Shelley Kelly

About Shelley Kelly

I work with leadership teams at moments when growth depends less on effort and more on alignment.When identity, language, and decision-making drift out of sync, even strong organizations stall. My work brings those elements back into alignment so teams can move forward with confidence and shared direction.I lead Elevar, where I serve as a fractional C-suite partner to organizations navigating complexity, transition, and growth. My role spans discovery, strategy, messaging, and execution—ensuring clarity doesn’t stay theoretical, but shows up in how teams communicate, decide, and lead.Over the last three decades, my work has lived at the intersection of business strategy, human behavior, and communication. I’ve built and exited a marketing and communications firm, advised founders and executive teams across professional services, manufacturing, AEC, and life sciences, and worked closely with leaders whose success depends on people making confident decisions together.Alongside Elevar, I continue to lead and support related ventures that reflect the same throughline: alignment through voice, presence, and human connection. This includes representing a curated group of keynote speakers and thought leaders through Engage Your Stage, speaking and training on communication and personal branding, and exploring the future of sonic identity and AI through an emerging studio, Sonoc.ai.I’m also a professional musician and bandleader—an experience that has deeply shaped how I think about leadership, trust, listening, and coordinated movement. Whether in a boardroom or on a stage, the same truth holds: alignment is felt before it’s articulated.Across all of my work, the goal is consistent—to help organizations and leaders move together with clarity, intention, and momentum.

Experience

1. Bandleader & Lead Vocalist

   Riggsbee Road Band

   May 2020 — Present · Raleigh, NC, US

   Lead vocalist and bandleader of an all-female Americana / newgrass band.Performing and leading in this context has deeply shaped how I think about listening, trust, presence, and coordinated movement—insights that inform my leadership and advisory work.

Education

• North Carolina State University

  Bachelor's degree in communication with a concentration in public relations., Design and Visual Communications

  1990 — 1993

Skills

• Coaching
• Brand Development
• Proposal Writing
• Integrated Marketing
• Corporate Branding
• Lead Generation
• Marketing Strategy
• Positioning
• Marketing Communications
• Event Management
• Advertising
• Corporate Positioning
• Digital Marketing
• Marketing
• Strategic Planning
• Interactive Marketing
• Branding & Identity
• Writing
• Mentoring
• Online Marketing
• Market Planning
• Email Marketing
• Social Media
• Direct Marketing
• Creative Direction
• Public Relations
• Media Relations
• Business Strategy