About Erica McGillivray

Erica McGillivray and tribblesErica McGillivray is an author and a marketing, communications, and community consultant. They engage, inform, and strategically guide brands and their audiences by leveraging their unique perspective from e-commerce retail, nonprofits, b2b, and pop culture. Erica brings a community focus to their team and a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion to every program.

Erica’s often the solution thrown at a diverse array of company needs with broad experience in B2B SaaS, B2C e-commerce, professional associations, and nonprofits. They are currently working as Communications Director at NLM Photonics, a startup focused on revolutionizing the computing and networking industry with photonics. Though you’ll often find them in their garden or hosting their film podcast.

Erica previously served as the Co-Founder and COO at 1Brand and Permanence Labs. There, they launched the saas brand marketing tool, 1Brand, where any brand could enter their URL and populate basic visual branding guidelines. Erica managed Operations, including, but not limited to, company strategy, branding, finance, HR and people functions, legal, and systems processes.

At CMX, Erica was the Director of Product Strategy and Community Experience, building and growing the educational space for professional community builders. They led a membership-driven professional association, strategizing product development and community experience. Erica also produced their annual conference CMX Summit. They managed a team, aligned vision with CMX’s business goals, and led these critical business units.

Erica was a senior community manager at Moz, building the beloved online marketing brand’s community to 600,000 members and over 2 million monthly visitors. They honed Q&A forums, user-generated content, social media, webinars, and events, including developing and growing one of the top-rated online marketing conferences MozCon with 1,600 attendees.

Erica is also co-founder of GeekGirlCon, a 501c3 nonprofit celebrating geeky women. They served as President for over two years, forming the brand, business, and community from scratch with a team of 30+ volunteers. Erica launched their flagship conference with 1,200 attendees and doubled that the following year.

Communication, storytelling, and writing are Erica’s lifelong passions. They have contributed to Higher Logic, Moz, Salesforce Canada and UK, and Uncanny Magazine, and is a published author in the Hugo-nominated books, Chicks Dig Comics and Chicks Unravel Time. Erica’s spoken globally at conferences like MarketingProf’s B2B Forum, BrightonSEO, Content Marketing Conference, Digital Analytics Association, Rose City Comic Con, Google Developer Groups Summit, and more. Their favorite place is reading a book in the hammock in their garden.


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Interviews, podcasts, and press

Cactus, succulent plant show taking place Aug. 19-20 in Seattle
Studio Live 13 (FOX 13), 2023

Embracing Your Community Both Online and Off with Erica McGillivray
Brand Driven Digital, 2016

Data dive: Fake Twitter followers abound in local politics, media
Crosscut, 2016

Erica McGillivray on Nurturing and Growing a Community #MarketingNerds
Search Engine Journal, 2016

An Interview with Erica McGillivray – Sr. Community Manager at Moz
Blurbpoint, 2015

Interview: Learn the Secrets of Online Community Management from Moz’s Erica McGillivray
WordStream, 2015

Take Your Presentations to the Next Level, Great Tips from Erica McGillivray
AuthorityLabs, 2014

5 Email Marketing Experts Share Their Best Tips
INC, 2014

Geek girls unite around games, comics and a ‘Buffy’ sing-along
Reuters, 2012

Feel Like Letting Your Geek Flag Fly?
Women’s Media Center, 2012

Geek Girls Get Their Own Con
CNN, 2011

I am GeekGirlCon, Hear me ROAR!
Comic Booked, 2011

Geek of the Week: Erica McGillivray, GeekGirlCon
GeekWire, 2011

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