4A in Focus: Erin Goldson ’16

From advancing CROWN Act initiatives at Dove to founding Vineyard ICON on Martha’s Vineyard, Erin Goldson has built her career at the intersection of brand marketing, cultural storytelling, and community building. Approaching a decade at Unilever, she has led innovation, engagement, and storytelling across brands like Dove, Degree, and SheaMoisture, while building Vineyard ICON into a platform that celebrates leaders and creates cross-generational impact.

In this candid conversation, Erin reflects on career pivots, mentorship, representation, and what legacy means to her as both a marketer and a community builder.

▶️ Continue to learn more about Erin's journey!

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On Purposeful Marketing and Building Legacy Through Community

Finding Purpose at Unilever

You’ve built an impressive career at Unilever since graduating. Can you walk us through that journey?

This July will mark ten years at Unilever. My original plan was to stay two years, learn the fundamentals of marketing, and then eventually move into something more hospitality or lifestyle focused. But around that two-year mark, I realized what I loved about Unilever was that our brands stood for something bigger. The company often says that brands with purpose grow, and I had the privilege of seeing that firsthand.

During the pandemic, I had the opportunity to work on Dove’s efforts around the CROWN Act, the movement to end race-based hair discrimination. One of the campaigns I helped build during that time was called “As Early as Five,” which highlighted that race-based hair discrimination often begins when Black children are as young as five years old.

That experience shaped how I think about marketing. At its best, marketing isn’t just about selling products. It’s about storytelling, culture, and using brands as platforms for real impact. During my tenure at Unilever, I’ve had the opportunity to work across several flagship brands in roles spanning performance, innovation, and engagement, eventually finding my passion in work that blends storytelling, partnerships, and culture.

You mentioned the importance of sponsorship. Was there a pivotal moment that shaped your path?

One of the most pivotal things in any career is having someone see the magic in you before you fully see it in yourself. For me, that person was Esi Eggleston-Bracey, the former Global Chief Marketing Officer at Unilever. She is an incredible leader and someone I owe a great deal to.

Early on, while I was working on the Dove Hair innovation team, she placed me in a hybrid role supporting Dove’s early work around the CROWN Act. That opportunity allowed me to step into work that connected marketing, culture, and social impact in a way that resonated with me. Later, when the company began investing more in influencer marketing, she again created an opportunity for me, asking me to lead PR and influencer workstreams across our personal care brands.

Those two moments shaped my career in meaningful ways. The first exposed me to purpose-driven marketing and cultural storytelling, and the second opened my eyes to the growing creator economy and how influencers operate as entrepreneurs and brands of their own.

Esi often talked about my “superpowers,” and she had a real gift for identifying roles where those strengths could shine. She consistently placed me in positions where my ability to bring people together and move work forward through relationships became a strength, paired with strategy and creative thinking.

Vineyard ICON and Building a Legacy

2025 was a big year for you, as you launched the Vineyard ICON Awards. What was the inspiration behind that?

Martha’s Vineyard has been part of my family’s story for five generations. My parents met there, got married there, and my late father is buried there. My grandmother, who turns 100 this year, still lives on the island. For our family and for many Black families, the Vineyard represents something special. It’s a place where you see Black excellence, joy, entrepreneurship, and generations of families coming together.

As I spent more time there as an adult, I noticed that while many corporate events were happening during the summer, there wasn’t really an event dedicated to honoring the people who consider the Vineyard their happy place. I wanted there to be an event on the Vineyard created for the Vineyard community by someone who truly grew up on the island. The awards were the starting point, but the broader vision is about building a platform around storytelling, opportunity, and cultural impact.

I also wanted something that gave back. This year we are launching the Vineyard ICON Scholarship, in partnership with Color Vision, providing $20,000 in support for need-based college students. Each applicant is asked to reflect on what makes them a future ICON. For me, that reflection is just as important as the scholarship itself. I believe learning to recognize your own potential is a powerful step in building it - and something I am still working on for myself. 

What do you want your legacy to be?

My family has deep roots on Martha’s Vineyard, and at some point I realized that history wasn’t just something to be proud of. It was something to build from. Vineyard ICON became my way of building on that foundation. I wanted to create a platform inspired by that legacy that celebrates excellence, builds relationships, and opens doors for others.

Professionally, I hope to be known as more than just a strong marketer. I want to be known as someone who used marketing and storytelling to create impact, build community, and push culture forward. Whether it was the work around the CROWN Act at Dove or the creation of Vineyard ICON, the common thread has been using platforms to elevate people and create opportunity.

Giving back is also central to that legacy. One of the things I’m most excited about is building scholarship opportunities for need-based students as they pursue their education. My hope is that the Vineyard ICON Scholarship grows into an annual six-figure opportunity for the next generation of icons.

I also hope that I can play a small part in making the Vineyard an even more magical place than it already is. A place where we celebrate icons, pour into the next generation and give back to the island. 

And beyond everything else, I hope people simply say that I was a good person who wanted to see others win. That I brought people together for a larger purpose and community. If the work I’ve done continues opening doors and inspiring the next generation long after I’m gone, that would mean everything to me.

Lessons From CBS

Let’s head back to “The Very Center of Business.” What inspired you to go to CBS, and what’s a key lesson that still impacts you today?

When I was deciding where to go to business school, it ultimately came down to the people. Out of every program I visited, Columbia had Black women in particular who I found incredibly inspiring and wanted in my network. I knew that community would be something I valued for the long term, and being in New York City was a huge advantage.

One tradition at Columbia is the CBS Matters presentation, where students reflect on what truly matters to them and share their personal story with their classmates. This June will be my 10-year reunion, and when I recently looked back at my final slide, it listed the things that mattered most to me: lifelong friendships, a glass-half-full mentality, creating lasting memories, balancing professional and personal life, maintaining traditions, and enjoying the moment.

Those values still guide how I live my life today and ultimately influenced my decision to create Vineyard ICON.

Advice for Current and Future MBA Students

What advice would you offer to students, especially in a challenging recruiting environment?

Columbia offers so many opportunities to connect with business leaders and be in interesting places. Take advantage of that. When I was at CBS, I attended an event with the President and CEO of Louis Vuitton shortly after applying for an internship there. Ten years later he is now the CEO of Tiffany & Co.  I was able to reconnect with him and bring Tiffany & Co. on as a Vineyard Icon partner. 

That connection started a decade earlier. Relationships compound over time.

Second, don’t be afraid to develop and share your perspective. Documenting what you’re learning and sharing what excites you can open doors. You never know who might be quietly paying attention.

Finally, remember that life is about connecting the dots. During my first week at CBS, I went to a friend’s going-away party and met someone who worked at Unilever. The following week at the National Black MBA Conference, she happened to be collecting resumes on behalf of the company. She recognized me, remembered my name, and pulled my resume from the pile. She also attended the inaugural Vineyard ICON Awards literally ten years later.

Moments like that remind me that relationships and genuine kindness compound over time.

Life Outside the Office

What brings you joy outside of work?

Honestly, it’s all the things I’ve talked about. I’m a textbook extrovert. I love meeting new, like-minded people. This conversation brings me joy! I love traveling, new restaurants, and new experiences. Since starting Vineyard Icon, it’s given me a deeper and more interesting way to connect with people. It allows me to be curious in a whole new way.

Last year I planned the Vineyard ICON Awards in under two months, so I said no to most social plans on weekends and evenings so I could focus on making it happen. This year I have a bit more breathing room, but I still dedicate a few hours every weekend to building the platform and thinking about what it could become long term.

This year I’d love to learn more about the art world, and I can’t wait until the weather gets better for walks in Central Park.