We are thrilled to announce that our EVP Jeff Simmons is an honoree at the 2021 Gay City News Impact Awards. The annual Impact Awards recognizes the achievements and contributions of outstanding LGBTQ and allied New Yorkers. We invite you to celebrate with us on a live, virtual broadcast on Thursday, November 11 at 7:00 PM (ET).
We are pleased to announce that Rajath “Reggie” Vikram will join the firm as a Senior Account Executive. Vikram, a highly experienced and dynamic media professional, will be responsible for working with clients to tell stories in support of organizational goals.
“Reggie brings to the firm extensive expertise in knowing the stories people want to hear, see, and read about. And he understands how to frame a story. That, coupled with his wide network of reporters, editors, government officials, and thought leaders, will make him an instrumental and valued member of our clients’ teams. He’s also interesting, thoughtful, and fun — qualities we all want in a coworker and consultant,” said President Anat Gerstein .
Vikram most recently worked as an assignment and planning manager at NY1, where he also served as the station’s Senior Assignment Editor. At NY1 he was known for uncovering and bringing forth untold stories that give voice to marginalized communities and issues.
Prior to his tenure at NY1, Vikram worked at WPIX-TV and 1010 WINS in a variety of roles. He is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College.
“I’m eager to join the team at Anat Gerstein Inc. because I care deeply about their focus on supporting nonprofits to fulfill their missions,” Vikram said. “Many who bore witness to the global pandemic and the police reform movement have noted that our societal inequities have been exposed. In many situations, the nonprofit sector has stepped up when others could not or would not. I am honored to be joining a team that will help tell the stories of these and other nonprofits, build their audiences, advance change, achieve goals, and ultimately improve the lives of people and their communities.”
For decades the women of New York have been at the forefront of the local business community, running companies in industries as diverse as law, media, construction, finance and architecture. Today there are nearly 600,000 women-owned businesses in New York, the most of any city in the U.S.
The statistic reflects women’s grit and determination to succeed professionally. The figure also represents numerous pioneer business owners, some of whom have been in their roles for decades.
With its list of Notable Women Business Owners, Crain’s recognizes those who have forged their career paths and, in turn, powered the city’s economy. Women-owned companies represent more than 40% of all registered businesses in the city and generate more than $70 billion in revenue annually.
This list includes trailblazers such as Dorothea Regal, who founded a litigation law firm 25 years ago, a rare event for the time, and Barbara Armand Kushner, who 30 years ago set up a construction management firm that has city agencies as clients today. Also on Crain’s list is Marci Lobel-Esrig, who more recently established a bill-payment service, SilverBills, to help manage household finances.
The accomplishments of the women on these pages mirror a commitment by the city to support women-owned businesses. The Department of Small Business Services, for example, created Women Entrepreneurs NYC, an initiative that enables women to start and grow businesses.
For their part, the honorees have given back to their communities, encouraging future generations of women business owners.
Read on to learn more about these women of distinction and be inspired by their success.
Anat Gerstein
President, Anat Gerstein
Before starting her own business, Anat Gerstein was the chief of staff and press secretary for city Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. In those roles, Gerstein was known as a hardworking, thoughtful and strategic manager. In the past decade she has used her skills to develop Anat Gerstein into a go-to agency for nonprofits. Gerstein provides a range of communications services, including media relations, digital marketing and donor outreach. In the past year she has experienced many successes. To name a few, she helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for BronxWork’s food pantries, aided in persuading Mark Zuckerberg to ban Holocaust denial posts, and facilitated the removal of the city police from interactions with emotionally distressed individuals.
In New York politics, there’s always some kind of calamity or scandal. What made 2020 so unusual was that several once-in-a-generation crises – the deadly spread of COVID-19, the economic shutdown, the uproar over the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, a chaotic election cycle – disrupted everyone all at once.
As politicians, government officials, business executives and nonprofit leaders navigate these turbulent times, they are turning to savvy PR professionals to help get their message across, whether it’s highlighting their responses to the pandemic, drawing attention to demands for social justice or simply maintaining connections with employees working remotely.
