Media kit

Press & media.

Bios, photos, and two decades of coverage. For interviews, appearances, and press inquiries, get in touch.

As featured in

The New York Times · CNN · The Guardian · Fast Company · New York Magazine · National Geographic · The Huffington Post · The Baltimore Sun

Bio

Short
and long.

Short bio · 36 words

Brooke Hall is an author, entrepreneur, and certified meditation teacher. She co-founded Light City and What Weekly in Baltimore, and founded What Works Studio. She lives in Encinitas, California. The Pronoia Effect is her first book.

Long bio · 169 words

Brooke Hall builds things at the intersection of creativity, community, and emerging technology. Over two decades, that work has taken the shape of a citywide festival, innovation conferences, cultural campaigns, an arts magazine, a creative agency, and a book.

She co-founded What Weekly, an arts and innovation magazine that documented arts and culture in Baltimore, and Light City, America’s first international light and music festival, which drew over 400,000 visitors, generated $33.8 million in economic impact, and put $1.2 million directly into the hands of artists in its inaugural year.

She is the founder of What Works Studio, a creative agency working with ambitious organizations on campaigns that move people. Her work has been featured by CNN, The Guardian, New York Magazine, Fast Company, and National Geographic.

She is a Salzburg Global Fellow and a certified meditation teacher trained by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. She lives in Encinitas, California.

Her first book, The Pronoia Effect, tells the story of building something extraordinary, a public collapse, and the single shift that changes everything.

Photos

For press
use.

Hi-res images for editorial coverage. Need something else? Ask.

Portrait of Brooke Hall
Author portraitHi-res ↗
Brooke Hall speaking on stage
On stageHi-res ↗
The Pronoia Effect book cover
Book coverHi-res ↗
The book

The Pronoia
Effect.

The Pronoia Effect by Brooke Hall

A true story about ambition, collapse, and what happens when the ways you learned to survive stop serving you.

  • GenreMemoir
  • FormatsPaperback & ebook
  • StatusAvailable now
Buy on Amazon ↗About the book ↗
In the press

Selected
coverage.

SmartCEO Magazine cover story featuring Brooke Hall and Justin AllenSmartCEO cover story, 2016 ↗
All coverage (52)Close all coverage

2025

2024

2022

2020

2019

2018

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

Radio, podcast, TV & video

On air.

Speaking

Stages
& rooms.

Talks & booking ↗

  • Keynote panelistBranding Baltimore from Activism and Festivals to HashtagsCommunicator Summit, 2019
  • PanelistCultural Innovation in a Culture of ExploitationRed Bull Amaphiko Festival, 2017
  • PanelistWe Built This City: Using Festivals as a Catalyst for Inspiring and Revitalizing CommunitiesXLIVE Las Vegas, 2016
  • SpeakerIdeas, Ideas, Ideas: How to Make Ideas TangibleFireside Chat Entrepreneur Series, Towson University, 2016
  • SpeakerLaunching Light City: From Vision to RealityBaltimore Innovation Week, 2016
  • Host and emceeCreative Innovation ConferenceLight City, 2016
  • PanelistWonder Women: Change Makers + InnovatorsLight City Social Innovation Conference, 2016
  • SpeakerLight City Opening CeremonyMayor’s News Conference, 2016
  • SpeakerLight City and its International SignificanceWorld Trade Center Institute, 2016
  • SpeakerLight City Baltimore Announces Innovation ConferencesMayor’s Press Conference, 2016
  • SpeakerLight CityVisit Baltimore Cultural Tourism Advisory Committee, 2015
  • SpeakerLight City Community MeetingBetamore, 2015
  • SpeakerLight City Community MeetingMaryland Institute College of Art, 2015
  • PanelistOn EntrepreneurshipUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2015
  • PanelistHow to grow your creative business in a competitive marketBmore Creatives, 2015
  • SpeakerThe Working Artist: Making Art LifeThe Windup Space, 2014
  • SpeakerIntroducing Light CityVisit Baltimore Board Meeting, 2014
  • SpeakerIntroducing Light CityCharles Street Development Corporation Board Meeting, 2014
  • Host and speakerLight City Rally featuring Ignatius JonesFour Seasons, 2014
  • Guest lecturerLoyola University Maryland2010
Recognition

Awards,
fellowships
& boards.

