Keyaira Lock

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT KEYAIRA LOCK

Connection. Rules. Everything. Around. Me.Across every chapter of my career—from classrooms in South Africa to boardrooms in Silicon Valley—I’ve seen one truth hold consistently: when connection is designed with intention, it becomes an engine for durable growth. Community isn’t the outcome—it’s the infrastructure.As a Fulbright Scholar, brand strategist, and experience architect, I’ve spent the past decade building experience-led platforms that translate connection into capital, learning into leverage, and belonging into long-term business resilience. My work lives at the intersection of strategy, experience, and community—especially for founders navigating systems not originally built with them in mind.My journey began in Umlazi Township, South Africa, where I organized the community’s first-ever Career Day—mobilizing entrepreneurs, educators, and institutions to create pathways of opportunity for over 1,200 students. That formative experience shaped how I lead: by stewarding ecosystems with care, clarity, and a deep respect for what people are building.Professionally, I’ve worked across technology, media, and entrepreneurship:* At Twitter, I launched the platform’s first global cultural strategy offering, helping brands connect authentically with diverse audiences and unlock new revenue through trust-led engagement.* At Meta, I owned founder-centered experience redesign for historically underserved sellers, helping unlock a $31M revenue opportunity by aligning product, onboarding, and go-to-market systems with real founder needs.* At Northwestern, I lead the transformation of entrepreneurship programming from a boutique cohort model into a scalable, experience-led platform, supporting founders across stages and translating community into capital access, mentorship, and growth outcomes.As the sole full-time operator, I’ve scaled this ecosystem to serve thousands of alumni—proving that care and rigor are not opposites, and that experience-led systems can scale without losing their soul.I believe community is the most underutilized growth engine in business. Whether through startups, storytelling, or unconventional spaces, I build experiences where people feel seen, supported, and strategically positioned to thrive.Connection isn’t just the strategy.It’s how lasting economic power—and meaningful movements—are built.