Brian Wommack
Founder & CEO
Brian is the leader and driver of Opal Myth, working on projects he is passionate about, either solo or in combination with bespoke teams. He has a long track record of promoting entities, people, brands, and ideas with innovative, data-driven campaigns, programs, media outreach, social media, speeches, and advertising. He has also protected and defended corporate reputations during existential crises, and helps corporations get ready for the worst through planning, auditing, and drilling. An expert networker, Brian prides himself on recruiting, deploying, nurturing, and retaining excellent teams.
Prior to founding OM, Brian led comms and marketing for the leading dietary supplement trade association, the Council for Responsible Nutrition; was an entrepreneurial leader of a comms boutique as a partner at law firm Cameron LLC; served a full spectrum of corporate, government, and nonprofit entities in a 17-year career at comms powerhouse Powell Tate / Weber Shandwick; served as a lobbyist at well-respected boutique The Carmen Group; and practiced law with global juggernauts Jones Day and King & Spalding. Brian is a graduate of Duke University, where he double majored in English and Political Science and served as president of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, as an assistant editor of the Duke Journal of Politics, and a disc jockey for campus radio station WXDU Durham 88.7 FM. He earned his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law, where he graduated with honors while serving as a founding editor of the Elder Law Journal and winning numerous moot court competitions for excellence in oral advocacy.
Kendall Ridley
Vice President
A multitalented strategist and a fearless and award-winning communicator, Kendall leads the comms team at the American Association of University Women, an organization she supported with her heart long before she began supporting it with her labor earlier this year. Founded in 1881, AAUW is tenacious and trailblazing (words that also describe Kendall well, as a matter of fact) and has been advocating for equity for women and girls for more than 140 years and into the future. Whether bringing brands to life, building brands up once formed, executing smart creative that tells a story, engaging smartly with the media or other key audiences, or leading teammates into battle, Kendall is someone Brian is always delighted to have on his team. Her experience spans nonprofits / philanthropies, trade associations, financial services, technology, and commercial real estate. Kendall was Brian’s right arm when they both served the Council for Responsible Nutrition during an intense time for the organization, supporting more than 200 CRN member companies as the global pandemic changed the industry’s dynamic and trajectory.
Emily Zavrel
Senior Director
Not to be underestimated at the outset of her career, Emily currently is a communications specialist at Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. Prior to that, she served as a digital content strategist for ElleVet Sciences, a leading manufacturer of hemp-derived CBD and CBDA specially formulated for the pet population. Emily was Brian’s first hire at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, as he reshaped the organization and focus of the comms team he inherited from his predecessor to be more nimble, cost effective, and member-focused. Under Brian’s direction, Emily launched and led the innovative and groundbreaking daily member touchpoint The Daily Supplement, which increased member engagement across the organization and had positive metrics that improved monthly and crushed those of the 15-page static biweekly newsletter it replaced.