Introducing Mission North
February 3, 2020
One team. All in.
Grit, curiosity and empathy drive us all at Mission North. We know how to work hard, have a lot of fun, get things done and stick up for each other. Because there’s nothing more important to us than our people.
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Bill Bourdon
Co-CEO
Bill has 20+ years of experience partnering with technology companies at every stage — from stealth to Fortune 50.
Read moreTalent at work: Turning ideas into impact
Secret weapon: Seeing around corners
Thing you’d never know: You’ll never knowBill has 20+ years of experience partnering with technology companies at every stage — from stealth to Fortune 50. He serves as chief counsel to clients in our Trust, Growth, Transportation and Logistics, and Venture Capital practices, including BigID, Google, LinkedIn, Skyryse, Scale Venture Partners and Ping Identity. When he’s not advising clients, Bill focuses on developing Mission North’s award-winning culture and experimenting with new storytelling techniques. Bill is a frequent commentator and contributor on the future of technology, media and communications. His articles have been published in Adweek, Harvard Business Review, TechCrunch and VentureBeat.
Prior to joining Bateman Group, Bill was vice president of marketing for a media startup, where he led all marketing, licensing and distribution strategy around the company’s filmed entertainment properties. Before that, he managed product PR and corporate communications for some of the Internet’s pioneering brands, including AOL and Netscape, while working at A Good Seed Production, Blanc and Otus and Niehaus Ryan Wong.
Bill began his career in public health, directing a federally funded nonprofit program for several years before being appointed to serve as a Special Assistant to San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Education Fund.
Bill lives in San Francisco with his wife, Kate, and their sons Ben and Sebastian.
He graduated from St. Lawrence University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and writing.
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Tyler Perry
Co-CEO
Tyler has more than 20 years of experience providing strategic counsel to startups and larger brands, and still gets irrationally excited telling stories about the companies that are changing how we live, work and play.
Read moreTalent at work: Ideation and activation
Secret weapon: A killer celebrity doppelganger name
Thing you’d never know: I was in a pet fashion showTyler has more than 20 years of experience providing strategic counsel to startups and larger brands, and still gets irrationally excited telling stories about the companies that are changing how we live, work and play. She co-leads Mission North as well as the company’s product strategy and integration work. A generalist at heart, Tyler oversees the company’s Fintech, Future of Work and Life Sciences practices, and has worked with a wide range of brands, past and present, including Betterment, Ginkgo Bioworks, L’Oreal, Braintree, Venmo and Flatiron School.
In her previous life, Tyler worked with emerging fashion, lifestyle and retail companies on building brands and driving consumer acquisition. She started her PR career during the dotcom heyday and enjoyed every ridiculous minute of it, leaving only for a few years to moonlight as a hedge fund analyst.
Tyler is the ringleader of the Williams College mafia at Mission North. Her pug Tots is a regular fixture in the New York office, as are the trials and tribulations of her two very spirited boys.
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Shannon Hutto
Partner and General Manager, West Coast
Known for landing fast results and her outstanding client service ethic, Shannon leads the agency’s West Coast operations.
Read moreTalent at work: Team builder
Secret weapon: Really listening to what people say
Thing you’d never know: First job was a high school shop teacherKnown for landing fast results and her outstanding client service ethic, Shannon leads the agency’s West Coast operations. Aligning her clients’ business goals with creative, aggressive campaigns is a strength and passion of hers, and she brings this vigor to all her client and agency work. Shannon enjoys digging into strategic initiatives for her clients, including integrated campaign building, messaging, media training and storyline development.
As the lead of Mission North’s Trust and Future Stack practices, Shannon’s primary areas of expertise lie in IT security, privacy and enterprise tech. Always learning, Shannon enjoys contributing across all our practice areas to offer a fresh perspective and lend her varied experience to all of our teams.
Shannon’s family keeps her on her toes when she’s not in the office. She is a proud Eph from Williams College, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history.
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Michael Andrews
CFO
Michael’s passion is helping people-centric businesses grow.
Read moreTalent at work: Efficiency and analytics
Secret weapon: Spreadsheet wizardry and cardio
Thing you’d never know: Host of “The All Request Show” radio program in collegeMichael’s passion is helping people-centric businesses grow. He provides financial leadership, strategic thinking and an analytical approach to Mission North.
Michael has 25 years of experience with businesses in multiple industries, including advertising, design and retail. And he’s worked with purpose-driven SF Bay Area brands like Fort Beer Company, Smitten Ice Cream, Homeroom Mac & Cheese and Jamba Juice (the latter of which he helped take public).
Michael is a kid at heart and is happiest in a bouncy house with his children or playing ‘Michael Monster’ with his kids’ friends.
He lives in San Rafael with his wife, Alicia, and their two sons and has an MBA from The University of Kansas. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
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Nicole Messier
Executive Vice President & General Manager, East Coast
Nicole is a champion for integrated storytelling and building the most creative agency with the happiest team.
Read moreTalent at work: Finding a solution, there’s always a better way.
Secret weapon: The motto I stole from college: Learn by doing.
