Jovana J. Gilkes
Branding, Publicity, and Special Events in New York
Jovana J. Gilkes has an academic background is in Broadcast Journalism and Public Relations with a Bachelors of Art & Master of Science. While pursuing her Bachelor's Degree at the College of New Rochelle she worked freelance for her community newspaper Highbridge Horizon in the Bronx as a journalist and photographer.
She co-hosted one of the first internet radio shows that were broadcasted live from Columbia University in 2002. It was then her passion for the Entertainment Industry would be awakened and she began to pursue a career to be an on-air personality.
Auditioning for a spot as VJ on the legendary show Video Music Box and then-upcoming BET show 106 & Park and not making the cut fueled her determination to have a career in the industry.
While continuing her education to obtain her Master's her interest peaked in Public Relations and upon graduating in 2008 she began to freelance for industry friends as a Manager & Publicist.
In 2011 she founded Storm PR Agency a boutique company based out of New York servicing in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. She has worked with a roster of clients in Entertainment & Lifestyle from Beauty, Fashion, Film/TV, Music, & Sports, as well as having done work for networks BET (BET Awards, Hip-Hop Awards & Rip the Runway), Fox, NBC, OWN, VH-1 (Love & Hip-Hop NY & Mobwives).
Aside from being passionate about the work of her agency and her clients, her life mission is in making a difference in her community through projects of service-driven towards At-Risk Youth and Women in Need. Jovana uses her connections from having her own business to host give back initiative events within her community in Brooklyn, at times partnering with her church and local shelters.
In 2018 she launched G.I.R.L.S Can, Inc which is events and programming for At-Risk girls ages 11-17 that seeks to empower and uplift them to be Graceful, Independent, Respectful, Loving, and Successful(G.I.R.L.S) in spite of their circumstances and what society says they have to be. Annually she host's a Youth Enrichment Summit which is a day of panel discussions and workshops. For her work in the community, she has been awarded from Brown Women in Media 'Woman on the Rise' Award and the same title 'Women on the Rise' from Women on the Rise Network.
Jovana is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc ., by way of Brooklyn in the Sigma Kappa Zeta Chapter.