scorecardThe 51 best public-relations people in the tech industry in 2017
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The 51 best public-relations people in the tech industry in 2017

1. Dena Cook, Brew

The 51 best public-relations people in the tech industry in 2017

2. Jill Hazelbaker, Uber

2. Jill Hazelbaker, Uber

Jill Hazelbaker is VP of communications and public policy at Uber and it's been a helluva year for Hazelbaker and her team.

A veteran of the political PR world, Hazelbaker worked on Mike Bloomberg's mayoral campaign and then on John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign before jumping to Google and then to Snap (back when it was known as Snapchat).

But her move to Uber put her at the center of the storm, managing the seemingly-endless drama that's rocked the world's most valuable startup this year. She's also helped Uber craft policies.

"It hasn't been easy for Hazelbaker and her team this year and that's the true test for a PR person. Will they get back to you when the story isn't something they want you to write? Hazelbaker has been as helpful as possible, even in unrelenting circumstances," one journalist says.

She's tough as nails but has her soft side: she loves golden retrievers and waking before sunrise.

3. Trudy Muller, Apple

3. Trudy Muller, Apple

Trudy Muller is a senior director of communications at Apple, where she and her team work on communications for a variety of Apple products — from the flagship iPhone to the signature white earbuds.

She's the living embodiment of Apple's almost paranoid obsession with secrecy, working mostly behind the scenes to handle questions, find answers for reporters and helping product reviewers get information.

"Backbone of Apple's PR machine. Tough. Secretive. Fair," is how one journalist described her.

If she's got a secret power, she'd be the last person to tell you about it.

4. Rob Shilkin, Alphabet

4. Rob Shilkin, Alphabet

Shilkin is Vice President of corporate communications for Google where he and his team help reporters navigate through an almost non-stop news cycle.

His team has a full plate, handling communications on Google's response to the policies of the Trump White House, ongoing European antitrust matters, a Department of Labor dispute about Google's pay practices and the famous Google engineer's diversity memo to list just a few.

Shilkin and his team also handle some happy stuff, like innovation, artificial intelligence and so on.

"To say that Shilkin has one of the toughest jobs in PR is an understatement. But he's the go-to person when working on a story about Google and he is always helpful and always fair," says one journalist.

Shilkin is an Australian living in the heart of Silicon Valley and that means that his interests range from musicals to wrestling to eating schnitzel, not necessarily at the same time.

5. Michael Kirkland, Facebook

5. Michael Kirkland, Facebook

Kirkland is director of technology communications for Facebook where he leads a team that does PR for what Facebook calls its "10-year bets."

These are the far-out things like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality (including all things Oculus) and Facebook's other new dabblings in consumer hardware.

His team also managed the communications around Facebook's big conferences like F8, Oculus Connect, and @Scale.

"Kirkland is super responsive, knows how to be straight up with reporters in a way that's helpful, and manages a crack team that's telling one of the best company stories in tech right now," says one reporter.

When he's not working or with his family, you can find him on his bike.

6. Russ Caditz-Peck, Snap

6. Russ Caditz-Peck, Snap

Caditz-Peck is a communications manager for Snap, the public face of a company that has a deep culture of secrecy.

He handles PR for the company's ad business, it's bread-and-butter method for generating revenue. It's a tough job, especially given that some of Snap's major competitors, like Facebook, employ armies of PR folks.

"Russ is always super responsive, helpful, and does what he can to get what you need for a story," says one reporter.

Caditz-Peck came to Snap from Dropbox but before that, he cut his teeth working in Washington for the government.

7. Fred Sainz, Apple

7. Fred Sainz, Apple

Fred Sainz is a director of corporate communications for Apple and has become the voice of Apple on social issues.

Before Apple, he worked at the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT advocacy group.

"As Apple has weighed in on a range of issues, from the travel ban to transgender and LGB issues, Fred has emerged as a key voice in the tech industry even at a company not known for speaking out. Sainz's keen understanding of the way DC works, the way media works and the way Apple works allow him to be uniquely effective," one journalist praises.

