UniWorld Group, which is a multlicultural affiliate of WPP, starts up an NIL (name, image, likeness) program to benefit Black collegiate student-athletes. The new sports business consulting unit will partner with major brands to maximize the equity and empowerment impact of their investment in student-athletes. UWG says the unit will ensure that brands’ NIL endeavors include equal and fair ad investment allocation and the creation of relevant content. They will also work to develop programs providing mentorship and other industry support to Black student-athletes. “UWG wants to push into a space where their NIL investments in black college athletes will empower this generation to become the brands of the future,” said UWG chair and CEO Monique Nelson.
Peppercomm launches the Laughing Matters Council, a strategic advisory council of experts in humor that will focus on ways that the principles of humor can be used to drive long-term business success. “Laughter and humor in the workplace have never been more important,” said Peppercomm founder and CEO Steve Cody. “Our mission is to raise awareness of humor as an incredible change agent.” As part of the council’s work, Peppercomm is offering three humor-led service offerings: Stand Up and Connect, a how-to on the tenets of comedy to bring joy and imagination back into work; Stand Up and Lead, focused on managerial leadership and growth; and Stand up and Change, a three-pronged approach to connect and catalyze stakeholders across the change journey utilizing humor, experiential learning, and branding and communications expertise.
Gather, a cloud-based solution that allows web and application developers to generate revenue without ads, is partnering with GIVE Nation, an organization aimed at bringing crypto-based sustainable financial literacy to children and their parents. The partnership will allow Gather users to donate to the GIVE Nation Initiative. All donations raised through this initiative will continue this mission to spread sustainable financial literacy in schools across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Donors within the U.S. may be able to receive a tax deduction for their contribution. “Learning about financial literacy should be positive, fun and engaging,” said Gather CEO and founder Raghav Reggie Jerath.
Page launches the Polansky Future Leaders Fund, which was established through a gift from 2025 Page Hall of Fame inductee and former Weber Shandwick Global CEO Andy Polansky... Ruder Finn reintroduces its website, ruderfinn.com, which will now feature a large language model (LLM) as its primary user interface... Higher Plane Media is launched by former Sloane & Company CEO Darren Brandt.
Champion, which specializes in restaurant, franchise and consumer brands, opens a Miami office, adding to its operations in Dallas and Los Angeles... Violet PR, a Montclair, NJ-based firm that focuses on economic development, commercial real estate and place branding, opens a second office on Park Avenue South in New York... Inflection Point, a founder-led, senior growth systems partner for startups and growth-stage businesses, launches... PRSA announces the recipients of its inaugural Women of Impact Awards. Honorees honorees were recognized during the PRSA Women of Impact Summit & Awards at the Union League Club of Chicago.
FleishmanHillard is shuttering its 20-member Dublin office as Omnicom Public Relations reorganizes its global operations... Vested acquires Watermark, a D.C.-based public affairs and special situations firm.... Matter earns two Pinnacle Awards 2026 Marketing & Communications honors for its clients.
Quad/Graphics launches Direct, a Quad Agency to help marketers create, execute and measure direct marketing campaigns in one connected offering... InnoVision Marketing Group SVP/senior creative director Giselle Campos and SVP/general manager Alanna Markey are among the first-ever winners of the San Diego Business Journal’s Indispensables Awards, which recognizes professionals who make the greatest impact within their organizations and across the San Diego business community... Park Place Technologies, an IT infrastructure services firm that works with Feintuch Communications, releases the second episode of its “The Savvy CIO” podcast. 
Ripley PR is named a silver winner in the TITAN American Business Awards’ Outstanding PR Campaign category... Excellera, a corporate-advisory firm, came in at number one in deal count, as well as fourth in deal value, in Mergermarket’s list of top EMEA firms... Thunderly is telling the stories of military veterans who transferred the discipline, organization and leadership skills developed in service to their country into successful post-military careers as franchise business owners, as part of its year-long "American Dreamers: The Stories of Franchising" effort.
