About Us / Partners

Chris Atwell, Writer
Chris is a freelance writer who specializes in speeches, scripts, Web copy and media materials. Chris’ recent work on the American Federation for the Blind website, Senior Site, was recognized with a 2008 Silver Communicator Award.  He is currently the speechwriter for Earl G. Graves, Sr., the publisher and CEO of Black Enterprise magazine, where he also writes scripts for the annual Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Award Gala.

Chris has penned speeches and scripts for a host of celebrities, public officials and business leaders, including Danny Glover, Julian Bond and Al Roker.  Prior to going out on his own, Chris was a senior writer at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where he wrote speeches for the organization’s president, Gloria Feldt, and prepared scripts for Planned Parenthood’s corps of celebrity supporters, such as Kathleen Turner, Mathew Broderick and Blythe Danner.  Earlier in his career, Chris was a staff reporter for the City Sun, a Brooklyn-based African-American weekly, where he received an Excellence in Journalism award from the New York Guardians Association.

Warren Kass, Graphic Designer, Kass Communications
Warren is an award-winning graphic designer and creative director with deep experience in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds.  His corporate clients have included Häagen-Dazs, the Bank of New York, Minolta, National Geographic and KLM Airlines, among others. Warren’s logo, packaging, brochure and direct mail designs have launched many successful advertising campaigns that helped his clients increase sales and garnered dozens of creative awards from his peers.

Warren and his wife, Jane, are committed volunteers for the American Cancer Society, recently traveling to Washington to lobby Congress for increased funding for cancer research. For years Warren has served as a facilitator/leader for the society’s Man-to-Man Support Group.  He is also a board member of Alumni & Friends of LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, an organization that raises funds to provide scholarships for gifted students. 

Jennine Meyer, Senior Consultant
Jennine has substantial experience providing strategic and technical communications assistance to non-profit organizations and foundations.  A specialist in international issues, Jennine has worked for organizations such as the United Nations Population Fund, the U.S. Millennium Campaign, the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Global Fund for Women and Ipas.  She was a senior associate for four years with Douglas Gould and Company and was also part of the communications team at Children’s Rights, an American child welfare reform organization.  A former reporter and researcher for the Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney magazine, Jennine served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zimbabwe and lived for a time in Ethiopia.  She speaks French.

A. Ty Risby, Film Producer, Brown Bag Films
Ty started his career as an account executive at Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising and later went freelance by writing and producing spots for MTV’s Rock the Vote campaign, featuring Chris Rock and Public Enemy’s Chuck D.

In 2004 Ty produced a series of public service announcements for the Kaiser Family Foundation and BET, which earned an Emmy nomination.  That same year he opened his company, Brown Bag Films and has produced a diverse slate of work for clients such as Nike’s Brand Jordan, Showtime, Sundance Channel, BET and KFC.  He produced show openings for HBO’s Entourage and Def Poetry, as well as a DVD for Bad Boy Entertainment’s Bad Boys of Comedy.

Ty recently completed a behind the scenes documentary on the making of Reflections, a non-profit film on HIV awareness, directed by Gina Prince-Blythewood.  He jokes that the explosion in media and technology means everyone must be prepared for their 15 minutes of fame. “At some point we’ll all have our own reality show.”