Thing you’d never know: I secretly wish to be a chef one day.Nicole is a champion for integrated storytelling and building the most creative agency with the happiest team. Her career spans nearly two decades of work at both agencies and in-house for high-growth startups and corporations, managing brand activations, product launches and navigating critical inflection points from crises to IPOs.
As Executive Vice President and General Manager, Nicole manages a portfolio of Fintech and Future of Work clients, including Betterment, Honey, Gemini, Fetch Robotics, Policygenius and Flatiron School. She also oversees the day to day operations of our East Coast offices.
Nearly two decades of experience has afforded Nicole a diverse career with agencies like Edelman and PAN Communications, and included eight years in-house at brands like HelloFresh, Radial, Altisource and Apprenda.
Nicole is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and her happy place is on the ski slopes with her family.
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Gillian Davis
Head of People
A believer in a heart and spine-centered approach to human resources, Gillian brings 15 years of experience in technology and digital advertising to Mission North.
Read moreTalent at work: Somehow getting it all done
Secret weapon: Uncanny ability to predict the future
Thing you’d never know: Swedish radio once interviewed me about finding a Viking age memorial stoneA believer in a heart and spine-centered approach to human resources, Gillian brings 15 years of experience in technology and digital advertising to Mission North. She’s held senior positions with Razorfish, Havas Media and Tesla.
She now leads the People function at Mission North, looking after employee engagement, recruiting and HR strategy to support all aspects of the employee lifecycle.
Gillian is an avid champagne and wine taster. Having lived and worked in France for three years, she now thoroughly enjoys the California countryside for her love of amazing, local olive oil, cheese and, of course, wine. A former ski instructor and native of Seattle, she now enjoys the sunnier slopes of Tahoe and Mammoth with her family.
She graduated from the University of Washington with BS degrees in international studies and anthropology.
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Kerry Baker
Senior Vice President
Kerry’s passion is telling meaningful stories about inspiring people.
Read moreTalent at work: Working hard while having fun every day
Secret weapon: Her “let’s try it” attitude
Thing you’d never know: Half marathons are her thingKerry’s passion is telling meaningful stories about inspiring people. She has spent her career helping companies connect their voice and style with the right platforms to build awareness and grow mindshare. Kerry co-leads Mission North’s Trust and Future Stack Practices, with experience providing strategic advice and managing global and local campaigns for leading innovators in cybersecurity, quantum computing, AI, enterprise infrastructure, data management and DevOps.
Her media relations campaigns have generated features in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, Popular Science and Bloomberg TV.
She is known for developing Mission North’s speakers bureau process, whose infrastructure supports the placement of hundreds of executives at events all over the world.
Previously, Kerry worked at Liaison PR, where she worked with animation and graphics companies like NVIDIA, Kaydara (now Autodesk) and Luxology (now The Foundry), and was instrumental in developing the agency’s enterprise practice.
Kerry graduated from University of Oregon with degrees in communications and journalism. She enjoys running, traveling and a really good cup of coffee.
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Rachael Cassidy
Senior Vice President
An accomplished communications strategist with 15 years of experience in media and public relations, Rachael forged her early career in broadcast journalism in Sydney, Australia.
Read moreTalent at work: Straight-shooting
Secret weapon: Australian accent
Thing you’d never know: Can perform handstand push-ups on demandAn accomplished communications strategist with 15 years of experience in media and public relations, Rachael forged her early career in broadcast journalism in Sydney, Australia. In 2006, after several years as an Australian political reporter she became the Macquarie Radio Network’s youngest and first female news director before pursuing senior public relations roles in Government, sport and non-profit sectors.
Prior to joining Mission North, Rachael was an associate director at Media and Capital Partners, managing PR strategy, media relations, training and crisis communications for a portfolio of Australian startups across consumer technology, fintech and digital health.
Rachael leads Mission North’s Future of Work Practice and her global perspective and passion for unearthing great stories is now helping clients like Google, Gusto, Expensify and Ping Identity reach new heights.
Rachael has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the University of Western Sydney and a Graduate Diploma in Radio Broadcasting from the Australian Television and Radio School.
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Ben Friedland
Senior Vice President
Ben has over 15 years of PR and marketing experience. He co-leads the Growth and Transportation & Logistics practices.
Read moreTalent at work: Cracking jokes while putting out (figurative) fires
Secret weapon: Ramen
Thing you’d never know: Obsessed with Arsenal Football ClubBen has over 15 years of PR and marketing experience. He co-leads the Growth and Transportation & Logistics practices, with extensive expertise working with companies in the privacy, retail, data, analytics, marketing and future of work industries. Ben helped launch Mission North’s pro bono program, helping nonprofits like Code2040 and Technovation better define and communicate their vision and impact. Whether it’s launching from stealth or preparing for IPO, Ben specializes in designing corporate narratives and developing high-impact communications strategies.
Ben has two young kids and will show pictures of them to anyone who shows even the slightest interest. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.
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Elinor Mills
Senior Vice President, Content Studio
Elinor’s career path was laid out early. After she wrote a short biographical essay (which not surprisingly, focused on the family dog), her sixth-grade teacher told her she would be a writer.
