Wanda J HerndonWanda J. Herndon is an award-winning public relations and corporate communications trailblazer, author, speaker, mentor, and former senior executive whose life and career reflect the power of resilience, preparation, identity, and purpose.Raised in Fint, Michigan, in a working-class family shaped by the Great Migration, Herndon grew up with a clear directive from her father, a General Motors assembly-line worker who had left the Jim Crow South in search of freedom and opportunity: "You should get an office job." That dream became a defining force in her life. As an African American girl from a blue-collar community, she learned early the value of education, self-sufficiency, hard work, and refusing to accept the limits others might place on her.Herndon became one of the first in her extended family to attend college, earning a journalism degree from Michigan State University and later continuing her graduate studies in journalism. Her early interest in storytelling, media, and truth-telling became the foundation for a career in communications that would take her from state government to major corporations, including Dow Chemical and DuPont.She went on to become the first senior vice president of global communications for Starbucks Coffee Company, serving from 1995 to 2006 and returning to the role in 2008. During her initial tenure, she helped guide communications as Starbucks grew from 550 stores to more than 15,000 stores across five continents. In that role, Herndon earned a seat at decision-making tables where African American women had historically been underrepresented, becoming both a corporate leader and a cultural bridge-builder.Throughout her career, Herndon has been known for her candor, strategic insight, humor, and what she calls her "Wanda-isms"-a blend of fearlessness, honesty, and joy that allows her to tell hard truths with grace. Her leadership has centered not only on brand reputation and business growth, but also on inclusion, mentorship, and opening doors for others.In 2006, Herndon founded W Communications, a consulting firm providing strategic communications counsel and strategy development. She is also a Broadway producer and investor in award-winning musical theater productions, including Memphis: The Musical and Come From Away, a published poet, and co-author of the anthology Writing While Masked: Reflections on 2020 and Beyond.Her memoir, Working Class to Breaking Glass: One Woman's Fight to Belong and to Lead, chronicles her journey from Flint to corporate leadership, exploring race, gender, class, family legacy, belonging, and the courage required to lead without compromising one's truth. Herndon's story is both deeply personal and broadly resonant: a testament to what becomes possible when determination meets opportunity, and when one woman claims her place at the table while making room for others.Sources used: the manuscript's "About the Author" section and book description, which identify Herndon as an award-winning PR and corporate communications leader, her Starbucks role and tenure, her Dow and DuPont experience, her founding of W Communications, her arts work, and the memoir's themes of legacy, identity, resilience, and leadership. Read More Read Less