Awards
  • Best Social Media Marketing Agency in BaltimoreExpertise.com, 2020 and 2022
  • Innovator of the YearThe Daily Record, 2016
  • 25 Women to WatchThe Baltimore Sun, 2016
  • 40 Under 40Baltimore Business Journal, 2016
  • Downtown Baltimore AwardDowntown Partnership of Baltimore, 2016
  • Silo Breaker AwardBetamore, 2016
  • Best Category Buster: Light CityBaltimore Magazine, 2016
  • Brava Top Female CEO AwardSmartCEO Magazine, 2016
  • Creative Group of the YearTechnical.ly, 2015
  • Mayor’s Certificate of RecognitionCity of Baltimore, 2015
  • Bloomberg Public Art Challenge FinalistBloomberg Philanthropies, 2014
  • Social Innovation AwardBaltimore Social Innovation Journal, 2014
  • Baltimore Transformer AwardStrong City Baltimore, 2013
  • Best ’Zine: What WeeklyBaltimore Magazine, 2013
  • Best New Magazine: What WeeklyBaltimore Magazine, 2011
Fellowships
  • Young Cultural Innovators FellowSalzburg Global Seminar
  • Social Innovation FellowWarnock Foundation
  • 99U FellowAdobe
Boards
  • Downtown Partnership of BaltimoreBoard Member
  • Light City Innovation CommitteeFounding Chair
  • Light City Chairman’s CouncilFounding Member
  • Light City Steering CommitteeFounding Member
  • Baltimore Festival of the ArtsBoard Member
  • Charles Street Development CorporationExecutive Committee Member
  • The Women’s ExchangeBoard Member
  • Historic Charles Street AssociationBoard President
  • Rhymes With OperaBoard Member
Press inquiries

Working on a story?

Media & Press

Meet Brooke Hall, Voyage Baltimore, 2025

Drone show will be part of Inner Harbor fireworks celebration on July 4, Baltimore Fishbowl, 2024

Famous Fellows: Brooke Hall Salzburg Global Seminar, Full list of Famous Fellows, 2022

The Power of Meditation with Brooke Hall The New Mid Radio Show, 106.9 The Eagle, 2020

How Do You Know Your Agency is a Good Fit? for American Marketing Association Baltimore: 8/19/2019

52 Places to Go in 2018 by Nora Walsh for The New York Times: 1/10/2018

A Year in Quotes by Jonathan Munshaw for Baltimore Business Journal: 12/2/2016

40 Under 40: Brooke Hall and Justin Allen by Carley Milligan for Baltimore Business Journal: 11/3/2016

Baltimore Sun's 25 women to watch in 2016: Brooke Hall by Chris Kaltenbach for The Baltimore Sun: 10/5/2016

[COVER STORY] Building a Movement: How the creative minds behind Light City and Mr. Trash Wheel are helping Baltimore shine brighter by By Alyssa Hurst and Tina Irgang for SmartCEO Magazine: 9/1/2016

Best of Baltimore 2016: Light City by Max Weiss for Baltimore Magazine: 8/22/2016

The Promise of Light City [VIDEO] by Alyssa Hurst for SmartCEOVideo: 8/8/2016

Light City Baltimore Looking To Go Bigger And Brighter Next Year by George Solis for CBS Baltimore: 7/24/2016

Honoring Top Female CEO's: Brooke Hall by SmartCEO Magazine: 7/15/2016

Light City Baltimore adds $33.8 million to economy, study finds by Brittany Britto for The Baltimore Sun: 5/18/2016

Lighting Up Baltimore: How Light City Provided a Much-Needed Boost for the Inner Harbor and Beyond by Alyssa Hurst for SmartCEO Magazine: 5/1/2016

Why is Baltimore so wired to 'The Wire'? by Jim Wheeler for The Baltimore Sun: 4/6/2016

Nearly 400,000 come for Light City Baltimore by Andrea K. McDaniels for The Baltimore Sun: 4/4/2016

Light City U Conference Wrap-Up: Weeklong sessions highlight social, tech, and creative innovation by Jess Mayhugh for Baltimore Magazine: 4/2/2016

Celebrating Our Innovation and Creativity by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for the Rawlings-Blake Review: 4/2/2016

3 Brilliant Pieces From America’s First Major Light Art Festival by Meg Miller for Fast Company: 4/1/2016

Light city love letter by Jen Ronald for The Baltimore Sun: 3/31/2016

Light City Baltimore festival kicks off Monday by Morning Producer for Fox45 News: 3/28/2016

