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| Erica Smith |
Porter Novelli launches the Erica Smith Future Leaders Fellowship program, an immersive three-month fellowship focused on supporting justice, equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. The program honors the late Erica Smith, who worked at Porter Novelli and also founded The BW Factor, an organization dedicated to helping mid-level Black, Latinx and Asian women ascend to higher levels of management. The selected fellow will receive coaching and mentorship from Porter Novelli SVP Suzy An, as well as direct engagement with several other senior leaders based on the fellow’s interests. Applicants must be an early-career professional or 2022 graduate with an undergraduate, graduate or associate degree and have relevant or transferrable volunteer, course work or research experience, with an interest in pursuing a communications career centered around justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. The fellowship will take place October through December 2022, and applications will be accepted through September 9. Questions about the program can be emailed to Suzy An at [email protected].
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The Diversity Marketing Consortium adds Inkhouse and No. 29 as members. Launched in June 2020 with four members, the DMC now consists of 10 marketing and communications agencies. It recently reached a milestone goal of $1 million in pro bono services provided to more than 20 startups including Noora Health, WorkChew and Moving Analytics. The consortium’s other members are SourceCode Communications, Superbolt, Cheer Partners, Peppercomm, Clarity, Racepoint Global, Praytell and Max Borges Agency. “Bringing on quality agencies is essential to maximizing our impact, so needless to say, we’re thrilled to have this impressive group join us in our mission to change the face of the boardroom by supporting diverse founder-led startups,” said co-founder of the Diversity Marketing Consortium and Managing Partner of SourceCode Communications Greg Mondshein.
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PR Boutiques International announces its 2022-2023 executive leadership team and board. Juris Petersons, founding partner of Jazz Communications in Latvia, is named the organization’s new president, the first time that a European member has held that role. Julia Labaton, president and founder of RED PR, will serve as vice president. Bame Public Relations principal Cheryl Bame is now secretary, WordWrite Communications president Paul Furiga is treasurer, and Tarunjeet Rattan, managing partner of Nucleus Public Relations, is the at-large member. PRBI has also brought on New York-based Pace PR as a member, bringing the number of members in the organization to 30, representing 16 countries.
The PHA Group, which has offices in London, Manchester and Leeds, is expanding to New York... The Next Solutions Group launches NSG Health... Rational 360, a DC-based firm, has relocated to an 18,000-square-foot space on the city’s K Street business corridor... KAOH Media, a firm specializing in clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, and ESG-driven investments, launches Fieldwise Civic Engagement.
SKDK merges with digital advertising firm Wavelength Strategy... Supreme Group launches Supreme Intelligence, an artificial intelligence platform designed to meet the commercial needs of healthcare and life sciences companies... Relevance International introduces Artificial Intelligence Amplification Optimization, a proprietary service designed to help brands create a competitive advantage for AI visibility... IMAGINE PR introduces a brand partnerships division, which will focus on ensuring that partnerships are meaningful and measurable, rather than transactional.
SourceCode Communications acquires Rally Point Public Relations... Ruder Finn launches its AI Accelerator, a set of tools and capabilities that will be embedded across client work, agency workflows, and talent recruitment and development, as a way of building AI-native expertise across disciplines... Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy, a communications, media strategy and public relations firm, is merging with Athena Global Advisors. 
MikeWorldWide launches a supply chain, logistics, and infrastructure practice... Kroll introduces two practices: Kroll Economics and Decision Intelligence... Orange Orchard founder Heather Ripley is hosting a free 60-minute live masterclass on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. EST to help animal sanctuaries earn meaningful earned media coverage and turn that visibility into stronger community support.
Stagwell agencies Doner and Colle McVoy form a “strategic alliance” that will operate as DonerColle Partners... Merryman Communications, a healthcare marketing and communications agency, rebrands as M+... Crowe PR launches Crowe Media platform... Tauth Labs, which provides content authentication solutions for clients in the communications, financial services and local government sectors, has been certified by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity.