Read moreTalent at work: Tapping the inner writer in everyone
Secret weapon: Self-effacing enthusiasm
Thing you’d never know: Lover of Hacker culture and long-time BurnerElinor’s career path was laid out early. After she wrote a short biographical essay (which not surprisingly, focused on the family dog), her sixth-grade teacher told her she would be a writer. And so it came to be; Elinor got a master’s degree in journalism and worked as a professional reporter and editor for 22 years for the Associated Press, Reuters, IDG, The Industry Standard and CNET/CBS Interactive.
In 2012, she joined the Mission North to lead the budding content practice and help with media relations strategy. She has overseen the expansion of the Mission North Content Studio to include a team of full-time writers and content wizards, leads media training for clients, and serves as in-house journalistic filter for all types of communications. Elinor keeps tabs on all things security related as part of her work in the company’s burgeoning Trust practice group. She also continues to write about the tech industry and helps produce panels, parties and other influencer events on behalf of Mission North.
In her spare time, Elinor focuses on communications related to animal protection and rights issues and spends time with dogs.
She graduated from the University of Arizona and was one of the few students who actually made it to the early morning classes.
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Victoria Butler
Vice President
Victoria brings over a decade of strategic communications experience to her work at Mission North.
Read moreTalent at work: Helping teams get it all done
Secret weapon: To-do list makeovers
Thing you’d never know: Has a film credit as a stunt doubleVictoria brings over a decade of strategic communications experience to her work at Mission North. With a background in both consumer and enterprise technology, Victoria’s passion is bridging the gap between complex technologies and the stories that resonate with media. As a trusted leader, she guides and mentors her teams to think big and learn every day. Her clients include LinkedIn, ThoughtSpot and Invoca.
Victoria joined Mission North from SutherlandGold Group, where she spent five years working with startups like Jaunt Virtual Reality, Xamarin (acquired by Microsoft), Chegg and Sunrun.
A Bay Area local, Victoria graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in English Literature. You can usually find her exploring different parks in the city with her family, sampling new wines or curled up with a good book.
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Elise Chambers
Vice President
With a passion for helping clients tell their stories to the masses, Elise brings a decade of PR experience to Mission North with wide expertise across B2B and consumer clients.
Read moreTalent at work: Anticipating what you’re thinking before you say it
Secret weapon: A zen workspace with fresh flare for inspiration
Thing you’d never know: Can whip up a mean charcuterie plate in minutesWith a passion for helping clients tell their stories to the masses, Elise brings a decade of PR experience to Mission North with wide expertise across B2B and consumer clients. She manages accounts within the Transportation and Logistics, Future of Work and Growth practices, for clients including Airship, Google and Skyryse. Located in Portland, Elise also supports the growth of Mission North’s presence in the Pacific Northwest.
Previously, Elise worked at Method Communications, where she helped the Salt Lake City-based agency get its start in San Francisco, and at DKC in New York, where she worked on a range of consumer and entertainment accounts.
With an early knack for producing events, Elise jumped into event PR after college but quickly shifted her focus to media and strategic communications as she fell in love with the news cycle and the behind-the-scenes of a good story.
On the weekends, you’ll find her paying homage to her mountain roots, spending time outdoors with her aussiedoodle, Winston, and crossing off her never-ending list of bars and restaurants to explore. Elise graduated from the University of Utah.
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Grace Emery
Vice President
Grace brings her lifelong love of planning to Mission North’s Fintech, Future Stack and Life Sciences practices.
Read moreTalent at work: Mobilizing the dream team
Secret weapon: Obscure grammar knowledge
Thing you’d never know: Mediocre cellist and beer brewerGrace brings her lifelong love of planning to Mission North’s Fintech and Future of Work practices, driving strategic media campaigns that map back to the goals that matter most for clients. Her current clients include Betterment, Waystar, Policygenius and Ultimate Software.
Grace got her start in healthcare and hospitality PR, and honed her technology skills at Highwire PR’s San Francisco office where she worked on a variety of B2B and digital health accounts.
When she’s not delighting her teams and clients at work, Grace is checking new restaurants off a lengthy excel tracker and embracing all the Brooklyn stereotypes she can, vinyl records and homebrew included.
Grace has a B.A. in Political Science from Whitman College.
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James Niccolai
Vice President of Content and Media Strategy
With deep knowledge of data center infrastructure, cloud and other enterprise technologies, James helps Mission North clients identify and craft compelling stories that matter to their businesses.
Read moreTalent at work: Crafting stories that people want to read
Secret weapon: Concision
Thing you’d never know: Cycles up mountains for funWith deep knowledge of cloud infrastructure, data platforms and other enterprise technologies, James helps Mission North clients identify and craft compelling stories that matter to their businesses.
James cut his teeth as a journalist at the Quincy Patriot Ledger newspaper south of Boston, where he bemused locals with his strange English accent while reporting on fires, traffic accidents and local politics. He then spent 20 years as a technology reporter and editor for IDG News Service in San Francisco and Paris.
James joined Mission North in 2016 to help evolve enterprise strategy for the content studio and media teams. With rich experience as a journalist, he identifies newsworthy angles to pitch reporters and produces a range of editorial content including thought leadership articles and blog posts.
