Hayley Berlent

Growing up in South Africa, Hayley Berlent saw the effects of social injustice firsthand — and the power that a fierce passion and shared purpose can have in bringing about positive social change. It was this discovery early in life that inspired her to pursue her passion for telling stories and driving action, ultimately founding The Additive Agency — a brand transformation consultancy wholly committed to helping purpose-driven organizations achieve greater social and business impact.

Under the banner of Additive, Berlent and her team have led brand engagements for clients as diverse as MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association), the City of Memphis, CCS Fundraising, The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Child Mind Institute, Columbia Alumni Association, The Jed Foundation, Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care, La Jolla Playhouse, Mouse, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, NYU School of Medicine, Project Concern International, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Prior to founding Additive, Berlent led large-scale brand transformation efforts at Siegel+Gale for clients such as the Y (YMCA), Aetna, Rotary International and Memorial Sloan Kettering, as well as launched new brands, such as Understood.org and Lifetuner (by AARP). She also developed corporate social responsibility programming benefitting social enterprises in Africa and Asia.

Prior to brand consulting, she managed public affairs at Columbia Law School, where she was responsible for promoting the reputation of the School, its faculty, and its programs. Additionally, the first years of her career were spent working with advocacy and affinity groups to shape the conversation around infectious diseases and to de-stigmatize issues like depression.

Berlent was part of the inaugural graduating class for the Master of Science in Strategic Communication from Columbia University.

She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her family.