David B. Robinson
A co-founder of Sphere PR, and an ongoing contributor to Sphere projects, David B. Robinson brings a unique blend of policy experience, communications expertise and community activism.
Robinson currently serves as Director of External Affairs for Manufacturing Renaissance, where he wears many hats. He writes, edits and produces all public facing documents, announcements and reports. He manages all media-related activities including pitching, writing and sourcing stories. He scripts and produces CAN-TV broadcasts for the organization. Robinson is a veteran government and political affairs expert and works with elected officials and agency heads to advance policies and legislation important to the manufacturing industry. He helps design and execute community organizing actions with labor, students, parents, and community stakeholders. He sits on numerous manufacturing and workforce development policy councils and he also assists the organization secure grants and donor gifts.
Prior to joining Manufacturing Renaissance in 2016, Robinson worked alongside the late Henry L. English as the Communications Director/Senior Program Officer of the Black United Fund of Illinois. While there, Robinson played a leading role in designing and implementing numerous initiatives including the Safe Passage School Safety program now in use citywide by CPS; the Construction Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Program which prepared hard-to-hire community members for careers in the construction trades; several social entrepreneur business models; and a service and outreach-driven violence abatement program that Chicago Police brass credited with reducing violent crime in the target area by 33 percent.
Robinson was a working journalist right out of college and later joined the late Mayor Harold Washington’s economic development think tank. He was appointed Chicago’s first recycling coordinator by Mayor Richard M. Daley in the early 90’s before joining Snider in founding Sphere PR. He has held many high-level posts in several companies and governmental offices over the last 30 years.
David is a proud Morehouse College man with credentials from a DePaul University Egan center executive management seminar series. He has won dozens of awards and he speaks regularly throughout the country. He is also a certified conflict resolution specialist and holds a TV studio production certificate from CAN-TV. He golfs somewhat poorly, practices martial arts not nearly as well as he used to, enjoys film, books, sports, politics, music and lively conversation.
