Observed Signal · Jul 30, 2026 · Podcast Episode · Source: Adweek · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Adweek Podcast: Trevor Project’s Jaymes Black on Brand Partnerships
Adweek's Adspeak podcast features Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, discussing how brands can act as lifesaving allies for LGBTQ+ youth by moving beyond transactional sponsorships toward meaningful, long-term partnerships. Black outlines the importance of treating LGBTQ+ youth mental health as a universal human issue, leveraging authentic storytelling and celebrity engagement, and mobilizing corporate resources to build trust and scale impact. The episode highlights The Trevor Project’s crisis intervention, research, education, advocacy and peer-support programs and introduces the "Field Catalyst" framework for scaling brand-driven social impact.
Podcast highlights how brands can form meaningful partnerships and storytelling strategies to support LGBTQ+ youth; useful guidance for brand marketers and PR teams but not a major industry technical or policy change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Adweek published an Adspeak podcast episode featuring Jaymes Black on 2026-07-30.
- Jaymes Black is CEO of The Trevor Project and oversees the organization’s crisis intervention, research, education, advocacy, and peer support programs serving LGBTQ+ young people in the U.S.
- Jaymes Black is The Trevor Project’s first Black and first nonbinary CEO.
- The episode urges brands to move beyond sponsorships to form meaningful partnerships, leverage authentic storytelling and celebrity engagement, and treat LGBTQ+ youth mental health as a universal human issue; it references the "Field Catalyst" framework for scaling impact.
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“They have led teams at organizations including Family Equality, Charles Schwab, Sabre Corporation, and Northrop Grumman....”
“Jaymes made history as The Trevor Project’s first Black and first nonbinary CEO and has been recognized by Time, Out Magazine, and numerous ...”
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