City & State’s second annual Political PR Power 50 features the top communications pros in New York who are confronting these unprecedented challenges. While other PR lists feature firms representing leading brands and cultural attractions, this list focuses on players directly involved in the world of New York politics and policy.
The list includes scrappy one-person operations; leaders of mid-sized outfits with such specialties as nonprofits, tourism and hospitality, or progressive candidates and causes; political consulting firms with thriving communications practices; and New York-based executives at PR powerhouses with a national or international reach. And given the unique environment we’re in, we asked each firm to describe how the world changed in 2020 – and how they’re adapting in 2021.
22. ANAT GERSTEIN & JEFF SIMMONS
Founder and President; Executive Vice President, Anat Gerstein Inc.
Other key employees: Zac Roy, Jake Oliver
Notable clients: AARP New York, Girl Scouts of New York City, Citizens Union, Project Renewal, BronxWorks, Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Museum of Jewish Heritage, Queens Chamber of Commerce
Company highlights: Through a national media relations and social media campaign, we helped the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany successfully pressure Facebook to ban Holocaust denial posts. As BronxWorks experienced a 500% increase in food pantry demand, we developed and executed a press plan that consistently delivered local and national stories that resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in new support for the organization.
How did the world change in 2020 – and how are you adapting in 2021?
Anat Gerstein Inc. is the only firm to exclusively represent nonprofits with comprehensive communications services. In 2021 many nonprofits may shutter without increased support from stakeholders. We are ensuring our clients are seen and top of mind with individual, corporate, foundation and government supporters through a wide range of communications tactics.
Welcome to a different PR Power List. Instead of companies, this year’s roster ranks people—call them “power players”. In a year like no other, it felt right to recognize PR’s superstars in a new way.
For the first time, you’ll see in-house PR pros alongside agency people, with some high-profile industry activists in the mix. The list also reflects issues that confronted the industry this year, from confronting the pandemic to addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Quick takeaways? First, adults and upstarts ruled. If you’re battle-scarred and tested, your stock went up. Likewise, if you’re smart enough to rewrite the rules, clients wanted you. Second, amid the carnage, some businesses actually did pretty well this year. Firms in crisis, fintech, or healthcare, for example, told us they couldn’t hire fast enough. Third, the work of our Power Players reflects what you see in the headlines. Our Power 50 changed conversations, set agendas, and—in a few cases—helped make history.
#29
Jeff Simmons
Executive Vice President at Anat Gerstein Inc.
It’s not easy to get Mark Zuckerberg to change his mind. But when Facebook amended its policy on Holocaust denial this fall, Zuck cited surveys by The Claims Conference as the driver. A massive, meticulous media and influence campaign led to that moment, all orchestrated by Jeff Simmons and his team. By amping results of polls that revealed staggering ignorance about the Holocaust, Simmons generated enough attention to convince elected officials to support the campaign, called #NoDenyingIt. The pressure, apparently, got to Zuckerberg. To grasp the enormity of the change, remember that Facebook’s CEO refused to censor Holocaust deniers only three years ago. “It took months of preparation,” Simmons said. “And it was worth it.” The firm also represents The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York, along with cultural groups, BIDs, nonprofits and unions.
Has there ever been a more important moment for firms that represent cause, issue and nonprofit clients? In our sideways political environment, it’s become even more brutally competitive to raise money; more importantly, it’s more challenging than ever to grab mindshare in an economy of fragmented attention spans. These firms fight the good fight, which makes them our choices for notable nonprofit and public affairs PR firms of the year (the top three also grace this year’s PR Power 50).
Speaking of that, definitely spend some time with the PR Power 50, our yearly effort (which takes, pretty much, the entire year to put together) honoring the 50 PR firms that we feel have made the biggest, most exciting moves over the course of 2018.
Anat Gerstein Inc.
Two words: Yiddish Fiddler. Gerstein knocked it out of the park for the Joel Grey-directed National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene production, which just transferred off-Broadway. Other Gerstein clients are regulars in NYC media, from the NYT and WSJ to NY1 and even Today. Considering they’re mostly NYC-based nonprofits—including the Workmen’s Circle, Citizens Union, Project Renewal, Girl Scouts of Greater N.Y.—that’s quite a feat.
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