Shawn Amos, founder and CEO of the digital content studio Freshwire and chief innovation officer of FleishmanHillard’s ContentWorks (both part of marketing giant Omnicom), wears many hats: executive, philanthropist, Grammy-nominated producer and noted blues singer.
Previously, Shawn was an artists-and-repertoire executive at Rhino Entertainment, where he produced the Grammy nominated historical box set Rhapsodies in Black: Music and Words from the Harlem Renaissance, and Vice President of A&R at Shout! Factory. He produced broadcast, DVD and audio titles for legacy artists ranging from Heart to Quincy Jones, for whom Shawn later ran the Listen Up Foundation.
Shawn is the son of Wally Amos, founder of the Famous Amos brand and the first African-American talent agent for the William Morris Agency. Growing up in the colorful Hollywood landscape inspired Shawn to pursue a career in film (he attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts), then music and digital media. Shawn has also written a book, a memoir titled Cookies & Milk: Scenes From a ’70s Hollywood Childhood.
Shawn was included in Forbes magazine’s list of “Up and Comers,” in 2012 and he is a regular contributor on Bloomberg West TV, where he discusses brand marketing.
A frequently sought-after speaker, Shawn shared his thoughts on content and corporate culture during a 2013 TEDxEast presentation. At the 2014 Thread Summit in Colorado, Shawn spoke about the need for “content mindfulness,” encouraging brands to opt out of the 24/7 real-time race for relevancy and focus on delivering strategic and thoughtful content that helps to tell the brand’s story. He believes the future of consumer engagement is about value, not volume.
Shawn sits on the Board of Trustees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum as well as the Board of Directors of Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. Shawn digs doughnuts and moonlights as blues singer, The Reverend Shawn Amos.
"Shawn is a provocateur who subscribes to fresh thinking. He is hip and practical. He is creative and always a step or two ahead of the pack. He challenges the status quo and audiences gravitate to him.”
“Shawn Amos is always on the top of the list of speakers for the Milken Institute Global Conference. Shawn’s unique style, diverse experience, and distinctive perspective make him an audience favorite and an informative and engaging speaker.”