Born in London, James graduated from Boston’s Northeastern University with a degree in history and journalism. When he’s not at work, you can often find him on his bicycle riding through the hills in Marin and Oakland.
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Lauren Scherr
Vice President of Content Strategy
Lauren is a writer and strategist who combines creativity and the ability to turn big ideas into reality.
Read moreTalent at work: Connecting the dots between big ideas
Secret weapon: An eclectic reading list
Thing you’d never know: Fire on the dance floorLauren is a writer and strategist who combines creativity and the ability to turn big ideas into reality. As the operational lead of the Mission North Content Studio, she focuses on evolving the agency’s products and services to make the greatest possible impact across our client portfolio.
Lauren also leads content and editorial programs for organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 100 brands such as Google and LinkedIn. She specializes in thought leadership, partnering with executives to develop points of view that can change minds and lead markets. The results include pieces in The Wall Street Journal, WIRED, Harvard Business Review, Fortune and Fast Company.
Her previous communications experience spans consumer and B2B tech, including The Sims (Electronic Arts’ iconic franchise), Slice (acquired by Rakuten) and Jasper (acquired by Cisco).
A Georgetown graduate, Lauren lives in Brooklyn by way of D.C., San Francisco and Honolulu. Outside of work, she enjoys reading and writing creative nonfiction. Check out her latest on Medium.
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Jen Sciarra
Vice President
An enthusiast for the written word, Jen prides herself on holding high standards for client service and motivating teams to do their best work.
Read moreTalent at work: Strategic thinking and counsel
Secret weapon: Peanut butter oatmeal
Thing you’d never know: Classic cinema buffAn enthusiast for the written word, Jen prides herself on holding high standards for client service and motivating teams to do their best work.
Jen is a generalist with clients spanning Mission North’s practice areas, and leads the Venture Capital practice, overseeing programs for Scale Venture Partners, BIG Labs and Unusual Ventures. She’s also heavily concentrated in Trust, with clients like Illumio, Netskope and Google under her wing.
With marketing experience from her time at SAP and Polycom, Jen brings a well-rounded perspective to strategically guiding her clients through communications challenges. Before going corporate, Jen got her start teaching English as a Teach for America corps member, which she credits for equipping her with the ability to keep her cool in almost any scenario.
When not doing PR, Jen is usually at a yoga class, reading veggie food blogs (although less often cooking) and dreaming up creative ways to stay warm in SF.
Jen graduated with a B.A. in English from University of Pennsylvania.
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Evie Nagy
Senior Director, Content and Digital Strategy
Evie is a writer, editor and content strategist with more than 15 years of experience crafting big-picture narratives that connect business, technology, culture, and creativity.
Read moreTalent at work: Seeing the bigger story.
Secret weapon: Karaoke
Thing you’d never know: I won Slack’s first company-wide spelling bee.Evie is a writer, editor and content strategist with more than 15 years of experience crafting big-picture narratives that connect business, technology, culture, and creativity. She worked on the content and communications teams at Slack for four years, helping to build the company’s content and corporate editorial programs and establish the brand as a leading B2B voice in human collaboration and the future of work. She also led content and communications at Wonderschool, an edtech company with the mission of increasing access to and quality of early childhood education.
Before working in tech, Evie was a staff writer at Fast Company focused on creativity, productivity and in-depth business features, and was also an editor at Rolling Stone and Billboard. Prior to becoming a journalist, she was a policy researcher and speechwriter for Harvard University leadership teams including the Office of the President and the Dean of the Graduate School of Education. She has a B.A. in politics from Princeton University, an Ed.M. from Harvard University, and an M.A. in journalism from New York University, and is the author of a book about pioneering new wave band Devo. She has two daughters and two cats.
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Jessie Birkhofer
Account Director
A perfectionist at heart, Jessie leaves no ‘t’ uncrossed and no stone unturned when it comes to designing custom communications programs.
Read moreTalent at work: Holding teams, clients and herself accountable
Secret weapon: Instant acronym generator
Thing you’d never know: Enthusiastic Fleetwood Mac fanA perfectionist at heart, Jessie leaves no ‘t’ uncrossed and no stone unturned when it comes to designing custom communications programs. She thrives in a fast-paced environment; if she encounters chaos, she won’t be satisfied until every challenge is overcome and every party is happy. At Mission North, she currently leads teams for Trust and Future Stack clients, including Google, Ping Identity, Tessian and ThoughtSpot.
Prior to joining the world of enterprise tech, Jessie represented consumer products and services in food, transportation, architecture and design industries. Earlier in her career, she honed her project and client management skills as a website project manager at Santa Barbara-based software company AppFolio.
Jessie graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a bachelor’s in global and international studies. Outside of work, you can find her reading novels collected at her bi-monthly, White Elephant-style book swap; indulging in San Francisco’s thriving restaurant scene; or adventuring around the Bay Area.
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Kelsey Donohue
Account Director
Kelsey has worked in communications for six years, crossing the varied worlds of pharmaceuticals, book publishing and technology.
