- Gwendolyn Pointer
- Executive Vice President / GLAAD Media Institute
Gwendolyn Pointer, executive vice president of GLAAD’s Media Institute, joined GLAAD in January 2020. She leads a consulting practice and a team of 10 consultant and subject matter experts who lead, drive, and accelerate acceptance, representation, and visibility in all forms of entertainment, news, and media, domestically and internationally. Anchored by the commitment to GLAAD’s mission, Ms. Pointer continues to lead and expand GLAAD Media Institute competency and impact at the intersection of culture, leadership, and social and racial justice.
Ms. Pointer joined GLAAD from New York Public Radio (NYPR), where she served as head of sponsorship sales and development reporting to the NYPR president and CEO, overseeing sponsorship and business development and sales operations and strategic planning for WNYC, WQXR, and The Jerome Greene Space, as well as other special institutional initiatives. During her tenure, Ms. Pointer led NYPR in strengthening the organization, cultivating a vibrant and values-driven culture, and improving NYPR’s brand identity, brand equity, and influence. She also partnered with colleagues and senior leadership to chart the course of cultural programming, a sustainable pipeline of partners and sponsors, and live audio and digital content to build a future for NYPR.
Prior to her role at New York Public Radio, Ms. Pointer spent decades in the sports and entertainment (profit and not-for-profit) businesses in senior leadership positions at IMG, Octagon, the Harlem Globetrotters, and Connecticut Sun, as well as Brooklyn Academy of Music and The Paley Center for Media. Along the way, she launched, developed, and managed significant revenue lines of old and new businesses, providing turnaround focus and growth leadership, including brand and event sponsorships, domestic and international tours, merchandise, mobile and on-demand properties, and programming designed to serve general market as well as underrepresented Latino, African American, youth, and LGBTQ+ audiences, resulting in triple-digit increases in revenue, market share, and audience growth.
Ms. Pointer holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.