Christopher Wood

Non-profit Executive and Co-founder, Business Owner, Professor, and Speaker are few ways to describe what Christopher Wood does on a daily basis, but it hardly describes the journey he had to take to get there. His journey, riddled with challenges, moments of survival and reflection, drove him from a place of complacency to a place of empowerment and action. From coming out as “gay”, to being taken hostage by the first suicide bomber in the US, Chris realized from cradle to grave, this life is short. His non-traditional path, drive to build businesses and desire to add a voice for a community he deeply loves led him to look beyond traditional boundaries and forge a path of his own complete with teaching others how to do the same.

Christopher Wood is an entrepreneur to every sense of the word; author, speaker, co-founder of two non-profits, small business owner, and consultant around social media, PR and marketing.

In 2012, Mr. Wood co-founded a new non-profit, the LGBT Technology Partnership which focuses on advocacy for LGBT individuals and communities as it relates to technology and the policies that govern it. Through Mr. Wood’s leadership the organization has met with and continues to work with several Fortune top 20 technology, social media and nonprofit organizations. The organization has also met with several government agencies including the White House and the Federal Communications Commission.

In 2014, Mr. Wood lead the launch of another non-profit to work with the LGBT Technology Institute. The Institute is a tax-exempt not-for-profit organization conducting cutting edge research at the intersection of LGBT communities and technology and creates resources, tools, and programs to support LGBT communities.

In 2017, Mr. Wood was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission's Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment for a two year term.

In 2015, Mr. Wood started another company with his husband, Redwood & Co. and Redwood Soap Co. Together with several employees, they run the Redwood & Co. store front in Central Virginia offering a wide variety of home decor, furniture and artisan bath products. The entire business started in 2012 when they formulated their first bar of Redwood Soap Co. goats milk soap and now offer an entire line of all natural bath and body products in Redwood & Co. and to 25 locations in 8 states.

Previously, Mr. Wood served as a consultant to national LGBT organizations on various projects including transgender economic development programs. In this capacity, Mr. Wood provided project planning and strategic guidance to groups developing programs around jobs, legal programs, intake processes, localized statistics and employer/employee training opportunities. His work has assisted several transgender communities across many US cities move transgender assistance programs to the next level.

Prior to that, Mr. Wood worked at Discovery Communications creating social media and strategic marketing campaigns directed toward rural and LGBT communities. As part of his strategic campaigns, he was responsible for directing outreach programs at various LGBT Pride festivals across the country. From this work and previous experience, Mr. Wood brings a keen understanding of the needs of local LGBT organizations and how best to connect with them.

Mr. Wood has also owned a successful marketing consulting practice with clients such as the Washington Blade and Blackbarn Media to name a few. Mr. Wood joined his client, the Washington Blade, an LGBT newspaper, as the full-time marketing manager. In that capacity, Mr. Wood worked on creating strategic partnerships with various local and national LGBT organizations for advertising, events and outreach.