Meet the Married Couple behind Light City Baltimore by Brittany Britto for The Baltimore Sun: 3/25/2016

Light City Festival Illuminating Baltimore by Charu Suri for Travel Pulse: 3/22/2016

Light City festival: High risk, with potential for high reward by Anamika Roy for The Daily Record: 3/18/2016

Roughly Speaking podcast: What to expect from the inaugural Light City Baltimore festival (episode 65) by Dan Rodricks for The Baltimore Sun: 3/1/2016

Let There Be Light: A New Arts, Music and Ideas Festival Highlights the Brighter Side of Baltimore by Matt McCue for Arrive Magazine: 3/1/2016

Light City Baltimore festival aims to change the city's brand by Natalie Sherman for The Baltimore Sun: 2/26/2015

Light City: An Innovative new festival launches in Baltimore's Inner Harbor by Tony Rehagen for Southwest Magazine: 2/25/2016

Labor of Love: These couples play and work together by Gabriella Souza for Baltimore Magazine 2/1/2016

Here’s the plan for Light City’s innovation track: Light City U will feature a series of two-day conferences by Stephen Babcock for Technical.ly Baltimore: 2/3/2016

Meet the couple who dreamed up Light City Baltimore by Sarah Gantz for Baltimore Business Journal: 2/2/2016

DJ Jazzy Jeff, Thomas Dolby among headliners set for inaugural Light City Baltimore festival by Chris Kaltenbach for The Baltimore Sun 2/2/2016

Lights in Baltimore, Music in St. Martin by Elaine Glusac for The New York Times: 1/29/2016

16 intriguing things to see and do in the U.S. in 2016 by Marnie Hunter and Katia Hetter for CNN: 1/8/2016

Artist/Creative Group of the Year: Light City Festival by Christopher Wink for Technical.ly Baltimore: 10/2/2015

Innovation Mapped by Christopher Wink for Technical.ly Baltimore: 9/17/2015

Light City Q&A: Festival to bring light, art, music, and innovation to Baltimore in 2016 by Gabriella Souza for Baltimore Magazine: 6/8/2015

Light City Baltimore, a festival of innovation, set for March 2016 debut by Kevin Litten for Baltimore Business Journal: 2/26/2015

Light City Baltimore festival aims to change the city's brand by Natalie Sherman for The Baltimore Sun: 2/26/2015

Light City says Baltimore’s brand needs a makeover. Can a three-pronged mega-festival do the trick? by Stephen Babcock for Technical.ly Baltimore: 3/12/2015

With Grand Prix gone, Baltimore in search of large-scale events for city by Sarah Blumberg for ABC2 NEWS: 7/15/2014

What Works Studio, publishers of What Weekly, pass 5-year mark by Andrew Zaleski for Technical.ly Baltimore: 5/22/2014

Baltimore's Future with David Warnock for WYPR Radio: 1/16/2014

Interview with Young Cultural Innovator Brooke Hall by Salzburg Global Seminar: 10/20/2014

Lighting the way to Baltimore’s future: A celebration of music, light and ideas could put the city on the cultural cutting edge by Michael Cross-Barnet for The Baltimore Social Innovation Journal: 12/10/2013

Go Neighborhood-Hopping in Baltimore by Emily Saladino for New York Magazine: 10/17/2013

Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia: Best blogs for travelers by Vicky Baker for The Guardian: 10/4/2013

2013 Best of Baltimore: Zine - New School by Ron Cassie with Andrew Zaleski for Baltimore Magazine: 8/1/2013

The Baltimore Experiment: Getting Out From Under “The Wire” by Jim Luce for The Huffington Post: 6/29/2012

Best of Baltimore 2011: Best New Magazine by Baltimore Magazine: 7/28/2011

Accentuate the Positive: What Weekly seeks to eliminate the negative and support the local arts by Hannah Bruchman for Baltimore City Paper: 8/18/2010

Speaking

Keynote Panelist
“Branding Baltimore from Activism and Festivals to Hashtags”
Communicator Summit, 2019

Panelist
“Cultural Innovation in a Culture of Exploitation”
Red Bull Amaphiko Festival, 2017

Panelist
“We Built This City – Using Festivals as a Catalyst for Inspiring and Revitalizing Communities”
XLIVE Las Vegas, 2016

Speaker

“Ideas, Ideas, Ideas: How to Make Ideas Tangible”
Fireside Chat Entrepreneur Series, Towson University, 2016

