Brooke is an award-winning entrepreneur, certified meditation teacher, and spiritual explorer.
Brooke’s Story
Brooke has an interesting history in entrepreneurial, creative, and spiritual pursuits. She has founded several ventures, including an award-winning creative agency, an arts-centric magazine, a social innovation conference series, and America's first international light and music festival, Light City. She’s recently launched Soul Circles, which brings people together for healing, ritual, ceremonial, and transformational events and retreats. Brooke explores her creative passions through dance, photography, painting, and energy work.
She’s a certified meditation teacher through UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center and The Awareness Training Institute's two-year meditation program, taught by luminaries Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach (MMTCP). Her academic journey includes a Liberal Arts Bachelor’s degree from the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University, with a concentration in Honors Philosophy and Literature. She’s completed the Science of Well-Being course at Yale University. She’s also a Reiki Master and has completed training in Biofield Tuning, a form of sound therapy.
Brooke was named “Innovator of the Year,” “25 Women to Watch,” “Top Female CEO,” “40 Under 40,” “Social Innovation Fellow,” “Young Cultural Innovator Fellow” and “Famous Fellow” by Salzburg Global Seminar. She was honored with the “Downtown Partnership of Baltimore Award”,“Silo Breaker Award”, and “Baltimore Transformer Award.”
As a writer and photographer, her work has appeared in the New York Times, Huffington Post, Baltimore City Paper, Spin Magazine, and others.
Brooke’s entrepreneurial endeavors and agency contributions have garnered attention from The Guardian, CNN, New York Magazine, Fast Company, The New York Times, National Geographic, and Discovery Channel, to name a few.
She lives with her family in Encinitas, California.
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Awards
Best Social Media Marketing Agency in Baltimore
Expertise.com, 2020 and 2022
Innovator of the Year Award
The Daily Record, 2016
25 Women to Watch
The Baltimore Sun, 2016
40 Under 40
Baltimore Business Journal, 2016
Downtown Baltimore Award
Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, 2016
Silo Breaker Award
Betamore, 2016
Best Category Buster: Light City
Baltimore Magazine, 2016
Brava Top Female CEO Award
SmartCEO Magazine, 2016
Creative Group of the Year Award
Technical.ly, 2015
Mayor’s Certificate of Recognition
City of Baltimore, 2015
Social Innovation Award
Baltimore Social Innovation Journal, 2014
Baltimore Transformer Award
Strong City Baltimore, 2013
Best ‘Zine: What Weekly
Baltimore Magazine, 2013
Best New Magazine: What Weekly
Baltimore Magazine, 2011
Speaking
Keynote Panelist
“Branding Baltimore from Activism and Festivals to Hashtags”
Communicator Summit, 2019
Panelist
“Cultural Innovation in a Culture of Exploitation”
Red Bull Amaphiko Festival, 2017
Panelist
“We Built This City – Using Festivals as a Catalyst for Inspiring and Revitalizing Communities”
XLIVE Las Vegas, 2016
Speaker
“Fireside Chat Entrepreneur Series”
Towson University, 2016
Speaker
“Launching Light City: From Vision to Reality”
Baltimore Innovation Week, 2016
Host and Emcee
Creative Innovation Conference
Light City, 2016
Panelist
“Wonder Women: Change Makers + Innovators”
Light City Social Innovation Conference, 2016
Speaker
“Light City Opening Ceremony”
Mayor’s News Conference, 2016
Speaker
“Light City and its International Significance”
World Trade Center Institute, 2016
Speaker
“Light City Baltimore Announces Innovation Conferences”
Mayor’s Press Conference, 2016
Speaker
“Light City”
Visit Baltimore’s Cultural Tourism Advisory Committee, 2015
Speaker
“Light City Community Meeting”
Betamore, 2015
Speaker
“Light City Community Meeting”
Maryland Institute College of Art, 2015
Panelist
