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| Andrew Bates |
Wolfpack Strategies, a DC-based strategic communications firm, is launched by Andrew Bates, who most recently served as senior deputy press secretary in the Biden White House. Bates was also director of rapid response for Biden’s 2020 campaign, and a staffer on the Clinton and Obama campaigns. Bates told Axios that his firm will offer crisis communications, press relations, strategic messaging and reputation management, with the aim of helping clients simplify complex subjects and avoid and defuse political issues. “He combines endless determination and dedication with a deep set of government and campaign experiences that make him well positioned to take on any public affairs challenge," said former White House communications director Ben LaBolt.
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Cornerstone Government Affairs, a bipartisan government relations, public affairs and consulting firm, opens a Nevada office—broadening its reach to 15 states, along with its DC office. Combined with its presence in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the Nevada office places Cornerstone in each of the first four states in the presidential nominating process. The expansion into Nevada is being spearheaded by Jason Frierson, who was most recently US Attorney for the District of Nevada, and Alisa Nave-Worth, who comes to Cornerstone after running her own firm, Alisa Nave-Worth Consulting. Both Frierson and Nave-Worth will serve as principal and counsel in the new office. Accompanying them on the Nevada team is Stephanie Balistere, who ran campaign compliance, client communications and logistics at Alisa Nave-Worth Consulting.
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ONAR, a marketing and business solutions network, launches ONAR Labs, a tech incubator. ONAR Labs will focus on developing and commercializing proprietary marketing technology solutions that have been tested across ONAR's network of agencies. The incubator’s first product to be released in Cortex, an AI-powered marketing intelligence platform that has been powering the company's agency network, and will become available to companies via subscription. . "What began as an internal tool that drove exceptional results for our clients is now evolving into a commercial platform that will help enterprises remove marketing uncertainty and drive measurable growth through AI-powered intelligence," said ONAR CEO Claude Zdanow.
53Six, a Dublin- and London-based sports marketing agency, is acquired by Irish experience and entertainment group FUEL... Blue Highway Advisory releases a report that looks at how the shift from CEO to AI has changed the way in which consumers access information, and offers advice on how to handle the new landscape... Get Engaged, whose services include campaign ideation, social media management, influencer marketing, celebrity partnerships, content production and paid media, joins SAMY, a social-first agency headquartered in Madrid. 
The Hoffman Agency, a Silicon Valley-based firm with offices in Europe, Asia and the U.S., teams up with United Partners Network, a global community of independent communications agencies... ChangeMakers acquires R&G Strategic, a Halifax, Nova Scotia-based firm with a practice that spans ESG and sustainability strategy and reporting; stakeholder engagement; climate and GHG consulting; sustainability campaigns; branding; communications; and marketing... AltaVista Strategic Partners, a Baltimore-based firm, opens an second office in Tampa, effective Oct. 15.
Curley & Pynn Public Relations Management rebrands as Biplane focused specifically on helping nonprofits build visibility, reputation and trust to advance their philanthropy... SKDK launches a payer negotiation practice that is designed to support health systems as they navigate increasingly complex negotiations with insurers... ChangeMakers, a strategy and communications firm with over 400 professionals across North America, launches RepScore.
Prosek Partners opens in San Francisco under the leadership of partner Nadia Damouni... Caliber Corporate Advisers, which works with clients in the fintech and financial services sectors, introduces the Caliber Authority Index (Caliber AI), a proprietary measurement platform... Herbie Thiele Consulting, a public affairs firm blending lobbying and communications, is launched by the longtime Sachs Media partner.
Bospar expands its Audit*E tool for small- and medium-sized businesses, which provides comprehensive visibility scoring, competitive analysis and platform-specific improvement recommendations, giving users actionable intelligence to help with brand positioning.... 5W is increasing its presence in Tampa and the Florida market....PR Consultants Group, a nationwide network of senior-level public relations, strategic communications and marketing specialists in more than 50 U.S. markets, has brought on 13 independently owned public relations firms across 13 markets and 12 states so far in 2026.