On a personal note, he recently got to enjoy the fruits of his own advocacy work. After the Supreme Court's milestone marriage equality ruling in 2016, he married his fiance Mark and they recently celebrated their first anniversary.

8. Sheila Bryson, Lyft

8. Sheila Bryson, Lyft

Bryson is senior director of communications for Lyft.

As Lyft's major competitor – Uber – melted down this year, Bryson and team have been having their moment, bringing their ride-sharing service out of Uber's shadow. They've put Lyft everywhere from "The Daily Show" to "Charlie Rose."

Bryson is also responsible for communications around Lyft's self-driving car efforts which requires a balance between secrecy and bravado.

As a a former stand-up comic, she is well-prepared for her role in PR.

"She's lovely, easy to deal with and can handle a tough story when I have to bring her something Lyft is not going to like to ask for a comment. Also, funny as hell," one reporter says.

When not working, she's a Big Sister mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.

9. Brooke Hammerling, Brew

9. Brooke Hammerling, Brew

Hammerling is the founder of Brew Media Relations and she's one of the most well-connected, influential PR people in the tech industry.

"Hammerling has amassed an enormous network of contacts and friends in the tech industry. She's also a genuinely nice person and goes out of her way to be helpful," says one journalist.

In 2017, Hammerling and team helped launch Forward, the doctor's office of the future founded by Google and Uber alums, and helped Refinery29 become a better known destination for women online.

Hammerling also has great sense of humor. When not working she's the communications director for her dog Potato. She's helped his doggy "brand" amass over over 10,000 followers on Instagram.

10. Keely Sulprizio, Tesla

10. Keely Sulprizio, Tesla

Sulprizio is senior manager of communications for Tesla and oversees all automotive communications.

This covers the cars like the Model X and Model 3 as well as trucks and the autonomous driving tech. It's a big job at a company that has an interesting relationship with the press: half secretive, half making news on its own through the tweets and statements of its famous CEO Elon Musk.

"Tesla has a ton of news and Keely is always quick to respond," says one journalist.

Sulprizio's secret super power is math. That's a four-letter word to many folks in corporate comms but it's the subject of Sulprizio's college degree.

11. Suzanne Philion, Oath

11. Suzanne Philion, Oath

Philion is the vice president of corporate communications for Oath, the new company formed after AOL swallowed Yahoo.

Philion came to Oath from Yahoo, where she led the gigantic amount of press associated with the acquisition, as well as the revelations of Yahoo's massive security breach.

"Suzanne is everything you want in a PR professional. She's smart, fast to respond, helpful and truthful. Even if she can't answer my questions, I never feel like she's 'spinning' me," one journalist praises.

Philion came to tech PR from an unusual track but surprisingly relevant track. Before working at Yahoo, she spent 11 years as a diplomat in the US foreign service.

12. Reema Bahnasy, Hatch

12. Reema Bahnasy, Hatch

Bahnasy is co-founder of The Hatch Agency, a PR house that represents an armful of A-list Valley companies like Asana, Code Academy, Dropbox, Stitch Fix.

Bahnasy launched Hatch five years ago with her business partner Amy Swanson and they now employ 30 people internally called "hatchlings."

"Bahnasy is one of those people who seems to know everyone. She's also fast and helpful to journalists on deadline," says one reporter.

One little known thing about her: half of her family is from Damascus, Syria, and a good chunk of them have been displaced by the war. Last year, she spent two weeks in Greece volunteering for the Syrian refugees there and listening to their heartbreaking stories.

13. Vanessa Chan, Facebook

13. Vanessa Chan, Facebook

Chan is director of corporate communications for Facebook and has made a name for herself by handling everything from new products to financials.

This year, she spent time getting the word out about Workplace, Facebook's enterprise chat/collaboration product.

"Vanessa handles corporate comms for Facebook which includes earnings and SEC filings, which can be a total pain. She always takes time to have difficult conversations about complicated issues, which I appreciate," says one journalist.

