Principal, Moxie Coalition
Zena Burns
Zena Burns has spent more than two decades developing iconic brands in the media, entertainment, and technology spaces. She's been a trusted advisor to members of the C-suite, a mentor to those seeking to grow their careers, and a true partner to those she works with.
Zena founded Moxie Coalition in 2015. Always one to seek new challenges, she was inspired by a desire to take her unique professional experience — from tiny start-up label to corporate behemoths — and apply that to several different types of projects. She activated her network for client projects requiring custom teams and quickly grew Moxie's list of partners in the media, entertainment, technology, and non-profit spaces. These have included Madison Square Garden Entertainment, Bloomberg Media, Chicago Public Media, Small Forces, and many more.
From the time she started running a digital street team out of a Chicago loft for Scratchie Records, founded by members of The Smashing Pumpkins, the late Adam Schlesinger, and more in the mid-90s, Zena has always focused on using innovation, technology, and strategic communication to help good organizations make a bigger impact with their work.
In 2006, she was recruited to then-Clear Channel New York City as the radio industry's first Digital Program Director. Eventually credited by the then-President of Digital with "changing the culture" at the company that became iHeartMedia, she was part of the team that created the iHeartRadio brand and app, and as SVP, Programming Partnerships, ran digital content and social media for all 850+ of the company's O&O stations.
Later, she was SVP, Content and Special Projects, at Futuri. The company is the leader in AI solutions for broadcast radio, TV, and digital publishing brands. Their technology is used by more than 5,000 media professionals worldwide to grow their brands' content, audience, and revenue.
Zena is also a very proud alumnus of Teen People Magazine, where, as Entertainment Director and Music Editor, she played a key role in driving pop culture and giving early looks to countless numbers of today’s superstars.
In 2023, inspired by her passion for empowering women in the workplace, Zena launched a podcast, My 23-Year-Old Self: True Stories From the Come Up. The show features candid discussions with successful women in media, entertainment, and technology about how they’ve navigated their male-heavy industries, and the advice they’d give their younger selves for doing so.