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Prosek Partners acquires a stake in Blue Dot Capital, a boutique sustainable finance consulting firm with expertise and experience in advising investment-management firms on developing comprehensive ESG and impact investing capabilities. Combining the two firms, which have been working together for close to two years, will allow them to offer a full spectrum of ESG advisory services encompassing ESG policy, governance, integration, investment strategy, reporting, investor relations, narrative-building, and strategic marketing and communications. “We have developed a team that can build and measure the investment programs and also communicates them to stakeholders,” said Prosek Partners CEO and managing partner Jennifer Prosek. “Blue Dot will expand Prosek's already robust ESG offering to include strategic ESG and impact investment program advisory.”
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| Dan Simon |
Qwoted, a platform that uses AI to connect the media with matching sources and PR pros, closes a $3 million Series Seed round of funding. Prosek Venture Partners and Vested, both pre-seed investors in the platform, are part of this round of funding, along with a consortium of communications firms including Integral, Caliber Corporate Advisers, Haymaker PR, FHS Partners and Red Lab. Qwoted plans to use this investment to enhance its technology capabilities and add talent to its sales, marketing and media success teams. “This funding will directly support Qwoted’s mission to help journalists and industry experts to find each other more easily and build long-term relationships,” said Qwoted CEO & co-founder Dan Simon, who is also CEO of Vested. “Securing this investment is a testament to the value that Qwoted is bringing to its users.”
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Praytell teams up with insight and strategy firm Kelton Global to produce its 2021 Optimism Index. The index assesses sentiment from 250 U.S. respondents who have decision-making authority in marketing roles to find out their motivations and the outcomes they’re seeing. The index finds that almost nine out of ten respondents (88 percent) want to see more positive messaging in ads. In addition, more than 70 percent say that optimistic ads are more effective and memorable than pessimistic ads. However, only 37 percent thought that society is becoming more optimistic and slightly over half (52 percent) say there are too many negative ads. The agency is also launching Praytell Advance, a reputation practice led by chief reputation officer Adam Warrington, who joined the agency in February 2021 from Anheuser-Busch. “Perhaps the most precious resource available to marketers is optimism, and with today marking the summer solstice, we chose to launch our inaugural Optimism Index on a day that inherently inspires people across the world,” said Warrington.
The Public Relations Global Network adds Agence Profile in Paris and IDDEA Comunicaciones in Bogotá to its membership... Signal Group, a DC-based firm, launches AI Frame, a PA offering to help organizations understand and manage how they appear across Large Language Model AI platforms... Spears Group, a New Orleans-headquartered integrated marketing and advertising agency, sets up shop in Houston... IPREX brings on new partner agencies in Italy, Chicago, Las Vegas and India.
The New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America names Attention Comms CEO Paul Cohen as 2026 president of its board of directors. Cohen succeeds Ken Kerrigan, who has held executive posts at Bliss Group, Infinite and Weber Shandwick... Startr Co. of Los Angeles, marks its 10th anniversary with the launch of a renewed brand identity and redesigned website.... Michael Best Strategies, an affiliated consulting firm of national law firm Michael Best, is introducing a corporate advisory service.
Real Chemistry launches RC Resolve, a healthcare advisory practice... Seven Letter, a bipartisan strategic communications firm, adds offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Huntsville... GMMB founding partner David Mitchell died on Jan. 2 at 75. Mitchell’s career in communications began in June 1978, when he joined the staff of the United Auto Workers as assistant to the director of public relations and publications.
Berns Communications Group expands its advisory services and rebrands as Berns & Co... DVV Media International, a B2B media and events company serving the transport and logistics markets, sells its Road portfolio of products to Mark Allen Group... MAD Global Strategy of New Jersey launches a Washington presence. 
Motio is launched by former BPD chief strategy & innovation officer Sasha Boghosian and Ryan Colaianni, who was CCO at BPD as well as an SVP at Edelman... PMG acquires Digital Voices, an influencer marketing agency with a team of 70 employees across London, New York and Costa Rica... Gregory
