inc. and Sigma Nu Tau Entrepreneurship Honor Society.
SKKY Marketing is founded by me Calista Phair graduate of Bennett College class of 2013. I launched SKKY Marketing as a part of business competition at Claflin University February 8th, 2016. As a young alumna, I spoke at Bennett College on April 21, 2016 to enlighten Belles on how Bennett prepared me for graduate school and the start of my company. Through my classroom teachings as a Political Science major, involvement in the community and internship opportunities I partook in during my matriculation at Bennett availed windows of opportunities that I shared with current students.
From financial difficulties of being sent home to Seattle, WA twice for due to the inability to pay tuition, health problems, father passing all while at Bennett College my determination, faith in God and drive allowed me to complete my degree. The goal was to give back to my beloved alma mater, not only with sharing my story but providing an opportunity for current students to be the 1st interns within my company. SKKY Marketing provided a special opportunity for Bennett students to interview for a paid internship within the company. The internship was SOLELY to Bennett students. Two interns have been selected out of 8 interviewed and will begin August 2016, and each intern will be paid $1000 per semester. As a HBCU graduate you don’t have to wait to give back, the time is now. Blessed and excited for the upcoming year and my hopes is to provide a scholarship fund in the future.
XOXO~ Calista Phair
Website: SkkyMarketing.com
