Gwendolyn Pointer

Gwendolyn Pointer, Executive Vice President of GLAAD’s Media Institute, joined GLAAD in January 2020. She leads a consulting practice and a team of ten(10) consultant and subject matter experts that 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, Gwen continues to lead and to expand GLAAD Media Institute competency and impact at the intersection of cultural, leadership and social and racial justice.
Gwen joined GLAAD from New York Public Radio (NYPR), where she served as Head of Sponsorship Sales & Development reporting to the NYPR President & 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, Pointer led NYPR in strengthening the organization, cultivating a vibrant, 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, sustainable pipeline of partners and sponsors, and live, audio and digital content to build a sustainable future for NYPR amidst a rapidly changing media landscape.

Prior to her role at New York Public Radio, Pointer spent decades in the sports and entertainment – profit and not-for-profit - businesses in senior leadership positions at IMG, Octagon, Harlem Globetrotters, Connecticut Sun, as well as Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and The Paley Center for Media, to name a few. 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, as well as mobile and on-demand properties, 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.

Pointer holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and resides in Brooklyn, NY.