Chan was born and raised in Malaysia and came to the US to attend college.

14. Chi Hea Cho, Google

14. Chi Hea Cho, Google

Cho is director of global communications and public affairs for Google's bread-and-butter $80 billion ads and commerce business.

Cho is known to the tech press from her last role leading PR at Salesforce. She was the one fielding endless questions about Salesforce buying Twitter, and all the leaks about Salesforce's M&A activity that fueled constant acquisition speculation.

"Chi earned her PR cred at Salesforce where she was always helpful. Now she's just landed in a key role at Google and has already helped me find some great stories to tell," one journalist said.

The one question she gets all the time: how to pronounce her name. It's like the Indian tea (CHAI) and it means "wisdom" in Korean.

15. Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor

15. Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor

Dobroski is corporate communications director for Glassdoor.

"Scott is one of my favorite PR folks. Not only is he fast and helpful, even if you are working on a story that needs data but isn't about Glassdoor itself, he's also hilarious," says one journalist.

Dobroski earned his stripes as a TV news reporter, so he's got a great sense of what makes a good story. That has led to Glassdoor's popular lists like Best Places to Work, Highest Rated CEOs and Best Jobs in America.

As Glassdoor grows internationally, Dobroski is frequently on a plane and helping with events worldwide. In the past year he's been to New York, Toronto and Sao Paulo.

16. Robyn Jenkins Blum, Cisco

16. Robyn Jenkins Blum, Cisco

Cisco has been reinventing itself ever since its famous CEO John Chambers handed the reigns to current CEO Chuck Robbins.

With that change, many of Cisco's top communications people moved on. But Blum remained. As corporate communications manager, she's the go-to person for news related to Cisco's acquisitions, and all-sorts of other stuff.

In 2017 her plate was full, managing the news of Cisco's purchases of AppDynamics, Viptela and Springpath.

She was also the one that helped Cisco put its name to the opposition of North Carolina's so-called "bathroom bill" or HB2.

She cut her teeth at Intel PR where she helped create a group working on a new wireless tech back in the day that no one had ever heard of ... it was called Bluetooth.

17. Stephen Lynch, LinkedIn

17. Stephen Lynch, LinkedIn

Lynch is a senior communications manager at LinkedIn where he handles LinkedIn's engineering teams including its many open source software projects and its cool Open19 data center hardware project.

He's also just a friendly, helpful nice guy.

"I've had a really good experience with Stephen Lynch at LinkedIn," said one reporter. "He was a big help."

Although his day job is PR, he also taught himself to code, a good skill for representing LinkedIn's engineering efforts.

18. Julie Gates, WE

18. Julie Gates, WE

Gates is a senior vice president of WE Communications, the agency best known for representing Microsoft. She leads the communications team that oversees Windows.

Gates had a particularly busy year, helping launch new Surface devices and unveiling major updates to Windows 10.

"Julie is a fantastic resource, getting me the answers and interviews I need and helping me cut through complex topics — all on deadline," says one reporter.

Gates was, perhaps destined to represent Microsoft Windows because she's married to a guy named Bill, and he's got some great stories about calling back reporters on deadline using the Caller ID "Bill Gates."

19. Larry Yu, Accel

19. Larry Yu, Accel

Yu is the marketing partner for venture capital firm Accel.

Doing PR for a VC firm can be a very behind-the-scenes job because the role is to help get attention for portfolio companies, not so much for the VC firm itself.

It's working. Accel's is known for backing companies like Dropbox, Atlassian and Slack as well as up-and-comers like Hotel Tonight and Tenable.

"I first started working with Yu when he was at Facebook. He's since gone to Accel and he's still great. He's helpful and always happy to make an introduction or connection," says one journalist.

One little-known fact about him is that he loved comic books as a kid and, as an adult, has turned that love into a massive collection that spans 5,000 books.

20. Johnny Luu, Waymo

20. Johnny Luu, Waymo

Luu is head of communications for Waymo, the self-driving car company that spun out of Google.