Read moreTalent at work: Providing excellent TV recommendations
Secret weapon: Self-deprecating humor (worst kept secret)
Thing you’d never know: I have a tattooKelsey has worked in communications for six years, crossing the varied worlds of pharmaceuticals, book publishing and technology. As an account manager at Mission North, she works with a number of clients in our Future of Work, Growth and Life Sciences practices. An enduring love of good storytelling combined with a thoughtful and detail-oriented approach to problem-solving allows her to provide strategic value to her clients.
In previous roles, Kelsey has been integral to everything from the launch of a groundbreaking biologic for a pharmaceutical company to organizing cross-country book tours for authors including Shonda Rhimes and Mary Higgins Clark for Simon & Schuster.
She holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in English Literature and Writing from Johns Hopkins University.
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Chris Heine
Director of Content and Media Strategy
Chris brings a wealth of knowledge to Mission North on the subjects of marketing technology, interactive advertising, digital branding, social media and e-commerce.
Read moreTalent at work: Assembling story ingredients
Secret weapon: Rapid-response content
Thing you’d never know: Great-great-great grandson of pioneer newspaper familyChris brings a wealth of knowledge to Mission North on the subjects of marketing technology, interactive advertising, digital branding, social media and e-commerce. As a news reporter, he began covering internet businesses right out of college in 1999, breaking into the field at Direct Marketing News while having a front-row seat to the digital economy’s first boom and bust.
Over the years, he broke several big news stories, including Facebook’s introduction of the “Like” button in 2010 and Snapchat’s Ads API in 2016. Leaving Adweek’s post of Technology Editor to join Mission North’s Growth Practice in ’17, Chris delivers high-level strategy and granular tactics for our Content Studio and media teams. He pinpoints newsworthy angles to pitch reporters and creates a breadth of editorial content including thought leadership articles and blog posts.
Hailing from the Great Plains, Chris graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Journalism degree. During his free time, he enjoys various Brooklyn activities with his family, general sports fandom, movies, concerts and card games.
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Jordyn Lee
Account Director
Jordyn brings a sharp eye for media, a sense of humor and a get-it-done attitude to Mission North.
Read moreTalent at work: Keeping it real
Secret weapon: A spreadsheet for all your woes
Thing you’d never know: Actively dislikes coffeeJordyn brings a sharp eye for media, a sense of humor and a get-it-done attitude to Mission North. She supports Mission North’s Life Sciences practice, making complex concepts understandable and exciting to wide-ranging audiences for clients including Ginkgo Bioworks, Joyn Bio, Synthego, Seed Health and Evolved By Nature. She also helped establish Mission North’s early digital capabilities with Virtustream’s social media program and now helps Google Security find new and creative ways to leverage social.
Prior to joining Mission North (and moving to NYC), Jordyn worked at LEWIS in SF, where she honed her tech knowledge by helping B2B startups in the big data and security space tell their stories.
When she’s not nerding out over all things science and digital, you can find her at yoga, attempting to stand on her hands, or trying out a new recipe.
Jordyn earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Delaware, as well as an impromptu minor in Fine Arts where she acquired fun but impractical skills like wielding a welding torch.
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Danielle Stickler
Director Media Strategy
Danielle is a media maven with an eye for results. She is known for synthesizing complex stories, landing results and applying a journalist-first filter to every initiative.
Read moreTalent at work: Positive energy that makes everyone smile
Secret weapon: Her Vans, rock t-shirts, and being the office DJ
Thing you’d never know: Was a NCAA Division-I athlete and swam for 16 yearsDanielle is a media maven with an eye for results. She is known for synthesizing complex stories, landing results and applying a journalist-first filter to every initiative. Her ability to connect the dots between major trends, anticipate the next big story, and map her ideas back to client goals has led to coverage in Bloomberg, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune, TechCrunch, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and others.
At Mission North, Danielle is a core member of the media practice team. She brings her media chops to all practice groups but specializes in Growth stories and creative campaigns. She is also known for teamwork and willingness to help others hone their media craft.
Danielle attended Saint Louis University where she received her degree in communications with a focus on public relations and a minor in sports business. Outside the office, you can find Danielle spending time with her family or climbing hills in SoulCycle.
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Laura Wetzel
Account Director
Laura is a word nerd and audience adapter. She brings nine years of communications expertise to Mission North’s Growth and Transportation & Logistics practices.
Read moreTalent at work: Understanding the importance of details
Secret weapon: Avid alliteration aficionado
Thing you’d never know: Has a motorcycle licenseLaura is a word nerd and audience adapter. She brings nine years of communications expertise to Mission North’s Growth and Transportation & Logistics practices. Laura uses deep curiosity to uncover storytelling threads, connect them to business goals and frame ideas in a clear way that inspires action.
With a background in consulting for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Laura prefers the wild ride of tech to the public sector pace. Before Mission North, she steered PR strategy for technology clients in the energy, mobility and logistics industries as a director at Antenna Group.
Outside of work, you might find Laura trying to identify the secret ingredients in a dish she’s eating or figuring out the names of all the mesmerizing plants in the Bay Area.