“On Entrepreneurship”
University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2015
Speaker
“The Working Artist: Making Art Life”
The Windup Space, 2014
Speaker
“Introducing Light City”
Visit Baltimore Board Meeting, 2014
Speaker
“Introducing Light City”
Charles Street Development Corporation Board Meeting, 2014
Panelist
“How to grow your creative business in a competitive market”
Bmore Creatives, 2015
Host and Speaker
“Light City Rally featuring Ignatius Jones”
Four Seasons, 2014
Guest Lecturer
Loyola University Maryland, 2010
Media & Press
Famous Fellows: Brooke Hall Salzburg Global Seminar, Full list of Famous Fellows, 2022
The Power of Meditation with Brooke Hall The New Mid Radio Show, 106.9 The Eagle, 2020
How Do You Know Your Agency is a Good Fit? for American Marketing Association Baltimore: 8/19/2019
52 Places to Go in 2018 by Nora Walsh for The New York Times: 1/10/2018
A Year in Quotes by Jonathan Munshaw for Baltimore Business Journal: 12/2/2016
40 Under 40: Brooke Hall and Justin Allen by Carley Milligan for Baltimore Business Journal: 11/3/2016
Baltimore Sun's 25 women to watch in 2016: Brooke Hall by Chris Kaltenbach for The Baltimore Sun: 10/5/2016
[COVER STORY] Building a Movement: How the creative minds behind Light City and Mr. Trash Wheel are helping Baltimore shine brighter by By Alyssa Hurst and Tina Irgang for SmartCEO Magazine: 9/1/2016
Best of Baltimore 2016: Light City by Max Weiss for Baltimore Magazine: 8/22/2016
The Promise of Light City [VIDEO] by Alyssa Hurst for SmartCEOVideo: 8/8/2016
Light City Baltimore Looking To Go Bigger And Brighter Next Year by George Solis for CBS Baltimore: 7/24/2016
Honoring Top Female CEO's: Brooke Hall by SmartCEO Magazine: 7/15/2016
Light City Baltimore adds $33.8 million to economy, study finds by Brittany Britto for The Baltimore Sun: 5/18/2016
Lighting Up Baltimore: How Light City Provided a Much-Needed Boost for the Inner Harbor and Beyond by Alyssa Hurst for SmartCEO Magazine: 5/1/2016
Why is Baltimore so wired to 'The Wire'? by Jim Wheeler for The Baltimore Sun: 4/6/2016
Nearly 400,000 come for Light City Baltimore by Andrea K. McDaniels for The Baltimore Sun: 4/4/2016
Light City U Conference Wrap-Up: Weeklong sessions highlight social, tech, and creative innovation by Jess Mayhugh for Baltimore Magazine: 4/2/2016
Celebrating Our Innovation and Creativity by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for the Rawlings-Blake Review: 4/2/2016
3 Brilliant Pieces From America’s First Major Light Art Festival by Meg Miller for Fast Company: 4/1/2016
Light city love letter by Jen Ronald for The Baltimore Sun: 3/31/2016
Light City Baltimore festival kicks off Monday by Morning Producer for Fox45 News: 3/28/2016
Meet the Married Couple behind Light City Baltimore by Brittany Britto for The Baltimore Sun: 3/25/2016
Light City Festival Illuminating Baltimore by Charu Suri for Travel Pulse: 3/22/2016
Light City festival: High risk, with potential for high reward by Anamika Roy for The Daily Record: 3/18/2016
Roughly Speaking podcast: What to expect from the inaugural Light City Baltimore festival (episode 65) by Dan Rodricks for The Baltimore Sun: 3/1/2016
Let There Be Light: A New Arts, Music and Ideas Festival Highlights the Brighter Side of Baltimore by Matt McCue for Arrive Magazine: 3/1/2016
Light City Baltimore festival aims to change the city's brand by Natalie Sherman for The Baltimore Sun: 2/26/2015
Light City: An Innovative new festival launches in Baltimore's Inner Harbor by Tony Rehagen for Southwest Magazine: 2/25/2016
Labor of Love: These couples play and work together by Gabriella Souza for Baltimore Magazine 2/1/2016
Here’s the plan for Light City’s innovation track: Light City U will feature a series of two-day conferences by Stephen Babcock for Technical.ly Baltimore: 2/3/2016
Meet the couple who dreamed up Light City Baltimore by Sarah Gantz for Baltimore Business Journal: 2/2/2016