"Waymo in the middle of a legal battle with Uber while trying to turn the transportation industry on its head. Luu helps make sense of it all," says one journalist.

Luu helped introduce Waymo, the new company, to the world. It was an internal challenge as the group was birthed as a more-or-less secretive project within Google X (now known as Alphabet X). It's a big job, between the huge media interest in self-driving cars and the big news when Waymo sued Uber.

Before joining Google, Luu was a journalist and TV producer in Australia.

21. Courtney Hohne, Alphabet X

21. Courtney Hohne, Alphabet X

Hohne oversees communications and marketing for X, the R&D business unit of Google's parent company, Alphabet, working on so-called "moonshot" technologies.

"Courtney is always cheerful and is quick to respond, even on deadline, and she truly seems to enjoy her job," says one journalist.

One of her challenges is simply explaining what X does while also staying mum on the projects that sound cool, but may never see the light of day.

Hohne started her career as a high school English teacher at a boarding school (Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, CA), where she was also a girls' tennis and basketball coach and says that PR is walk in the park compared to that.

22. Aaron Zamost, Square

22. Aaron Zamost, Square

Zamost is head of communications at Square, the small business credit card company created by Jack Dorsey.

Square is thriving and so is the general perception of the company, thanks in large part to Zamost who makes sure the company's good news is seen far and wide.

Zamost cut his teeth at Google, so his connections with the Valley tech world run wide and deep.

23. Brielle Villablanca, Twitter

23. Brielle Villablanca, Twitter

Villablanca handles the PR for some of Twitter's more difficult business topics, like the endless speculation of who might buy it, the divestiture of its developer app Fabric, and the company's quarterly earnings.

"Brielle has the difficult task of helping to manage Twitter's corporate communications, which means dealing with tough earnings, executives coming and going, and uncertainty around the company's future. It's not an easy job, but she handles it well and isn't afraid to have the tough conversations. She's tough," one journalist says.

When not being tough, she's also entertaining and has been known to rap the Busta Rhymes part of "Look at me Now" by Chris Brown.

24. Emily Clarke, Google

24. Emily Clarke, Google

Clarke recently crossed the pond, moving from Google's London office to the company's Silicon Valley headquarters.

She's already making a name for herself leading PR for Google's Pixel phone, a flagship device as the internet company mounts a renewed push into hardware.

She wins high marks from journos for being "always helpful." And when she's not at work she can be found on the trails doing epic adventurous hikes like the Inca Trail and the UK's Three Peaks Challenge.

25. Nicole Leverich, LinkedIn

25. Nicole Leverich, LinkedIn

Leverich, a senior director at LinkedIn, is best known for leading LinkedIn’s Engineering communications. As such she's become part of the brain-trust for Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott.

She was also part of the communications team that handled the announcement of Microsoft's acquisition of LinkedIn, including helping employees at both organizations understand the deal.

"Leverich is always a friendly, helpful go-to PR pro who helps me navigate the labyrinth at LinkedIn, particularly now that it's part of Microsoft," one journalist says,

One of her best stories: how she got certified as a scuba diver and even got college credit for it.

26. Jesse Derris, Derris PR

26. Jesse Derris, Derris PR

Derris is the founder of the firm that bears his name.

He has become one of the "go to" PR folks in New York's burgeoning tech startup scene, one editor tells us.

His claim-to-fame clients include Warby Parker, Harry’s, Reformation and Everlane.

In 2017, his shop has been growing like mad. He now employs nearly 70 people and, in a highly unusual move for a public relations company, he even raised his own $10 million venture fund, Amity Supply, to invest in his own clients.

His friends call him JD, a nickname given to him by his dad when he was a kid.

27. Gabe Stricker, Google Access

27. Gabe Stricker, Google Access

Stricker is vice president of policy and communications for Google Fiber.

Stricker has held various communication roles at Google over the years as well a stint leading comms and marketing at Twitter.