Laura graduated with a B.A. in Biology & Society from Cornell University.
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Allie Carmichael
Content Strategist
Allie uses her love of words and ideas to help tell client stories as a content strategist.
Read moreTalent at work: Slaying writer’s block
Secret weapon: Green tea and list-making
Thing you’d never know: Former jazz musicianAllie uses her love of words and ideas to help tell client stories as a content strategist. She knows how to make even the most technical content shine through a mix of wordsmithing and curiosity.
At Mission North, Allie helps security executives at Google, Armis and Reliaquest distill complex narratives into engaging articles, blog posts and social media content. She also provides strategic guidance on thought leadership and digital strategy for various other clients.
During her five years writing for tech companies, Allie has lent her storytelling abilities to clients like Twilio, Endgame and JustWorks.
Outside of Mission North’s Brooklyn office, Allie can be found consuming as many books, podcasts and news stories as possible or hiking in the Hudson Valley. She earned a BA in English from Binghamton University.
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Danny Casarella
Account Manager
Danny is a fintech enthusiast, bringing a big personality and bigger heart to his work. He inspires his teams to apply their full selves to their work and loves creativity.
Read moreTalent at work: Has a meme/gif handy for any reaction
Secret weapon: Infectious enthusiasm
Thing you’d never know: Holds a second degree black belt in Taekwondo; is an Eagle ScoutDanny is a fintech enthusiast, bringing a big personality and bigger heart to his work. He inspires his teams to apply their full selves to their work and loves creativity. At Mission North, he currently leads teams for Fintech, Future of Work and Future Stack clients, including Anthemis, Betterment for Business, DigitalOcean and Expensify.
Prior to joining Mission North, Danny represented investment management and professional services brands across the industry, including Ernst & Young, Lazard Asset Management, Insight Investment and State Street Global Advisors — where he had the chance to contribute to the launch of the Fearless Girl campaign.
Danny graduated from Fordham University with a BA in Communication and Media Studies. Outside of work, you can find him at any and every concert, thrifting for vinyl, or taste-testing pizza throughout NYC.
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Francesca DeAnda
Account Manager
With a focus on infrastructure stack technologies, Francesca works with emerging B2B technology companies to help them tell stories that matter and reach their communications and business goals.
Read moreTalent at work: Seeing both the big picture and the small details
Secret weapon: I’m a dashboard maven
Thing you’d never know: I danced competitively through collegeWith a focus on infrastructure stack technologies, Francesca works with emerging B2B technology companies to help them tell stories that matter and reach their communications and business goals.
Francesca’s ability to translate abstract, technical topics into digestible narratives that resonate with journalists and readers alike has landed her clients (Portworx, Harness, Qubole and SnapLogic) in leading business and technology publications like Business Insider, Forbes, TechCrunch, The Hill, The Wall Street Journal and VentureBeat.
Before joining Mission North, Francesca worked with Bay Area PR firm Bhava Communications, where she cut her teeth representing a variety of emerging DevOps, automation, MarTech and software container startups.
Francesca holds a B.A. in English from Kalamazoo College in Michigan. When not in the office, you’ll find her exploring Chicago, sparring at TITLE Boxing Club or playing bartender.
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Alexis-Brianna Felix
Account Manager
During her Mission North tenure, Alexis has worked with clients across industries including cloud, fintech and quantum encryption. She currently leads teams within Mission North’s Future of Work, Life Sciences and Venture Capital practices.
Read moreTalent at work: Mentoring her colleagues
Secret weapon: Tasty vegan snacks
Thing you’d never know: Once starred in a Blues Clues commercialAlexis is a focused and strategic thinker with a knack for writing and a dedication to bringing out the best in her teams.
During her Mission North tenure, Alexis has worked with clients across industries including cloud, fintech and quantum encryption. She currently leads teams within Mission North’s Future of Work, Life Sciences and Venture Capital practices.
Alexis has developed thoughtful media and content strategies for a wide range of clients, from Fortune 50 companies to fast-growing startups. She previously worked at North of Nine Communications, supporting clients such as Intel, Tobii Pro and Society for Science & the Public.
Alexis is also co-chair of the Board of Trustees at Summer on the Hill, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that offers year-round academic enrichment for promising low-income public school students from the Bronx and Upper Manhattan.
Alexis is a graduate of Boston University’s College of Communication and trains in dance in her spare time.
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Riley Gilleland
Account Manager
Riley’s special talent lies in her innovative storytelling, which she combines with a media-first mentality for all her clients and projects.
Read moreTalent at work: Mapping towards big goals
Secret weapon: Office stash of essential oils
Thing you’d never know: Mob movies fangirlRiley’s special talent lies in her innovative storytelling, which she combines with a media-first mentality for all her clients and projects. She is an executor first and foremost and known for delivering big wins for her clients, including top-tier placements in the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, CNBC, Forbes, Fortune, Business Insider and others.
Her past and present clients include Google, ThoughtSpot, Narvar, Ansys, Ping Identity, Portworx, and Shape Security.
Riley joined Mission North from LEWIS Global Communications, where she worked with both industry giants like Infosys and innovative startups like DataScience (acquired by Oracle) and Evergage. Prior to that, Riley supported household consumer brands like Humana and GE Transportation at Edelman.
