About

Photo credit: Rita Chen

Hi, I'm Rita — and I've spent 25 years figuring out why some marketing works and most doesn't.

After 25+ years leading marketing across tourism, entertainment, CPG, and higher education — from DreamWorks to City Winery to Choose Chicago — I launched Rita Chen Consulting because I wanted to do the work I love most: helping leaders and organizations find the foundation underneath their marketing, understand their audience, and build something that actually drives growth. Helping others achieve their goals is what rewards me. That hasn't changed in 25 years.

My why is simple. I am genuinely rewarded by helping others succeed.

My approach starts with listening. Before I make a single recommendation, I want to understand your business from the inside: the context, the complexity, and the opportunity hiding underneath. That relentless curiosity is what separates strategy that looks good on paper from marketing that actually produces results.

I've helped Chicago earn the title of Best Big City in the U.S. seven consecutive years. I helped City Winery see an opportunity on the Riverwalk before anyone else did. I've helped a founder ten years into her practice clearly define her ICP, USP, and brand positioning — now everything she puts into the world tells the same story. What stays constant is the belief that great marketing starts with deeply understanding who you're trying to reach and why it matters to them.

Rita Chen Consulting is a WBENC-certified Women's Business Enterprise. I bring diverse perspective and inclusive thinking into every engagement. Not as a credential. As part of how I see and solve problems.

The Explorer in Me

When I'm not advising clients or digging into audience insights, you'll find me hiking through Scotland, exploring Chicago by bike along the lakefront, strength training at the gym, or experimenting in the kitchen at TritaEats — where I explore food as medicine and share how nourishing yourself well is its own kind of strategy.

And yes — I once helped pull off a surprise Prince concert that sold out in 33 minutes.

If any of this resonates — or you want to hear about the Prince story — I'd love to connect.

Let’s Talk

Testimonials

  • "Rita was a valuable addition to our team at BarkleyOKRP. She integrated seamlessly into the agency during a time of need and supported us on two key projects for a tourism client: audience segmentation and international marketing. She was able to work in the strategy and account sides within the agency. Her calm and measured presence on the team was appreciated. It was a joy partnering with her and we highly recommend her for your marketing needs."

    Nick Paul
    President, BarkleyOKRP
    Former Client of Rita Chen Consulting

  • "Rita is a trusted marketing partner to Chicago's First Lady Cruises. She has expertly identified and secured key partnerships that connect us to the vibrant happenings in Chicago. Beyond supporting our leisure tour product, Rita has also secured valuable advertising opportunities with leading meeting and event planner organizations to promote our private events and charter business. This year, her efforts have been crucial as we focus on IPW, which will be held in Chicago in 2025. We appreciate Rita's resourcefulness, transparency, and deep knowledge of the tourism and hospitality industry. "

    Brie Agra
    President, Chicago’s First Lady Cruises
    Client of Rita Chen Consulting

  • “Rita was instrumental in Chicago's remarkable achievement of being named the Best Big City in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler readers for seven consecutive years (2017–2023). She revitalized a previously narrow and limited brand into an award-winning image-rich brand with sophistication and variety but more importantly, strategically targeted. This resulted in record occupancy and average daily rate performance. Rita's leadership and mentorship cultivated a talented team, and she managed complex city and state politics with grace. These experiences have enriched her wisdom and paved the way for her entrepreneurial journey, where she now helps transform organizations with her passion for marketing grounded in research and engagement.”

    David Whitaker
    President & CEO, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
    Managed Rita at Choose Chicago 2016 - 2021

  • “Rita Chen is a consummate marketer. Strategy and planning are particular strengths. Rita is an agile marketer as well. She has been able to transfer her skills into a variety of arenas with great success. Rita is equally adept at getting things done and with great attention to detail. She embraces technology and leverages it to provide greater impact which is so critical to being a modern marketer. Rita is creative, resourceful and not afraid of the un-navigated.”

    Adrienne Nazon
    Vice President External Relations and Communications, University of Illinois System
    Managed Rita at University of Chicago Booth School of Business 2010 - 2012