"Stricker has seen it all. Whether in negative news cycles, hectic news cycles or when his company is flying high, he's a reliable and helpful interlocutor that reporters are always grateful for," one journalist says.

One breakout moment in 2017 was when he worked with HUD to provide free high-speed internet access to residents of public housing in Kansas City.

Stricker is also an advocate for journalism, and has served on the board of the Center for Investigative Reporting — the nation’s oldest investigative journalism non-profit — for over five years.

28. Andrea Faville Pearlman, Google

28. Andrea Faville Pearlman, Google

Faville Pearlman is head of corporate communications for Google in New York and she's become a go-to person for the press in that city.

She works on various policy issues, which is work that is somewhat behind the scenes. But when big news breaks, like the famous diversity memo, Faville Pearlman is there to help.

"Google is a big company to cover and Andrea is one of the people that can really help a journalist navigate it," one reporter says.

She moved to New York from the California Bay Area 13 years ago, fell in love with the city and now considers herself a New Yorker, right down to reading the New York Post every day.

29. Dorothy Jean Chang, Foursquare

29. Dorothy Jean Chang, Foursquare

As Foursquare's head of communications, Chang has the tricky job of explaining the startup's shift from being a well-known consumer app to its new role helping business' understand customer date.

She's helped spread the word about some big moments: Foursquare predicted Apple iPhone unit sales, the effect of E. Coli on Chipotle's revenue, and how Trump's presidential candidacy caused a drop in visits to Trump-branded hotels.

"Dorothy has always been a pleasure to work with over the years," one reporter says, "She's been a great resource for providing new and interesting information."

One of her best personal stories: She was having dinner at a table next to Bill Murray. On his way out of the restaurant, he stopped at her table to tell her, "You have a wonderful laugh."

30. Justin Kazmark, Kickstarter

30. Justin Kazmark, Kickstarter

Kazmark is vice president of communications for Kickstarter.

He started his career as a New York City public school teacher, and his instinct to help people continues to shine through. "Friendly, helpful, responsive guy," one reporter says.

One of his big moments in 2017 was supporting Kickstarter's CEO and head lawyer launch a project to support arts funding in America. This work led to a small but important change of language in a federal budget bill.

Kazmark's best life story might be this: he once walked 2,663 miles from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada.

31. Neil Wood, Step-3 (Activision)

31. Neil Wood, Step-3 (Activision)

Wood is president of Step 3 Partners and is well-known in the tight-knit but tough world of video game journalism.

"Neil is a seasoned vet in the game industry who builds relationships with reporters based on trust. He's ridiculously responsive, friendly, and knowledgeable," said one journalist.

His agency's claim-to-fame is its work with Activision Blizzard, which it has represented for 14 years. In 2017, he helped with the launches of Destiny 2 and Call of Duty: WWII

But he gained even wider tech street cred when his agency helped Hyperloop One showcase its new transportation technology earlier this year.

Why the name of the agency? It came from an episode of South Park.

32. Christine Heenan, Clarendon Group

32. Christine Heenan, Clarendon Group

Heenan is the founder of the Clarendon Group.

In 2017, her big moment included helping to launch USA Facts, Steve Ballmer's $10 million, nonpartisan research website that arms citizens with data about what the government does.

"Christine is just a pleasure to work with. She understands what journalists want and need and then works hard to make that happen," one editor said.

One little-known fact about Heenan is that she loves to swim in oceans and lakes, no matter the temperature. When she traveled to Antarctica this year to celebrate her birthday, she even swam in the freezing ocean there.

33. Elliot Tomaeno, ASTRSK

33. Elliot Tomaeno, ASTRSK

Tomaeno is founder of ASTRSK, who represents companies like Adaptiv, Managed By Q, and Segway.

Tomaeno is another perennial favorite among New York's large cadre of tech journalists, and is particularly known for all the pro-bono work he does, particularly startups that have a LGBT, minority or female founder.

"He's tapped into everything going on in the NY startup scene (and beyond). Elliot takes the time to get to know the reporters he works with and gains a thorough understanding of what they like to cover," one reporter says.