Riley is a movie buff and outside of work can be found viewing the latest box office hit. She graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in communication studies and marketing.
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Ali Ius
Account Manager
Ali has a love for writing and storytelling, which naturally brought her to PR. She loves every day being different and that she can go from mapping a client strategy to pitching journalists to writing a press release in a single afternoon.
Read moreTalent at work: Calm under pressure
Secret weapon: A to-do list for her to-do list
Thing you’d never know: If not working in PR/comms, she would have been a dentistAli has a love for writing and storytelling, which naturally brought her to PR. She loves every day being different and that she can go from mapping a client strategy to pitching journalists to writing a press release in a single afternoon. She has a knack for problem-solving and approaches every client and project with a detail-oriented and thoughtful eye. At Mission North, Ali works across the Growth and Trust practices with clients including ReliaQuest, Google, Airship, Tessian, Orbital Insight, and Scalyr.
Ali joined Mission North from Matter Communications, where she worked with cybersecurity and consumer clients including Sectigo, Auth0, Signal Sciences, La Brea Bakery and Auspect Skincare.
Outside of the office, you can find Ali trying one of Portland’s new restaurants, watching the Food Network or on a run. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s in public relations.
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Stephanie Leal
HR and Operations Manager
As a steward of Mission North’s culture, Stephanie ensures our team has a productive, inclusive and supportive place to work.
Read moreTalent at work: Spreading positivity while problem-solving
Secret weapon: Anticipating situations that require chocolate
Thing you’d never know: Pop culture criticism enthusiastAs a steward of Mission North’s culture, Stephanie ensures our team has a productive, inclusive and supportive place to work.
She manages company-wide human resource initiatives including new-hire onboarding and orientation, benefits administration and ongoing employee advocacy. Her biggest motivator is Mission North’s values-driven mission, and she loves being a champion for the invest-in-team culture.
Prior to Mission North, Stephanie worked as an executive assistant in a real estate investment firm, supporting the General Counsel and legal team.
Stephanie is a born-and-raised Brooklynite and is thrilled to flex her operational muscles for a business in her hometown. She spends her free time moonlighting as a singer-songwriter and spreading her love of Coney Island.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in culture and communication from Ithaca College.
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Sean Lenehan
Account Manager
Sean surfs the cerebral aqueduct between his right and left brain every day, riding waves of strategic thinking and creativity for each project he undertakes.
Read moreTalent at work: Charting PR ventures toward long-term business goals
Secret weapon: $20 words
Thing you’d never know: I once kissed the Blarney StoneSean surfs the cerebral aqueduct between his right and left brain every day, riding waves of strategic thinking and creativity for each project he undertakes.
His experience in communications and background in sociology lend him a broader worldview than most — with work that includes publicizing emerging technologies in mobility and energy, communicating public policy for both government and the private sector, speaking for established technology companies like LinkedIn and HP, and marketing content for entertainment companies like Disney, Sony and DC Comics.
When not attached to his computer or phone, he can often be found biking around Brooklyn or developing photos in his home darkroom.
Sean graduated with a double major in Communication and Science and Technology Studies from U.C. Davis.
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Jonathon O’Leary
Account Manager
Jonathon is an experienced publicist and project manager who believes in the power of storytelling to make complex ideas come to life.
Read moreTalent at work: Anticipating reporter pushback
Secret weapon: Love of research
Thing you’d never know: Started Irish dancing as a 4-year-oldJonathon is an experienced publicist and project manager who believes in the power of storytelling to make complex ideas come to life. He’s committed to understanding his clients’ businesses from top to bottom, whether that means diving deep into the latest gene editing technology or learning about new approaches to sustainable design.
Prior to joining Mission North, Jonathon worked at BWK Public Relations, where he advised life sciences startups on media relations and communications strategy and was a PR consultant to the TED Fellows program and MIT’s International Design Center.
Outside of work, Jonathon can be found exploring Brooklyn’s coffee shops and restaurants or trying his hand at the latest baking recipe he finds online. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University.
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Margaret Pack
Account Manager
Margaret loves that no two days are the same in PR. She especially enjoys the challenge of diving into new technologies combined with fast-paced project management.
Read moreTalent at work: Project management and activating teams
Secret weapon: Really strong coffee
Thing you’d never know: Has worn glasses since she was a babyMargaret loves that no two days are the same in PR. She especially enjoys the challenge of diving into new technologies combined with fast-paced project management. From managing news announcements to running speakers’ bureaus and customer case study programs, Margaret has experience across multiple Mission North practice areas, including work with AdRoll, Factual, Google, LinkedIn, Optimizely and Semmle.
Prior to Mission North, Margaret started her career in tech PR at Breakaway Communications in San Francisco.
Outside of work, Margaret can be found running in Golden Gate Park or trying a new Bay Area restaurant. Margaret has a degree in journalism from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
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Chanel Sedeno
Account Manager
Chanel is a creative and entrepreneurial communications leader with proven success in helping companies – from start-ups to global brands – significantly grow awareness in an ever-evolving media landscape.
