Nina Smith - Co-owner + Managing Partner, Megaphone Strategies Nina serves as managing partner at Megaphone Strategies where she oversees media relations services, coaching, booking and pitching strategy for the firm. With more than a decade of political and communications experience, Smith has represented top officials at the the local, state and national levels. She served as deputy press secretary in the Obama Administration at the U.S. Small Business Administration, and has worked as publicist at the TheRoot.com. She's also served as press secretary for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, under Ranking Committee Member Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA). She spent four years working in Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley’s communications shop, and later served as chief spokeswoman during his second term. Born and raised in the D.C. metro area, she is a proud graduate of Morgan State University.