It’s Our Birthday! One year old and growing strong.
By: Brian Purchia — May 16, 2018
It has been a busy year at Riff City Strategies. We launched a communications and advocacy firm as our nation’s institutions were being tested. Expanded our footprint in Iowa and San Francisco with top notch hires. Two of our team members had kids, just weeks a part. And we added on new clients and new capabilities.
It was also a profound year in the public relations field at large. In an era of declining trust in governments and institutions, we found that the organizations we work with care deeply about making their communities, our country, and the world better for all.
From our office in Silicon Valley we see entrepreneurs succeeding, struggling, and failing all with the best intentions at heart. And from an office in Des Moines we see heartland values in practice by uplifting neighbors, fighting for clean water and air for our children, and looking forward to a future where all families can succeed.
We are ending our first year as a company optimistic, upbeat, and hopeful. Thanks for your support and we look forward to a successful year two. And, as always, please get in touch if you or those in your network are need of communications assistance or key advice.
– Brian Purchia, CEO + Founder
Fighting For Justice in the World’s Largest Employer
We are fortunate to work with a number of leading, nonprofit organizations, including the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Startup in Residence program, and Protect Our Defenders.
In the era of the #MeToo movement, we are proud to support Protect Our Defenders in their mission of ending the epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the military. We continue to shine a light on how the brave men and women in the world’s largest employer are fighting for justice and our country with front page investigative news stories and national TV pieces.
Emerging Industries + Government + Tech
As technology and the sharing economy change our lives, we are working with entrepreneurs that are reimagining industries, modernizing the public sector, and empowering communities. Riff City Strategies continues to build a technology practice by partnering with companies on the cutting edge, like Bitwise Industries, OpenGov, Accela, and Neighborly.
Governments are struggling to handle the exploding cannabis market and the rapid growth of short-term rentals. Accela recently rolled out two new products to streamline regulation in emerging markets.
Protecting Our Planet
With global temperatures and devastating storms on the rise, the need to rapidly embrace clean energy and meaningful climate change policy is clear. We work with former EPA chief Gina McCarthy, advocacy groups, and concerned families across the country and across party line to call attention to efforts to roll back science-based environmental, economic, and public health protections. We help lead the resistance by feeding story ideas to national, trade, and state-based reporters, and working with top-environmental experts to identify press opportunities ad events.
ICYMI, see the former EPA chief on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.
New Staff
Since launching Riff City, we’ve expanded our staff.
Galen Alexander joined the team in 2017 after working with tech companies and on far too many electoral campaigns (or so he says). He has served as a spokesman and policy strategist in civic technology, financial technology, and public advocacy arenas. He’s an alum of NextGen Climate, Capitol Hill, and electoral campaigns. He’s always interested in grabbing a coffee or you can find him trundling up large hills on a bicycle in the Bay Area most weekends.
Devonya Batiste left the Lone Star State to join our Golden State team this year. She is a University of Texas at Austin grad (hook ‘em horns) and brings her marketing experience working at Cratejoy, an Austin startup. Feel free to reach out to her about fun ideas, exciting opportunities, and/or anything cat related.