In 2017 he had some break out moments working with Moo, a business card company by reaching out to would-be moonlighters by using the phrase "6-11" (as in a "6 p.m. to 11 p.m." gig).

One little-known skill: Tomaeno went to college in Switzerland and speaks French, Italian and Spanish.

34. Eitan Bencuya, Doordash

34. Eitan Bencuya, Doordash

Bencuya is head of communications at DoorDash and is known for being well-connected and just plain nice.

"Having worked at Google, he has a solid knowledge of the tech landscape and has earned a level of trust and respect among the reporters in his Rolodex. And in a world of duplicity, he stands out as a genuinely good guy," one editor writes.

One stand out moment for Bencuya in 2017 was when DoorDash CEO Tony Xu's appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.

Bencuya got into corporate communications in the most adventurous way. He started out as a volunteer white water rafting guide with the Sierra Club. That led to a job doing PR for their coal campaign in Washington DC, and eventually he found his way to Google.

35. Brittany Stone, Moxie Group

35. Brittany Stone, Moxie Group

Stone is director for Moxie Communications Group and is known among the tech press for digging up extremely interesting stories, not just pitching her clients' product news press releases.

"Brittany is consistently lovely to work with. If I get a pitch from her, I know it's at least worth considering, and it usually ends up being something I'd like to write," one journalist says.

Stone has made a name for herself nurturing small startups, sometimes managing them through things like the madness of CES, and for helping Moxie grow into a well-known name among the New York Silicon Alley crowd.

People say that her secret power is the collection of crystals she keeps on her desk and her love for astrology.

36. Justin Mauldin, Mauldin Consulting

36. Justin Mauldin, Mauldin Consulting

Mauldin is the founder of his own shop, Mauldin Consulting, and has represented AdRoll, App Annie and Apple.

"Justin will go out of his way to help with a story, even if it doesn't directly benefit a client he's working for," one journalist says.

While tech journalists know him for his tech clients, he also works with The Ritz Carlton, AeroMexico and other travel industry companies, and has traveled over to over 40 countries creating content for them.

His travel exploits have helped him amass over 50,000 followers on Instagram

Earlier this year, with the help of his followers, he helped a female chef in Morocco win the World Luxury Restaurant Awards for Best Moroccan Restaurant in the World — a huge accomplishment for a woman entrepreneur in that part of the world.

37. Ashish Prashar, Boxed

37. Ashish Prashar, Boxed

Prashar runs communications for Boxed, the subscription wholesale retailer app challenging the Costcos of this world.

His background is politics having previous worked for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former London Mayor and current Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

Now he's in the New York tech scene, and is known as "one of the best connected and best respected startup PR people in New York, always willing to help journalists out," says one reporter.

He's still involved in politics. This year he orchestrated the Gothim Cares gala in New York which raised $250,000 for Syrian refugees.

His personal story is interesting, too. He was a troubled teen who spent 4 months in prison for stealing when he was 17. When he got out, he turned himself around and by the time he was 27, he was working for the Prime Minister.

38. Julie Gomstyn, Mindshare North America

38. Julie Gomstyn, Mindshare North America

Gomstyn is a director of corporate communications at Mindshare.

Mindshare is a PR agency that represents huge brands like General Mills, Unilever, Land Rover, IBM and Facebook.

Gomstyn "always pitches me exactly my beat. She never sleeps since she always responds whenever I bug her and she has never been inaccurate," one reporter praises.

In 2017, she's been particularly active in helping her clients tell their gender equality stories, and has also been guiding them into new digital forms like video livestreaming, AI, voice.

She got her start doing PR for a company that sold canned air. The experience taught her that if she could represent that, she could represent anything.

39. Kelly Boynton, Access

39. Kelly Boynton, Access

Boynton is vice president for Access, representing companies like Instagram, Intuit and DocuSign.

