Clarissa is an award-winning paid media strategist with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors.

She started her career in New York City at MediaCom, now EssenceMediacom, as an Assistant Media Planner on the Warner Bros. Theatrical account and Media Planner on the Shell account where she managed the award-winning FRN campaign. To diversify her portfolio, she went on to work at several different agencies, creating & managing digital campaigns for corporations - Toyota, MarketSmith, UCLA, and OWN Network to name a few. After working in the private sector for several years, Clarissa attended Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. While at Northwestern, she was selected (along with a small cohort) to complete their documentary thesis in Beirut, Lebanon, which she did on the kafala system. Clarissa also, studied abroad in Durban, South Africa, at Independent Media (IOL).

Once she graduated, inspired by the people she met abroad, Clarissa entered the political arena. First working, as a Sr. Media Strategist for the 2020 presidential campaign cycle at Priorities USA, a Democratic Super PAC, and most recently, as the Deputy Digital Director for the 2022 midterm campaign cycle at Senate Majority PAC.

Clarissa, a current D.C. resident, is a graduate of Spelman College, B.A., Howard University, M.A., and Northwestern University, M.S.