Michelle Robertson

Founding Partner, The Navigation Firm · Founder & CEO, Grand Splash Marketing · Member, Wyandotte Nation

Michelle Robertson is a passionate entrepreneur and award-winning strategist known for turning complex outreach goals into clear, measurable campaigns. A citizen of the Wyandotte Nation, she brings 15+ years at the intersection of marketing, public transit communications, tourism, and nonprofit advocacy.

About Michelle

Michelle founded Grand Splash Marketing in 2009 and has since led high-impact initiatives across public, Tribal, and nonprofit sectors. Her expertise spans marketing consulting, social and ad campaign strategy, specialized outreach programs, and event promotion for B2B and mission-driven organizations. As a seasoned owner-operator, she understands how to align strategy, communications, branding, and operations to deliver results that exceed expectations. In public transit, Michelle helped launch and lead FacesOfTransit.com, a statewide storytelling tour that captured 187 videos highlighting riders, operators, and agency teams. The effort evolved into Oklahomans for Mobility, an advocacy campaign that assisted in securing a $5 million increase in state funding for public transportation in Oklahoma. Her team’s work extends nationally, including digital properties and outreach for programs such as PICK Transportation, Pelivan Transit, SCORTPRO, and NORTPRO, alongside multi-stakeholder initiatives with ODOT to expand access and raise awareness.

Focus & Expertise

  • Integrated marketing strategy & brand positioning

  • Social media campaigns, creative direction, and media placement

  • Public transit communications, rider education & advocacy

  • Stakeholder outreach programs (legislative, community, and partner engagement)

  • Event strategy & promotion (tourism, civic, and nonprofit)

  • Web & content ecosystems that support measurable outcomes

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Recognition

  • Oklahoma Magazine Entrepreneurial Award recipient

  • Outstanding Entrepreneurial Business Woman (National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, NCAIED)

  • National honors for outreach campaigns in the public transit industry and Indian Country

Representative Results

  • Produced 187+ story videos and a statewide engagement tour that elevated the human impact of transit

  • Assisted state advocacy efforts that led to a $5M increase in Oklahoma public transit funding

  • Planned and launched public transit websites and outreach hubs (PICK Transportation, Pelivan Transit, SCORTPRO, NORTPRO) to centralize information and grow awareness

  • Built cross-channel campaigns that improved reach, message clarity, and legislative understanding of transit’s value

Speaking & Training Topics

  • Story-driven advocacy: turning real voices into policy momentum

  • Building outreach programs that boards, riders, and staff actually use

  • Social media for public and Tribal initiatives: measurable, respectful, effective

  • Event-to-digital flywheels: how to turn moments into momentum