hello there!
My name is Ken. I am an entrepreneurial and effective communicator and storyteller with superb writing skills, and I am looking for an architecture or design firm that wants to enhance their public image and draw more clients!
I have experience in all aspects of public relations and communications including media strategy, media relations, event management, community and brand building, social media, serving as spokesperson, and authoring creative content.
For the past 12 years, I developed and grew the Modern Architecture + Design Society (a media and events company that provides architects, builders, and designers a chance to showcase their work in person to their community) from initial concept to its current success, working as a partner with the president/founder. Currently, I fully manage several aspects of the company’s daily operations with the heaviest emphasis in public, media, and customer relations, brand building, content creation, and communications for both our events and our MA+DS Agency clients.
In free time, find me doing any of the following: listening to analog music, playing a guitar, attending a concert or NY sports game, watching a bad movie or listening to a podcast about that bad movie... or simply walking around my neighborhood in the Bronx.
Modern Architecture + Design Society (Modern Home Tours, LLC), NYC and Austin TX, Vice President, Media, Communications, and Events
Media and events company that provides fans of architecture and design with hands-on tour experiences across North America. https://mads.media
Played a key role in launching business from initial concept - working alongside and reporting to CEO.
Duties: Manage communications, public relations, media pitching, sales, partnerships, and logistics for national event series; create and execute public relations and communications campaigns for Agency clients.
Business Development
• Refined and redesigned the signature Modern Home Tour series and introduced new events that expanded revenues from the existing fan base by 50%, while attracting new customers.
• Accelerated ticket sales and revenue growth every year. Over 64,000 attendees have paid to attend events.
• Delivered over 125 events in 31 cities, showcasing nearly 1000 projects from over 700 different local architects, designers, landscapers, and builders.
Public and Media Relations
• Produced all press materials for all events and pitched local and regional media resulting in top tier (local) earned media placements and increased ticket sales/revenue. Secured substantial coverage for architects, designers, and builders, leading to a 70% rate of returning participants in annual events.
• Acted as point of contact for all media inquiries and as company spokesman for multiple print and radio interviews. Sought out and developed strategic local media partnerships and sponsorships, based on matching demographics that increased awareness and promoted individual events.
Community and Brand Building
• Created comprehensive database of residential architects, builders, interior designers, developers, real estate agents, and experts in the home building and design field in tour cities.
• Created a template and implemented a plan that streamlined outreach and all vendor/participant communications.
• Introduced an innovative program for staffing events, increasing relationships with key local organizations:
o Led outreach to design schools, architecture foundations, and non-profits.
o Enhanced these relationships with donations (exceeding $100k) in exchange for event volunteers.
Received “Supporters of the Year” for 2022 from NW Rebuild in Portland, OR.
o Managed, trained, and led all volunteer and staff teams to success for all events.
MA+DS AGENCY (also: Additional Revenue Generation During Covid-19)
Created the MA+DS Agency – an internal marketing and PR/media services agency for boutique architecture and design firms – to bring money into the company during the pandemic and supplement revenue throughout the year.
• Developed and executed customized media and public relations strategies to increase awareness and recognition of clients and their work by nearly 100%.
o Secured editorial coverage in client-targeted local, regional, national, and international outlets.
o Created content for client websites, including project summaries and narratives; spearheaded awards submissions to local and national architecture and design awards for clients.
• Created, produced, and hosted the Virtual Modern Home Tour series during the pandemic to generate income.
• Developed a blog series with full-length feature profiles of selected homes that were shared through social media and newsletters to keep fans engaged during lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders.
University of Rhode Island, Bachelors, Journalism
Journalism degree with focus in PR and Communications.