Read moreTalent at work: Thinking outside the box
Secret weapon: A very contagious laugh
Thing you’d never know: World traveler with chronic case of the travel bugChanel is a creative and entrepreneurial communications leader with proven success in helping companies – from start-ups to global brands – significantly grow awareness in an ever-evolving media landscape.
Over the past six years, Chanel has held communications positions across a variety of industries including technology, medicine, finance and nonprofit. As an account manager at Mission North, she works with a number of clients in our Future of Work and Fintech practices.
Chanel previously worked for Clarity PR where she created bespoke campaigns for startups. Her specialties include media relations and strategic thinking, and former clients include Cadillac, Dyson, Brooks Running, and Entrupy.
She started her career at FleishmanHillard — in both their San Francisco and New York offices — working on accounts such as Autodesk, Kaiser Permanente and EA Sports.
Chanel holds a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from American University in Washington D.C.
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Kwabena Stefan
Media Strategist
Kwabena is a media-driven thinker who is always looking for creative and unique ways to secure coverage and reach client goals.
Read moreTalent at work: Stress slayer
Secret weapon: Impromptu media tours
Thing you’d never know: Almost in a Russell Crowe movieKwabena is a media-driven thinker who is always looking for creative and unique ways to secure coverage and reach client goals. As a core member of Mission North’s Media Practice, Kwabena finds ways to empower the entire agency in media relations, and his knack for fitting client angles into broader industry trends has led to coverage in Bloomberg, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune, Inc., The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, etc.
During his five-plus years at Mission North, Kwabena has worked across a variety of industries, including fintech, enterprise, life sciences and security, with clients including Betterment, Google, Ginkgo Bioworks and Ping Identity.
Kwabena is always searching for another great burger spot, and random facts on just about everything. A D.C. area native, he has taken his sports fandom up and down the east coast. Kwabena has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northeastern University.
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Liza Sweeney
Social Media Manager
A lifelong lover of storytelling and strategy, Liza has nine years of experience in the digital marketing and social media sectors.
Read moreTalent at work: Data-driven social media strategy
Secret weapon: Finding the perfect gif for every situation
Thing you’d never know:Toured the UK in a synth-rock bandA lifelong lover of storytelling and strategy, Liza has nine years of experience in the digital marketing and social media sectors. Previously, she held managerial roles at Penguin Random House and 360i, where she developed and executed integrated marketing campaigns for a diverse range of brands and notable figures.
At Mission North, she provides her expertise in social listening, social channel engagement/growth, paid media and content development to a wide range of clients. She also leads company-wide social media learning initiatives and oversees strategy for the Mission North social channels.
In her free time, Liza works pro bono as a fiction editor for American Chordata, an award-winning literary magazine based in Brooklyn. She also loves to travel, particularly to the UK, where she attended graduate school.
Liza graduated from Santa Clara University with a bachelor’s degree in English, and she received her master’s in publishing from the University of the Arts London.
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Laura Sweet
Senior Finance Manager
Laura brings a wide range of skills to Mission North and has a knack for streamlining processes that help a business scale.
Read moreTalent at work: Streamlining processes and systems
Secret weapon: A zen workspace
Thing you’d never know: She frequents the farmers market on SundaysLaura brings a wide range of skills to Mission North and has a knack for streamlining processes that help a business scale. She has a roll-up-the-sleeves mentality and is passionate about supporting company-wide business initiatives with her analytical approach.
Prior to Mission North, Laura worked in finance and operations at a software engineering school for women. There she had the unique experience of managing finance and operations for the entire company, from its early stages as a bootstrapped startup through its acquisition by a major public company.
Laura has worked in the finance field for more than seven years and loves the challenge of juggling multiple projects, analyzing data to understand the fundamental workings of a business, and collaborating across teams. Her passion for data-driven strategy is what drew her to Mission North’s content-forward approach to PR.
In her spare time, you can find her road-tripping to Tahoe, working in her garden, or hiking in Marin with her dog Walter.
Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from San Francisco State University.
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Creighton Vance
Media Strategist
A newshound with ears on the heartbeat of the industry, Creighton is a media specialist with considerable experience helping companies of all sizes tell stories that matter.
Read moreTalent at work: Strategic narrative ideation and execution
Secret weapon: Ongoing need to remedy ignorance with curiosity
Thing you’d never know: Once DJ’d a rap show and made waffles live on stageA newshound with ears on the heartbeat of the industry, Creighton is a media specialist with considerable experience helping companies of all sizes tell stories that matter. He cut his teeth defining messaging and market positioning for early stage startups at the most crucial moment in their evolution – debuting from stealth.
Fast-forward to 2019 and he’s a seven-year PR agency veteran with experience in everything from digital fitness and ed-tech to quantum encryption and developer tools. At Mission North, Creighton enjoys getting into the weeds of a company’s technology and working backwards from business goals to create and place stories that move the needle. He’s worked with goTenna, Google, Tile, Quantum Xchange, Zume and Autonomic, among others. A UCSB graduate, in his free time Creighton makes music, follows eSports and enjoys science fiction.
