A Little Bit About Lilly
Lilly Workneh is an award-winning journalist, C-suite media executive, narrative consultant, and speaker committed to building storytelling ecosystems and experiences that expand power, dignity, and possibility.
With more than a decade of experience leading content strategy across newsrooms, nonprofits, and national brands, Lilly has led creative teams in harnessing the power of storytelling to drive empowerment and build deep audience connections.
She is the founder and Chief Storyteller of Abeba Media LLC, a narrative strategy practice helping leaders and organizations define what story to tell, how to tell it, and why it matters. She also currently serves as Chief Content Officer at PushBlack, the largest Black media nonprofit organization in the United States, where she leads storytelling strategies that elevate Black history, culture, and collective power across the Black diaspora.
Lilly is the former Editor-In-Chief of Blavity News, the leading Black millennial news platform; Head of Digital Content at Rebel Girls, a kids-focused media company; and Senior Editor of HuffPost Black Voices, where she scaled the brand into one of mainstream media's most prominent platforms for Black audiences.
A trusted speaker and moderator, Lilly brings a journalist's precision and a strategist's clarity to every stage she steps on — speaking and facilitating at the intersection of storytelling, narrative power, and cultural impact for leadership conferences, media organizations, schools, universities, nonprofits, and brands.
Her leadership and impact have earned her recognition as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and one of the Top 25 Chief Content Officers of 2026.
Lilly is also an author and editor of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic, a bestseller named one of Oprah's Favorite Things, and a book that ensures the next generation encounters stories that widen imagination, deepen representation, and affirm what's possible.
Services
From conferences and schools to mission-driven brands and nonprofits,
Lilly helps leaders, educators, and communities drive narrative and cultural impact through strategic storytelling.
Get in touch today to share your needs and discover how her speaking and consulting services can support your goals.
Keynotes & Workshop Facilitation
Lilly delivers keynotes and facilitates workshops at the intersection of storytelling, narrative power, and cultural impact. Her topics center on narrative power building, ethical storytelling, cultural fluency, media literacy, creative expression, and storytelling for social good.
Panel & Fireside Chat Moderation
As an award-winning journalist, Lilly brings a reporter's instincts to the art of moderation. She is a warm and trusted moderator who knows how to ask the right question at the right moment to the story in the room and guide conversations toward clarity, candor, and genuine insight.
Narrative Strategy &
Executive Production
Lilly brings senior narrative and creative leadership to organizations and leaders who need clarity on what story to tell, and executive production to ensure it's told well. Engagements are selective, built around fit, and designed to elevate storytelling strategies and drive cultural impact.
Leader Training &
Media Preparation
Lilly prepares leaders to speak to media, deliver compelling public remarks, and develop a personal narrative that is clear, credible, and culturally grounded. From message development to media prep, every engagement is built around the specific moment the leader is stepping into.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Changemakers
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Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic
is a bestselling book celebrating the stories of Black women and girls worldwide.
Named to Oprah's Favorite Things List, the book features a foreword by #BlackGirlMagic creator CaShawn Thompson and artwork by over 60 Black female and non-binary illustrators.
The book honors trailblazers from more than 30 countries, past and present. Featured icons include Naomi Osaka, Jeanette Epps, Toni Morrison, Ava DuVernay, Bessie Coleman, Empress Taytu Betul, and Ida B. Wells—visionaries who have shaped history and continue to inspire generations to come.
Book Reviews
"What I know for sure is that you will take inspiration from these stories to use your voice in ways that support and uplift all the people around you."
- Oprah
The book was selected as part of Oprah's Favorite Things 2022 List