Speaker
“Launching Light City: From Vision to Reality”
Baltimore Innovation Week, 2016

Host and Emcee
Creative Innovation Conference
Light City, 2016

Panelist
“Wonder Women: Change Makers + Innovators”
Light City Social Innovation Conference, 2016

Speaker
“Light City Opening Ceremony”
Mayor’s News Conference, 2016

Speaker
“Light City and its International Significance”
World Trade Center Institute, 2016

Speaker
“Light City Baltimore Announces Innovation Conferences”
Mayor’s Press Conference, 2016

Speaker
“Light City”
Visit Baltimore’s Cultural Tourism Advisory Committee, 2015

Speaker
“Light City Community Meeting”
Betamore, 2015

Speaker
“Light City Community Meeting”
Maryland Institute College of Art, 2015

Panelist
“On Entrepreneurship”
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2015

Speaker
“The Working Artist: Making Art Life”
The Windup Space, 2014

Speaker
“Introducing Light City”
Visit Baltimore Board Meeting, 2014

Speaker
“Introducing Light City”
Charles Street Development Corporation Board Meeting, 2014

Panelist
“How to grow your creative business in a competitive market”
Bmore Creatives, 2015

Host and Speaker
“Light City Rally featuring Ignatius Jones”
Four Seasons, 2014

Guest Lecturer
Loyola University Maryland, 2010

Awards

Best Social Media Marketing Agency in Baltimore
Expertise.com, 2020 and 2022

Innovator of the Year Award
The Daily Record, 2016

25 Women to Watch
The Baltimore Sun, 2016

40 Under 40
Baltimore Business Journal, 2016

Downtown Baltimore Award
Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, 2016

Silo Breaker Award
Betamore, 2016

Best Category Buster: Light City
Baltimore Magazine, 2016

Brava Top Female CEO Award
SmartCEO Magazine, 2016

Creative Group of the Year Award
Technical.ly, 2015

Mayor’s Certificate of Recognition
City of Baltimore, 2015

Bloomberg Public Art Challenge Finalist
Bloomberg Philanthropies, 2014

Social Innovation Award
Baltimore Social Innovation Journal, 2014

Baltimore Transformer Award
Strong City Baltimore, 2013

Best ‘Zine: What Weekly
Baltimore Magazine, 2013

Best New Magazine: What Weekly
Baltimore Magazine, 2011

RADIO, PODCAST, TV & VIDEO

Featured Salzburg Global Fellow
Inspiring Leadership Campaign
Salzburg Global Seminar, 2021

Guest
The Power of Meditation with Brooke Hall
The New Mid Podcast and 106.9 The Eagle Radio, 2020

Guest
“25 Women to Watch” Video
The Baltimore Sun, 2016

Guest
“Light City Baltimore Looking To Go Bigger And Brighter Next Year” Segment
CBS Baltimore, 2016

Speaker
“Light City Kick Off”
Mayor’s News Conference, 2016

Guest
“The Promise of Light City” Video
SmartCEO Magazine, 2016

Guest
“Light City Baltimore festival kicks off Monday” Segment
Fox45 News, 2016

Guest
Roughly Speaking Podcast by Dan Rodricks
The Baltimore Sun, 2016

Guest
“Meet the married couple behind Light City Baltimore” Video
The Baltimore Sun, 2016

Guest
“Brava: Top Female CEOs” Video
SmartCEO Magazine, 2016

Guest
“Young Cultural Innovators Interview Series” Video
Salzburg Global Seminar, 2015

Guest
“We Are Light City” Video
Light City Press Conference, 2015

Guest
Startup Soirée Podcast
2015

Guest
“Baltimore’s Future with David Warnock”
WYPR Radio, 2015

Guest
“The Power of Google” Segment
Fox45 News, 2011

Fellowships & Boards

Young Cultural Innovators Fellow
Salzburg Global Seminar

Social Innovation Fellow
Warnock Foundation

99U Fellow
Adobe

___

Downtown Partnership of Baltimore
Board Member

Light City Innovation Committee
Founding Chair

Light City Chairman’s Council
Founding Member

Light City Steering Committee
Founding Member

Baltimore Festival of the Arts
Board Member

Charles Street Development Corporation
Executive Committee Member

The Women’s Exchange
Board Member

Historic Charles Street Association
Board President

Rhymes With Opera
Board Member