Bridget Kyeremateng lived most of her college life as an undocumented student under DACA. Receiving her green card her senior year opened up the career world for Bridget, who was previously unsure what graduation held for her. Drawn towards public relations, Bridget moved around in the marketing and advertising space before landing on inclusive marketing and working with notable brands such as Spotify, Tumblr, and most recently, Twitch.
Q: Describe the work you do at Twitch, the video live-streaming service.
I’m currently the senior manager for inclusive marketing, which is a role focused on highlighting and amplifying our diverse creators on Twitch. On any digital platform, you tend to have people of color, queer folks, women, and all sorts of diverse creators that don’t get opportunities to be represented. My job is such a privilege because I get to aid these creators and their stories in their discoverability.
Q: What is your favorite aspect of your career?
I love the in-person aspect, like TwitchCon or other events, because I am able to talk directly to the people who want to be elevated and highlighted. I get a lot of joy from being able to meet and connect with them. Then from the digital perspective, I love sourcing creators online. I really appreciate working with my cross-functional team to be able to find diverse and fascinating stories.
Q: How do you unplug from work? What are your favorite ways to destress?
I’ve always been a big proponent of work-life balance. I love fitness so I do a lot of yoga, pilates, and other exercise for my body to stay strong and healthy. I’ve also been DJing for the past year and a half all over New York City, which has been an incredible way for me to explore my creative juices when it comes to music. I’m also a content creator and that really allows me to connect more with generations across the spectrum. Lastly, I love to travel. I didn’t get to travel for nearly 15 years when I lived in the U.S., then I became a citizen and the pandemic hit. Now, I’m making sure to find ways to continue to educate myself on the world beyond the United States as part of a long-term goal I have for myself to continue the work I do from a global perspective.
Q: You’ve worked with a lot of notable brands like Spotify, Tumblr, and Twitch. What is your advice to recent UCSB grads looking to start their own careers in the marketing industry?
Firstly, I would say that you’re not going to get it right in the beginning. There’s this misconception that right after you graduate college, you’re supposed to land the perfect role. The world is your oyster, but there are no tools for the oyster! I started in advertising and then made my way into social impact and marketing. My advice would be to stay open-minded and get into roles that challenge you to learn something new and different.
Q: How have your majors, Black Studies and Feminist Studies, helped to develop your professional passions?
My first major at UCSB was Film and Media Studies because I wanted to be a news anchor. But I realized that UCSB was more of a research-based school, so I wanted to get a degree that allowed me a bigger perspective into topics I was already curious about. It was really about understanding two particular identities that I identify with. Nobody in 2015 could have told me that this was a role I would ever step into because it just wasn’t much of a thing back then. So, I feel very blessed with my current career now, and having the education and cultural understanding to handle it.
Q: How has your career path followed or pivoted from what you expected as a UCSB undergrad?
During the majority of my time at UCSB, I was actually undocumented and protected under DACA. That allowed me to legally work at UCSB as a tour guide, resident assistant, and be part of the Women’s Center. I did all of these different jobs to help me find what I wanted to do after I graduated. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get a job after graduating because I was undocumented. It was a far reaching dream until my final year when I got my green card. Going into public relations somehow felt like the right fit because it was this mixture of working with brands and people to elevate stories, but it didn’t come with the social good aspect that was important to me.
Q: Describe a challenging moment in your career and how you overcame it.
There is the common experience that a lot of Black women in the corporate and professional world endure, and that is not being appreciated or properly compensated for their work. That is the unfortunate reality. It was challenging to be in roles that highly benefited the company but I was never on the path for promotion or being properly compensated. In due time, I learned where, when, and how to advocate for myself and when it is time for me to move on.
Q: What does being recognized on the Forbes 30 under 30 list mean to you?
I dream a lot and I have a lot of desires for accomplishments and success, but this was not something that I thought was even remotely possible. I didn’t realize that the work that I was doing at Tumblr, Spotify, and now at Twitch meant more than me. I didn’t understand how to recognize myself for the work I do. So being on the list feels like an accomplishment that was beyond due. I feel so grateful for everything I’ve done and all the work that has gone into working with these brands.