DJ Jazzy Jeff, Thomas Dolby among headliners set for inaugural Light City Baltimore festival by Chris Kaltenbach for The Baltimore Sun 2/2/2016
Lights in Baltimore, Music in St. Martin by Elaine Glusac for The New York Times: 1/29/2016
16 intriguing things to see and do in the U.S. in 2016 by Marnie Hunter and Katia Hetter for CNN: 1/8/2016
Artist/Creative Group of the Year: Light City Festival by Christopher Wink for Technical.ly Baltimore: 10/2/2015
Innovation Mapped by Christopher Wink for Technical.ly Baltimore: 9/17/2015
Light City Q&A: Festival to bring light, art, music, and innovation to Baltimore in 2016 by Gabriella Souza for Baltimore Magazine: 6/8/2015
Light City Baltimore, a festival of innovation, set for March 2016 debut by Kevin Litten for Baltimore Business Journal: 2/26/2015
Light City Baltimore festival aims to change the city's brand by Natalie Sherman for The Baltimore Sun: 2/26/2015
Light City says Baltimore’s brand needs a makeover. Can a three-pronged mega-festival do the trick? by Stephen Babcock for Technical.ly Baltimore: 3/12/2015
With Grand Prix gone, Baltimore in search of large-scale events for city by Sarah Blumberg for ABC2 NEWS: 7/15/2014
What Works Studio, publishers of What Weekly, pass 5-year mark by Andrew Zaleski for Technical.ly Baltimore: 5/22/2014
Baltimore's Future with David Warnock for WYPR Radio: 1/16/2014
Interview with Young Cultural Innovator Brooke Hall by Salzburg Global Seminar: 10/20/2014
Lighting the way to Baltimore’s future: A celebration of music, light and ideas could put the city on the cultural cutting edge by Michael Cross-Barnet for The Baltimore Social Innovation Journal: 12/10/2013
Go Neighborhood-Hopping in Baltimore by Emily Saladino for New York Magazine: 10/17/2013
Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia: Best blogs for travelers by Vicky Baker for The Guardian: 10/4/2013
2013 Best of Baltimore: Zine - New School by Ron Cassie with Andrew Zaleski for Baltimore Magazine: 8/1/2013
The Baltimore Experiment: Getting Out From Under “The Wire” by Jim Luce for The Huffington Post: 6/29/2012
Best of Baltimore 2011: Best New Magazine by Baltimore Magazine: 7/28/2011
Accentuate the Positive: What Weekly seeks to eliminate the negative and support the local arts by Hannah Bruchman for Baltimore City Paper: 8/18/2010
RADIO, PODCAST, TV & VIDEO
Featured Salzburg Global Fellow
Inspiring Leadership Campaign
Salzburg Global Seminar, 2021
Guest
The Power of Meditation with Brooke Hall
The New Mid Podcast and 106.9 The Eagle Radio, 2020
Guest
“25 Women to Watch” Video
The Baltimore Sun, 2016
Guest
“Light City Baltimore Looking To Go Bigger And Brighter Next Year” Segment
CBS Baltimore, 2016
Speaker
“Light City Kick Off”
Mayor’s News Conference, 2016
Guest
“The Promise of Light City” Video
SmartCEO Magazine, 2016
Guest
“Light City Baltimore festival kicks off Monday” Segment
Fox45 News, 2016
Guest
Roughly Speaking Podcast by Dan Rodricks
The Baltimore Sun, 2016
Guest
“Meet the married couple behind Light City Baltimore” Video
The Baltimore Sun, 2016
Guest
“Brava: Top Female CEOs” Video
SmartCEO Magazine, 2016
Guest
“Young Cultural Innovators Interview Series” Video
Salzburg Global Seminar, 2015
Guest
“We Are Light City” Video
Light City Press Conference, 2015
Guest
Startup Soirée Podcast
2015
Guest
“Baltimore’s Future with David Warnock”
WYPR Radio, 2015
Guest
“The Power of Google” Segment
Fox45 News, 2011
Fellowships & Boards
Young Cultural Innovators Fellow
Salzburg Global Seminar
Social Innovation Fellow
Warnock Foundation
99U Fellow
Adobe
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Downtown Partnership of Baltimore
Board Member
Light City Innovation Committee
Founding Chair
Light City Chairman’s Council
Founding Member
Light City Steering Committee
Founding Member
Baltimore Festival of the Arts
Board Member
Charles Street Development Corporation
Executive Committee Member
The Women’s Exchange
Board Member
Historic Charles Street Association
Board President
Rhymes With Opera
Board Member