"When I hear from Kelly it's because it's going to be something interesting. I also have no problems sharing my honest feedback with her. She doesn't take things personally when they aren't a fit," says one journalist

A couple of breakout moments for her in 2017 was a product demo event for Intuit in New York and helping Docusign announce its new CEO.

She's also known in San Francisco for her involvement with a charity called the San Francisco Social, which does PR and marketing campaigns for charities and non-profits like the SF Child Abuse Prevention Center.

40. Jen Stratton, Allison + Partners

40. Jen Stratton, Allison + Partners

Stratton is vice president with Allison + Partners where she represents Samsung.

She's become an important person-in-the-know for product reviewers.

This year alone, she and her team have led the launch over a dozen Samsung products including smartphones, VR headsets, wearables, PCs, monitors and smart home products.

"She's always responsive to my emails and I'm glad she thinks of me when there are cool Samsung products to show off," one reviewer said.

She's particularly proud of how smoothly the launch of the Galaxy S8 has gone, which reviewers have loved. It was-the first major phone since the disastrous Note 7 recalls.

When not working, you can find her hiking. She's working to climb all 46 peaks higher than 4,000 feet in New York State, and has bagged 23 so far.

41. Mojgan Khalili, Cherry Communications

41. Mojgan Khalili, Cherry Communications

Khalili is the founder of Cherry Communications.

Her roots are spread wide in the tech world, having worked in-house at companies like Cisco, Yahoo, and Khosla Ventures. She's also represented Airbnb, Zee Aero and Brad Stone's book "Upstarts."

"Mojgan has deep experience in the tech industry," one journalist says. "She's someone who understands how journalists work and is truly interested in helping, rather than hindering."

Her big moment in 2017 was introducing Kitty Hawk Flyer, The "flying car" startup from Larry Page and self-driving car guru Sebastian Thrun. The news was picked up so far and wide even comics Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah did bits on it.

Working with Kitty Hawk has inspired her to add "getting a pilot's license" to her bucket list, she says.

42. Eleanor Spektor McManus, Trident DMG

42. Eleanor Spektor McManus, Trident DMG

McManus is a co-founder of PR agency Trident DMG. She began her career as a producer at CNN and her agency is known for having deep connections in the Washington, D.C., area.

"Eleanor is always honest and fast to reply and when she pitches, she understands what we really want is access to the power players to ask questions," one journalist says.

In the past year, McManus has focused on building her roster of tech clients, representing more Valley companies including a stealth company backed by Tony Fadell.

One of her favorite stories is the tale of how she landed an interview with former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev at the funeral for President Ronald Reagan, when she was a producer for CNN’s Larry King Live thanks to the fact that she speaks Russian.

43. Ed Zitron, EZPR

43. Ed Zitron, EZPR

Zitron founded EZPR and is a perennial favorite with the tech press.

"Ed has a great sense of what I'm interested in, and helps connect me with early-stage or generally smaller entrepreneurs with really cool stories," one reporter says.

In 2017, he started working with some bigger, publicly traded companies like LendingTree. He also has a popular podcast called The Scumbag, that explores the strange and weird areas of the internet. A couple of episodes even topped the iTunes podcast charts this year.

Zitron likes to give back. This year, he's donating 3% of pre-tax income to various causes every month like Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and the National Immigration Law Center.

But 2017 was breakout for him for another reason. He got married and is expecting his first child.

44. Alissa Bushnell, 104 West Partners

44. Alissa Bushnell, 104 West Partners

Bushnell is managing director for 104 West Partners and works with companies including Twitter, Magisto, Maker Faire and Anchor Free.

"Alissa has been around the tech industry longer than most and brings a deep understanding, sophistication and context to everything she does," one editor says.

During the summer, Bushnell runs a week-long summer camp for kids 6-12 years old called Tools Camp, that teaches them about all kinds of tools from Native American grinding stones to hammers and soldering irons.

45. Ayelet Noff, Blonde 2.0

45. Ayelet Noff, Blonde 2.0

Noff is a founder of Blonde 2.0, a PR firm for Israeli startups with a branch in Boston. She's worked with companies such as Waze, Microsoft and Viber.

