Whitney D. McGowan is a social, creator, and cultural strategy leader with over a decade of experience shaping how entertainment brands and talent connect with audiences at scale.

Currently Director of Social Media & Partnerships at Disney’s Onyx Collective, she leads and defines strategies that sit at the intersection of storytelling, creators, and culture—driving audience growth, cultural relevance, and engagement across platforms. Her work has amplified underrepresented voices and powered campaigns generating over 70MM in reach.

Whitney’s experience spans leading roles at HBO Max and Netflix, where she built and executed global social and editorial strategies for major titles and brands. Across these organizations, she has driven triple-digit growth, elevated audience engagement, and developed campaigns reaching hundreds of millions worldwide.

Her work is defined by a deep understanding of the evolving media landscape—particularly the growing influence of creators, talent, and community-driven storytelling. She is known for building strategies that translate entertainment into cultural conversation and for bridging the gap between platforms, creators, and audiences.

Whitney holds a degree in News-Editorial Journalism from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and studied Producing for TV and New Media at NYU. She is also the co-founder of Sangha Social Club, a community-driven initiative focused on creating meaningful spaces for connection among creative women and entrepreneurs.

Outside of her professional work, Whitney explores storytelling through culture, media, and hospitality, and is currently pursuing her Level 3 sommelier certification