Denise Herd

Entrepreneur. Visionary. Mentor. Denise Herd is the founder and president of herd Strategies, a full-service public relations firm, headquartered in downtown, Indianapolis. Upon its founding, Herd Strategies quickly developed a reputation for being the go-to firm for companies or individuals looking for common sense solutions to solve complex marketing, public relations, and community engagement issues. Her unique ability of identifying the root cause of problems impacting the effectiveness of an organizations communications efforts has resulted in transformative strategies that consistently separate her clients from the competition and yield a strong return on investment. Outside of the business, Denise is a highly sought-after public speaker and workshop facilitator. She is passionate about developing businesses and is a certified facilitator of the Kauffman Foundation FastTrac New Venture and Walker’s Legacy Prospectus programs guiding startup entrepreneurs through all phases of business ownership. She currently serves on the board of directors of Local Initiatives Support Organization (LISC) the Allen University foundation and Summit Indianapolis, a feminist theatre in Indianapolis, and chair of the Indianapolis Chamber Women’s Business Advisory Council. She is a graduate of the Stanley K. Lacey Executive Leadership Series, and an adjunct professor with the IUPUI Department of Journalism. Denise is the recipient of numerous awards including the Indianapolis Business Journal Woman of Influence, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Peggy LeCompte Award for Outstanding Journalism and Communications, the Pass the Torch for Women – Ignite the Torch Entrepreneurship Achievement Award, the 100 Black Men of Indianapolis Four For the Future Award, the Public Relations Society of America - East Central District Diamond Award, the Public Relations Society of America - Hoosier Chapter Pinnacle Award, the Monumental Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Indianapolis Chamber, and the International Association of Business Communicators Gold Quill Award. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Clark-Atlanta University and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.