About
KAMAU M.
MARSHALL
Advisor
Fixer
Strategist
Guiding leaders through
defining moments.
Communications | Culture | Futurist | Impact | Media | Politics | Public Service
Kamau [Cuh-My-Ya] Mandela Marshall has built a career in rooms where pressure meets purpose,
guiding presidents, cabinet officials, members of Congress, mayors, city and state governments, executives, public figures, celebrities, cultural icons, organizations, and causes through moments that shape and define their legacy.
Equal parts strategist and communicator, he’s known for bringing order to complexity and clarity to chaos.
The person leaders call when the message, the moment, or the mission can’t be missed.
Today, Kamau advises leaders, public figures, campaigns, institutions, organizations, and causes as the Founder and Principal
of Think TopLines, helping them navigate a crowded, crisis-prone environment with discipline, strategy, and story.
From Classroom to
Capitol Hill
Kamau’s path to those high-pressure rooms wasn’t linear; it was earned.
Before presidential campaigns or congressional briefings, he was in Houston classrooms teaching social studies, history, and media to middle and high school students. Fresh out of undergrad and while pursuing his graduate degree, he had the honor to serve as an assistant debate coach at Texas Southern University, after first competing on the TSU debate team in college, under the leadership of the Legendary and Honorable Dr. Thomas F. Freeman. An iconic educator and renowned orator, Dr. Freeman’s seven-decade legacy shaped generations of leaders, including a young Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whom he taught while serving as a professor at Morehouse College. That legacy also includes fellow TSU debate alumni such as the late Rep. Barbara Jordan and Rep. Mickey Leland, as well as Grammy Award-winning artist Yolanda Adams, and many others.
That experience teaching and watching students sharpen arguments, listen harder, and meet an audience where it is, still guides his approach today, no matter the format: Lincoln–Douglas, after-dinner speaking, parliamentary, Oxford-style, rapid-fire, extemporaneous debate, impromptu and spontaneous debate, or informative address.
Somewhere between the lesson plans and the late-night debate prep, a simple truth came into focus:
Communication isn’t about who talks the loudest.
It’s about connection and understanding.
For Kamau, that meant speaking across differences with clarity and respect, translating complex ideas into language that feels human and accessible in a world that rarely slows down to listen. That belief carried him from classrooms to campaigns, and from campaigns into the corridors of power and public service.
National + Global Impact
Shortly after serving as a junior staffer on the Obama–Biden 2012 re-election campaign, Kamau began his career in the United States Senate, working for Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. It was an early immersion into how policy, oversight, and public trust intersect in real time.
He later served with House leaders whose work was inseparable from some of the country’s most charged moments:
On and off the Hill
Kamau came to Capitol Hill in 2013, getting his start as a fellow and junior staffer for Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), then Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Before Washington, he got his start with the Greater Houston Black Chamber, where he worked closely with leadership and sharpened his approach to stakeholder engagement alongside small-business owners, business executives, and corporate leaders. From there, he cut his teeth on state and local campaigns, first in Texas, learning the pace and pressure that define public life. He later completed a stint at SKDK (formerly SKDKnickerbocker), supporting corporate and institutional clients on public affairs, executive communications, and crisis response. Across government, politics, and the private sector, Kamau has advised members of Congress, candidates, executives, and mission-driven organizations, as well as public figures, senior leaders, college presidents, and cultural icons, on media strategy and messaging, narrative development, stakeholder engagement, and reputation management. Along the way, he’s had the opportunity to step in as a close communications partner, including a short period working closely with Dr. Timothy R. Coté, an American physician and expert in infectious and neoplastic disease, and a former FDA leader whose work spans rare disease policy, regulatory strategy, and public health. Kamau’s work has helped leaders navigate high-stakes moments with clarity, discipline, and impact, including bipartisan, purpose-driven efforts grounded in outcomes. Those years offered more than titles; they provided a front-row seat to the fragile relationship between institutions and the people they’re meant to serve, and what it takes to earn trust, communicate with credibility, and deliver in moments that matter.
Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
With the late Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), then Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Kamau served as a Special Assistant working closely with the congressman and leadership, supporting broad oversight work during the period that included the Baltimore Uprising, a time when the city’s pain, anger, and demand for accountability were broadcast nationwide. In that role, he managed relationships across constituencies and key stakeholders, organized coalition partners. He helped advance priorities spanning civil rights, social justice, health, employment, transportation, labor, agriculture, and faith-based outreach. He also planned and executed community events for thousands of district constituents. The work wasn’t abstract; it was about people bearing the weight of systems and expecting the government to see them.
Congressman Al Green (D-TX)
With Congressman Al Green (D-TX), a member of the House Financial Services Committee and who represents one of the most diverse districts in Texas, anchored in the Houston region and spanning multiple cities, counties, school districts, and community institutions, with constituents who bring a wide range of languages, cultures, and backgrounds. Kamau worked alongside Congressman Green during one of the defining chapters of his national profile: Green became the first member of Congress to introduce and force votes on three articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump. Kamau served as Green’s Director of Communications and chief strategist, leading media and press relations, rapid response, and crisis communications, including during Hurricane Harvey, supporting fast-moving, high-stakes communications as the Texas congressional delegation united across party lines to press for urgent federal disaster assistance and long-term recovery resources, while Congress advanced bipartisan, multi-billion-dollar relief packages. Kamau helped elevate a low-profile member and build his presence into a nationally recognized voice, constructing a disciplined media operation across local, statewide, national, and non-traditional platforms. He also strengthened the Congressman’s digital footprint, growing his social media following and presence, so that one voice could be heard clearly when the stakes were anything but theoretical.
Congressman John Lewis (D-GA)
On the campaign side, while at the DCCC in 2018, Kamau worked with the late Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) as Lewis traveled the country campaigning for House Democrats and sharing the lessons of a lifetime. More than a political surrogate, Lewis was a national moral voice, equally at home energizing congressional races, supporting statewide candidates, and helping elevate the broader fight for voting rights and democracy. During this period, Kamau supported press, outreach, candidate engagement, and development, as Lewis helped unify coalition partners, inspire volunteers, and bring historic clarity to the stakes of the moment. Lewis’s impact extended far beyond 2018, shaping movements long before that cycle and continuing to influence the country’s civic and political life after, even in his absence. The work overlapped with the making of John Lewis: Good Trouble, the documentary produced by CNN Films, AGC Studios, and Time Studios that sought to capture Lewis’s story and moral force on film.
Purpose-Driven Initiatives
He has also worked on creative and social impact initiatives, partnering with leaders, advocates, artists, and storytellers, turning ideas into movements. Nationally and globally, his work sits at the intersection of culture and impact, supporting equity-driven campaigns (including D.C. statehood), social justice efforts, and initiatives designed to close persistent racial and economic gaps. His portfolio spans culturally grounded projects across communities and platforms, from influencer-led storytelling to major festivals, benefit events, and coalition campaigns, as well as public safety and healing work tied to mass shooting response, survivor support, and homicide reduction. He has also collaborated with legendary advertising executive Roy Spence, one of the creators of the iconic “Don’t Mess with Texas” campaign and the team at We Are Spence (formerly CSpence Group) to advance messages rooted in purpose, leadership, and the power of storytelling.
Obama-Biden Administration
Under President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, he held a senior role at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one of the federal government’s largest agencies, under the leadership of Secretary Tom Vilsack. He served as a speechwriter and communications advisor, developing strategic messaging for the Secretary, the Administrator for the Foreign Agricultural Service, and other senior principals, advancing White House/USDA priorities through executive communications and mission-critical speechwriting. He supported strategic messaging and executive communications across foreign agriculture and global partnerships, including coordinating and recommending media interviews overseas and nationwide, while also advancing domestic priorities tied to rural engagement and development, farmers, food systems, and food access, translating complex policy into clear narratives that connected international and national priorities to on-the-ground impact across the country. He also served as a mentor through My Brother’s Keeper, an Obama White House initiative focused on improving outcomes for boys and young men of color by expanding mentorship, educational pathways, and community support.
