SYDNEY TILLMAN (she/they) is a New York City-based strategic communications consultant and event strategist passionate about amplifying stories and reimagining the way we launch and discover new products. She graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Journalism, with a concentration in Strategic Communications.
Sydney started their career in book publishing at Penguin Random House for Random House Children’s Books. There, she worked with high-profile talent and launched several bestselling books, including New York Times bestsellers All Are Welcome, Yes She Can, and Matthew Gray Gubler’s Rumple Buttercup. She worked closely on the media campaign for the highly anticipated novel, Bridge of Clay, the long-awaited return from celebrated author Markus Zusak. In late 2019, she joined the publicity department at Scholastic and successfully launched the New York Times bestseller All Because You Matter and the graphic novel adaptation of the beloved Animorphs series. While at Hachette Book Group, she worked with literary superstar authors Vashti Harrison, Kwame Alexander, and Michaela Goade—and launched the bestselling children’s book debut Strong Mama from Peloton’s Robin Arzón. Currently, Sydney works to help businesses, as a strategic communications consultant, to translate data insights into recommendations that help develop impactful marketing plans, change management, and media strategy.
She is passionate about arts; culture; and serving communities of color, and has served on multiple committees to advocate for more equitable and inclusive including the planning committee for the inaugural Bronx Book Festival, the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee for Penguin Random House, the Public Relations and Events Committee for People of Color in Publishing, and the Children’s Book Council’s Diversity Committee.