Dawn Kelly

Founder & CEO of The Nourish Spot Inc., Dawn Kelly opened the healthy food and beverage haven with her two young adult children in September 2017 after a 35+ year public relations and marketing communications career.

In May 2019, during Small Business Week, The Nourish Spot, which offers customers opportunity to customize fresh produce into smoothies, salads, cold pressed juices, sandwich wraps and more was recognized by the Small Business Administration as Microbusiness of the Year, NY District. Kelly has received numerous awards for her recent retail business success and community service including recognition by New York State Senator Leroy Comrie as 2020 Distinguished Women of the Year and selection as 1 of 6, statewide, Entrepreneur of the Year by the New York State ESD and Queens Economic Development Committee.

A graduate of the Interise and Goldman Sachs 10kSB programs, Kelly and her family also partners with non-profit organizations to serve as a culinary and hospitality internship training ground for community youth and neighborhood fair wage employer.

Before taking the entrepreneurial leap, Kelly spent nearly 16 years with Fortune 500 firm, Prudential Financial, where she served in several leadership roles within the Global Communications department. During her tenure, Kelly was responsible for leading a team that provided ongoing internal communications and external media relations support for the company’s centers of excellence, including talent, global security, corporate citizenship, veterans’ initiative and diversity and inclusion. Kelly also held responsibility for developing and implementing award winning multi-faceted communications strategies for the parent company, the Foundation, as well as the Group Insurance, International Insurance and Retirement businesses. Kelly also established an internship pipeline between her alma mater, Howard University, and the Global Communications department.

Prior to joining Prudential in 1999, Kelly served as the director of public relations for York College/CUNY. Before York, Kelly held key media relations positions with AARP in Washington, D.C. during her 9 years tenure.

Kelly, a member of NYC Queens Community Board 12 is also a member of the board of directors for the NYC Hospitality Alliance and the York College Foundation. Kelly also maintains membership in ColorComm, the National Association of Black Journalists, New York Women’s Culinary Alliance, and the Queens Chamber of Commerce, etc. A former sports journalist for the Amsterdam News, Kelly graduated from Howard University with a B.A. in African American studies and she is also a graduate of the Women Unlimited LEAD program.