Biden-Harris Administration
Under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, he held senior roles at the White House Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), under the leadership of Ambassador Katherine Tai, serving as Deputy Assistant USTR for Media & Public Affairs and a principal deputy spokesperson. He advised senior leadership on public messaging and led press and public affairs strategy tied to the Administration’s global trade agenda, supporting international and domestic engagements, executing media across nine foreign countries, and managing press surrounding multilateral forums, including the G7, G20, World Trade Organization, and OECD, as well as high-level bilateral meetings with global economic and trade leaders. He also contributed to National Security Council-led interagency initiatives, including press rollouts connected to the President’s Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities and key Senate confirmation moments.
He later served as a Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education, under the leadership of Secretary Dr. Miguel Cardona, advising on press/communication strategy, public engagement, and external messaging across P–12, higher education, HBCU engagement, and education equity. He helped drive major rollouts on national issues, including the SCOTUS decision on Student Debt Relief, while also overseeing communications tied to book bans and parent/family engagement. He organized editorial board meetings with outlets such as Reuters, The New York Times, and TIME. He helped build partnerships with organizations, including SXSW and SXSW EDU, the National Basketball Association, the Motion Picture Association, and the Creative Artists Agency, collaborating with educators, thought leaders, and cultural leaders to advance the administration’s education priorities.
Rebuilding the Narrative in Baltimore
After the 2024 elections, Kamau was in high demand—recruited by members of Congress, national organizations, and senior thought leaders for top communications and chief of staff level roles, including an invitation from the late Houston Mayor turned Congressman, Sylvester Turner to serve as a senior advisor and deputy chief of staff to help stand up his D.C. operation, leading strategy, communications, and supporting his early legislative agenda.
But Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott recruited Kamau to rebuild City Hall’s communications structure at the start of his second term.
Under his leadership, the city’s story began to shift, from one of reflexive criticism to one of credibility, accountability, and real-time results.
Kamau served as Chief Strategy and Chief Communications Officer for the City of Baltimore, effectively functioning as the Mayor’s Communications Director and helping stabilize and reset the Mayor’s communications operation. During his tenure, he shifted the city’s press posture from reactive to proactive.
He began the role in December 2024 and as planned, he stepped down from day-to-day duties in July 2025, formally concluding his service in August 2025 on mutually respectful terms in order to launch his own firm and do national work. Mayor Scott publicly supported his transition. Kamau continues to be helpful and collaborate with the Mayor and the City’s communications team from time to time.
A Record of Results
Long before Baltimore, Kamau had already proven his skill at winning hard fights and competitive races.
As National Spokesperson and Director of Black Media and Engagement at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC),
he and a broader team helped engineer the 2018 midterm victories that delivered the largest Democratic gain in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1974.
In a cycle defined by urgency and intensity, Kamau helped translate national strategy into local wins, executing earned and paid-media campaigns across 35+ competitive districts and 30+ media markets, supporting rapid-response and press operations on the road, and elevating trusted messengers, including Rep. John Lewis. He contributed to the DCCC’s $30 million Year of Engagement program and on-the-ground outreach, supporting candidate development, research, and focus groups, while advising senior leadership on cultural competency and regional trends, and message discipline in a rapidly shifting media environment.
That work helped elevate a new generation of leaders, including:
- Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL)
- Rep. Lucy McBath (GA)
- Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX)
- Rep. Colin Allred (TX)
- Rep. Jason Crow (CO)
- Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA)
- Rep. Andy Kim (NJ)
- Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ)
- Rep. Antonio Delgado (NY)
- Rep. Joe Neguse (CO)
- Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT)
- Rep. Deb Haaland (NM)
- Rep. Sharice Davids (KS)
- Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX)
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY)
- Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA)
- Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI)
He takes particular pride in seeing his friend Representative Gabe Amo (D-RI), a former colleague in the White House and on the campaign trail, elected as the first Black member of Congress from Rhode Island in 2023.