Noff has won praise from journalists for being timely with her pitches, truly understanding the tech she represents and helping with introductions "even if they aren't from companies they are representing," one journalist says.

In 2017, she put a stake in the ground to represent bitcoin and blockchain companies.

When not writing press releases, Noff spends her time writing poetry and hopes one day to publish a book of poems.

46. Tony Keller, SSPR

46. Tony Keller, SSPR

Keller is a senior vice president for SSPR, which represents companies including Deloitte, Google Webpass, Twilio's Authy service, and GoFundMe

Keller is "one of the hardest-working PR people I've known, and I've been working with PR folks for a long, long time," says one journalist, adding "he can be depended upon to answer questions and obtain information, and he's good on deadline."

In 2017 he helped a startup get profiled which helped it get acquired three months later, he built a team that helped win some business from accounting giant Deloitte and became a mentor for Techstars Chicago.

He's from Minnesota and that's why he discovered that he has an unusual talent: he can do a very convincing loon call.

47. Josh Inglis, Propllr

47. Josh Inglis, Propllr

Inglis is the founder of Chicago-based Propllr PR which represents startups like Hired and Reverb.

"Quick, smart, sharp, no bullsh--, and, critically, doing a good job getting the word out about Midwest tech companies," one editor said of him.

In 2017, he helped mentor the Chicago Techstars class and grew a PR event called "Here's How" launched last year.

His favorite story happened in a hotel elevator. He stepped into the elevator and saw Prince. He said hello, and forced himself to look away and not annoy the rock star. That's when Prince looked at him and said, "What floor?" He had forgotten to push the button.

48. Matthew Krieger, GKPR

48. Matthew Krieger, GKPR

Matthew Krieger is the founder of GKPR, best known for representing Israeli startups. This year his company opened a New York office as well.

He's worked with companies like WeWork and Microsoft and wins kudos among US journalists for helping find sources via introductions.

"He's also not too pushy with the pitches and instead focuses on building up trust and being a good person to reach out to," one reporter said of him.

One little-known fact about him, he literally grew up in a summer camp.

49. Robyn Hannah, Dynamic Signal

49. Robyn Hannah, Dynamic Signal

Hannah is a senior communications pro with Dynamic Signal, the enterprise app that allows companies to broadcast info to employees.

"She's amazing at getting me very interesting stories and tying into breaking news. It's very rare that I can get someone in the comms world who is actually that good at storytelling," says one journalist.

2017 has been a big year for the her startup. It opened a London office and doubled its headcount.

Her passion project is named like a joke but it's for real: an effort called #StopSucking, which wants to kill plastic beverage straws that wind up littering our beaches, oceans and elsewhere, and harming wildlife.

50. Curtis Sparrer, Bospar PR

50. Curtis Sparrer, Bospar PR

Sparrer is a cofounder of the Bospar agency which represents companies like 1010data and Ebates.

He cut his teeth as a TV producer and the reporters he works with appreciate that about him. "A former journalist, he understands what we need for a story, and is very easy to work with," one says.

His three-year-old agency has already won some awards, including for its holiday campaign for Ebates.

He's also known for his 15-minutes of fame when CNET’s Chris Matyszczyk took a picture of him making a phone call on his Apple watch, ear awkwardly bent to wrist, and wrote the story, "This is how absurd you look taking a call on your Apple Watch"

51. Adam Weissman, AW Consulting

51. Adam Weissman, AW Consulting

Weissman works under his own shingle, AW Consulting.

He's one of the go-to guys for the high-end audio consumer electronics industry and has worked with Mass Fidelity, Cambridge Audio and Focal.

His "exuberance and knowledge of high-end audio and consumer benefits from products" has won him praise from journalists and gadget reviewers, says one reviewer.

In 2017, he helped launch Focal's line of luxury headphones, which was covered by a bunch of tech, business and lifestyle publications.

When not marketing audio tech, he can be found photographing music concerts.

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