Shonali Burke

As Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer for Arena Stage, Shonali Burke is responsible for the brand and growth strategy of the historic, Tony Award®-winning regional theater (1967’s The Great White Hope, 2017’s Dear Evan Hansen, which premiered at Arena in 2015), overseeing its marketing & communications, earned revenue, audience services, and business intelligence and information systems. Shonali’s innovative and integrated approach to marketing, sales, and the audience experience have guided the company’s post-pandemic rebound, bringing ticket sales back from $0 in FY21/22, growing them by 168% in FY22/23, and establishing several successful partnerships, including with DC Central Kitchen for on-site patron dining, and securing The Atlantic as a marquee client to anchor The Atlantic Festival at Arena Stage. Prior to joining the company, Shonali ran a successful virtual integrated marketing consultancy working with purpose-driven organizations including Oxfam America, the United Nations Foundation, and USA for UNHCR, for whom she designed its now-textbook digital “Blue Key” campaign. Earlier in her career, Shonali led communications for the ASPCA, where she spearheaded its response to the 2007 pet food recall and Michael Vick case, also launching its pet insurance product. The first Indian American woman to be named to PRWeek’s “Top 40 Under 40” list of U.S.-based PR pros, Shonali teaches for The Johns Hopkins University’s M.A. in Communication program, and is a 2021 graduate of the Harvard Business Analytics Program. She is writing her first book, The Non-Obvious Guide to Public Relations & Communication, and is owned by Pickles the Corgi, who pays her dues in lickies and snuggles.