Velvet Community is an overarching organsiation and is non-profit organisation registered in Latvia. At Velvet Community we work with our own companies and focused on developing a sustainable ecosystem for companies, startups and scaleups in Europe.We develop products in collaboration with others, focused on people who are for structural reasons prevented from achieving their goals. We serve as a bridge towards a new way of living and doing business.

Over the years my passion for strategy and the implementation thereof has grown and my love for communications in the greater African market developed even further. I am passionate about developing this market and encouraging clients to tackle the landscape in fresh new ways, rather than viewing it as a mere extension of another territory.At Innocomm we are focussed on:Consulting: Advisory services on how to internally and externally build business trust in your brand through communications. Our consulting services include the tactical roll-out of strategic recommendations and drafting of communications policies.Strategy: Providing short-term and long-term communications strategies that can be implemented either internally or through our external communications team.Training: Strategy and consulting are not enough – no business builds trust without the consistent implementation of a strategy. We train internal teams to manage business reputation through social media, media engagement and personal reputation management.My role within the organisations consists of:• Drive awareness of Innocomm and its offerings, locally and abroad• Mentor intern staff and support the broader Innocomm team • Identify possible new leads and drive new business development in the African and European market• Strategy development• Research and prepare new business proposals and strategic plans• Manage and service client accounts • Attend client meetings around the world either in person, video or voice• Develop brand and communication strategies and execute• Organise events such as press conferences, round tables, open days, tours, visits • Draft press releases, articles, features, blogs, newsletters, scripts, motivations, bios, media briefs and reports• Write social media content and grow a social following• Manage and develop media relationships

Idea Engineers brought great growth and learning. Here I learnt the importance of delivering quality work in various verticals, the importance of relationships with media and other stakeholders and how strategy lays the basis for great implementation.At Idea Engineers I focussed on:• Develop brand and communication strategies and execute.• Build strategies for clients to give them the exposure they need through PR campaigns.• Refine core messaging to ensure organisational consistency in all aspects of communication including development, organising and education.• Create and maintain key relationships within the media and strategic constituents. • Establish media relations with journalists and public figures.• Manage media relations, announcements, editorial placement, and speaking opportunities the organisations. • Develop and write feature articles, reports, press releases, white papers and supporting materials.• Organise presence at a multitude of industry events throughout the year. • Press Release writing and distribution.• Manage Social Public Relations by tailoring content, conducting social media campaigns, reputation management.• Management of internal public relations team.• Collaborate with the marketing department to develop the advertising, marketing and promotion plans.• Management of crises communication.At Idea Engineers, I worked with PR clients such as Nashua Mobile, Acceleration, Consology, Gold Reef City, Eastgate, SEACOM, G4S, Bayer HealthCare, Cellfind, Boston City Campus, Legal & Tax, Research In Motion (BlackBerry), Sage, and Cell C.

This is where my love story with communications and reputation management started. In this ever-changing and challenging casino environment I was schooled and quickly learnt the importance of managing a organisation's reputation and the role it played in the ultimate organisational objectives.Here my roll consisted of:• Work with media outlets to publish timely company information, such as press releases, brochures, and other materials.• Manage relationships with media outlets.• Produce and publish mass communications with email blasts and marketing campaigns.• Ensure consistent framing of messages.• Publish videos and photography on company website and blogs.• Document presence of companies at events, conferences, and speaking engagements.• Plan and arrange events – launch events, media events, golf days and outdoor cycle races.• Advocate on behalf of the company brand with external stakeholders and the media across all communications channels and vehicles.• Grow online supporter base and traffic.• Build and sustain online communities.• Collaborate with marketing department to develop the advertising, marketing and promotion plans.• Management of crises communication.