Meet Vonnya

Media Mogul Dr. Vonnya Pettigrew, HonD is the CEO, founder and visionary of the Root Branch empire consisting of: The RBMG Building, Root Branch Office Solutions, Root Branch Press Coffee & Co., 501(c)3 Root Branch Arts and Outreach Institute Inc., and Root Branch Media Group, an award-winning media production firm headquartered along Baltimore's beautiful waterfront in Canton Harbor. Dr. Pettigrew has thirty years of professional media experience as a filmmaker, writer, TV producer, director, media instructor and casting agent. She’s produced content for government agencies, corporations, universities, and broadcast networks.

 

Dr. Pettigrew is a Philadelphia native. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Maryland College Park. She is an alum of Baltimore Leadership Class, and Goldman Sachs 10KSB. Dr. Pettigrew is a member of The CEO Club, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, NABJ - National Association of Black Journalist, BABJ – Baltimore Association of Black Journalist, the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce, NAWBO - National Association of Women Business Owners DC, Distinguished Toastmaster, and former White House Intern (1999 President Clinton). In February 2024 Dr. Pettigrew made history. Kicking off Black History Month she was recognize by elected officials in the City of Baltimore and State of Maryland as the first African American woman of Maryland to buy a block along Baltimore’s waterfront. In 2023 she received an honorary doctorate degree in Business Philosophy from Trinity International University of Ambassadors (TIUA). Also, in 2023 was named Top 100 Women in Maryland by the Daily Record and received the Women of Vision Award by the Women in Film and Video (WIFV) in Washington, DC. Other recipients of this distinguished award include Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee, Gwen Ifill, Penny Marshall and Tipper Gore. She’s been written about and featured in over 50 publications and online media outlets including Bloomberg Quarterly Report, Black Enterprise, Baltimore Business Journal, The Daily Record, Baltimore Times, Baltimore Magazine, Voyage Baltimore, Travel Noir, The AFRO, and Voice of America.

 

Dr. Pettigrew has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Red Cross of Central Maryland. She has served in the past on the City of Baltimore Workforce Development Board appointed by Mayor Brandon Scott, and currently sits on the advisory council for Frostburg State University Department of Communications.