On presidential campaigns,
Kamau got his start in presidential politics in 2012, serving as a junior staffer/field organizer on President Obama’s re-election campaign. Since then, he has operated at the intersection of message, media relations, and external engagement, most notably as Director of Strategic Communications, an on-the-record senior spokesperson/senior advisor to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on the 2020 and 2024 campaigns. In that work, he helped translate policy and political priorities into public-facing narratives, guiding major rollouts, from policy announcements to high-profile endorsements, and supporting high-impact advertising and creative that carried the message across platforms.
He also bridged politics and culture, coordinating external engagement across stakeholders, coalitions, and high-profile surrogates, including celebrity and cultural partners, bringing discipline and clarity to moments moving at national speed. Working closely with senior leadership and campaign co-chair Rep. Cedric Richmond, then Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, he helped deliver a disciplined strategy, message, and engagement operation at the highest stakes. He has also supported two Presidential Inaugural Committees (2013 & 2021), including the 2021 inauguration, the first to be executed as a hybrid, in-person and virtual event, helping advance leadership communications, coalition engagement, and event-driven storytelling at moments when the country is watching.
Discipline, Outcomes + Impact
Across every role, Kamau’s imprint isn’t found in headlines, it’s in outcomes.
It shows up in disciplined narratives that shift perception, in steady leadership that steadies others, and in wins that endure long after the cameras fade. Colleagues describe a rare balance of executive polish, campaign grit, and a relentless get-it-done instinct, what he’s come to define as:
“Campaign energy. Executive polish. Lasting impact.”
Today, as CEO and Founding Principal of Think TopLines, Kamau advises a broad roster of clients;
high-profile leaders and public figures; political candidates, advocacy organizations and nonprofits; state and local governments and elected officials; CEOs and senior executives; institutions and companies; cultural figures, artists, athletes, celebrities, and creatives, all navigating high-stakes moments where message, reputation, and results are on the line.
Through Think TopLines, the firm focuses on:
- Strategic communications and media
- Crisis and reputation management
- Executive and brand advisory
- Advocacy and campaign strategy
- Research, targeting, and paid media
In each lane, the goal is the same: help clients find their voice, protect their credibility, and build toward results that last longer than any single news cycle.
Widely regarded as a fixer, connector, and trusted consigliere, Kamau’s approach is rooted in three constants: clarity, credibility, and connection. He is a communicator and problem solver who gets the job done, whether the challenge is a campaign, a city government, a public figure’s brand, or a full-blown crisis.
He bridges politics, policy, and culture with a simple conviction: the right strategy, executed with purpose, doesn’t just shift opinion, it changes what’s possible.
Recognition + Affiliations
Reflecting Kamau's lifelong commitment to service, leadership, and community
- Nationally recognized for leadership in campaigns, media, and the HBCU community, including awards from:
- Truman National Security Project, Congressional Security Scholar (2014 class)
- First Book, Board member and Chairman, Washington DC Social Action Committee (2014-2016)
- Bishop T. Walker School for Boys, Mentor & Lunch Buddy (2014-2021)
- HBCU Buzz’s “Top 30 Under 30” (2016)
- Aspen Institute, Social Media Ambassador (2016-2018)
- Xfinity/Comcast HBCU Alumni Alliance Media & Communications Award (2018)
- Campaigns & Elections’ Rising Star Award (2018)
- A frequent guest lecturer and speaker at many HBCUs and various universities around the country. In 2024, he served as the convocation speaker at Texas Southern University (his alma mater).
- He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity.
Beyond the Work
To those closest to him, he’s known as “The Organic Gentleman,”
a reflection of his grounded nature, yet blunt-straightforward honesty, mixing East Coast edge and strong Southern roots, all anchored by an unshakable calm amid chaos.
Born in Chicago, IL, with ties to Baltimore, MD; Pittsburgh, PA; Birmingham, AL; Atlanta and Columbus, GA; and Houston, TX, Kamau blends East Coast sensibilities with Southern warmth and charm.
Away from the spotlight, he’s an avid traveler, reader, cook, and host. He’s happiest near the water and surrounded by family, friends, jazz, old-school R&B, or the sound of an HBCU marching band during football or parade season.
For Kamau Mandela Marshall, communication isn’t just about telling a story. It’s about delivering results that last.