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In this episode, Matisse chats with Claudia Costello, a senior account executive at 104 West and the community manager for The PR Habitat.

About Claudia Costello
Claudia Costello (she/her) is a senior account Executive at 104 West, a strategic communications firm in Denver. She is a (self-proclaimed) media relations expert passionate about telling stories for B2B tech companies. She is also the community manager for The PR Habitat.

Follow Claudia and The PR Habitat:
LinkedIn- Claudia Costello
LinkedIn - The PR Habitat (Company page)
LinkedIn - The PR Habitat (Group page)
Instagram - The PR Habitat

Connect with PR & Lattes
Website: PR & Lattes
Instagram: @PRAndLattes
Host: @MatisseNelis

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In this episode, Matisse chats with Katie Zeppieri, the founder and chief brand strategist of The MicDrop Agency, about all things branding.

About Katie Zeppieri
Katie Zeppieri is a 2x TEDx speaker, author, social influencer, media personality, and founder and chief brand strategist of The MicDrop Agency, an award-winning and fast-growing boutique PR and marketing firm specializing in brand amplification for innovative companies and people. MicDrop’s roster of clients ranges from high-growth tech startups to serial entrepreneurs to C-suite executives and reality TV stars, including Netflix “Love Is Blind” stars Deepti Vempati and Kelly Chase, who together have a combined total of over 1.4 million followers.

Katie is a sought-after speaker, consultant and guest expert who speaks brand strategy, PR and marketing. Some of the topics Katie is frequently asked to speak about include: how to attract media attention, how to use speaking to build your business, and how to build a personal brand. She has been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, The Huffington Post, Virgin Radio, and SiriusXM, and most recently, she has been recognized as the 2024 Emerging Leader in the Marketing and Advertising category by The Peak.

Before launching The MicDrop Agency, Katie built GIRL TALK Day, Canada's largest girl empowerment event, and an international school chapter network impacting over 100 schools and reaching over 15,000 girls in the seven years of the organization's operation.

Katie has recently launched a podcast titled Get Mic'd with Katie Zeppieri, a marketing podcast about the ins and outs of building a notable brand. Each episode features interviews with high-profile people—from entrepreneurs to executives—who have exceptional experience in marketing, branding, and PR. The audience for this podcast is CEOs, entrepreneurs, and marketing professionals looking to uplevel their game. Some noteworthy guests include the Shark Tank investor Matt Higgins and CEO of The Atlantic, Nicholas Thompson. 

Katie is on a mission to redefine the status quo in Marketing and PR. She's built The MicDrop Agency into a modern powerhouse, setting the standard for the future of Communications. By seamlessly integrating Marketing, PR, Branding, Communications, and Digital Strategies, Katie empowers innovative companies and individuals to not just amplify their brand but authentically connect with and captivate their audience.

Follow Katie and The MicDrop Agency:
Website - The MicDrop Agency
LinkedIn - Katie Zeppieri

Connect with PR & Lattes
Website: PR & Lattes
Instagram: @PRAndLattes
Host: @MatisseNelis

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In this episode, Matisse chats with Eugene Woo, the CEO of Venngage, about easy ways to create accessible documents while comparing the various platforms used today.

About Eugene Woo
As an engineer with a passion for visual storytelling, Eugene Woo recognized the challenges many faced in design. This inspired him to master infographics and subsequently create Venngage, a platform that empowers you to transform your ideas into vibrant visuals without any design experience.

Follow Eugene and Venngage:
Website (Affiliate link)
LinkedIn: Eugene Woo
Instagram: @Venngage
YouTube: @VenngageVids

Connect with PR & Lattes
Website: PR & Lattes
Instagram: @PRAndLattes
Host: @MatisseNelis

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In this episode, Matisse chats with Jacquie Severs, Durham Region's Manager of Marketing and Tourism, about all things tourism PR.

About Jacquie Severs
Jacquie Severs is the Manager of Marketing and Tourism for the Regional Municipality of Durham's economic development and tourism division, known as Invest Durham and Durham Tourism. In this capacity, she champions Durham Region, Ontario, Canada's exceptional value proposition for businesses, attracts visitors, fosters downtown growth, and cultivates Durham's creative communities.

With over 20 years of award-winning marketing experience, Jacquie has a track record of developing and promoting brands across diverse sectors, including fashion, home décor, craft beer, and the museum industry. Her knack for storytelling has been shared in various publications, with one series earning her the distinction of the 2018 Ontario Community Newspapers Association's Columnist of the Year.

Drawing from her educational background spanning George Brown College, the University of Guelph, the University of Waterloo, and Durham College, Jacquie is committed to lifelong learning. Presently, she is pursuing an innovative Master of Arts in Place Branding from Middlesex University, U.K. Passionate about exploring emerging social media platforms and learning to write the most effective AI prompts, Jacquie is deeply engaged in community initiatives and enjoys chatting about the impact of marketing on our perceptions, from the nuances of typography to the PR strategies of global figures.

Follow Jacquie:
LinkedIn: Jacquie Severs
Instagram: @JacquieSevers
X (formerly Twitter): @JacquieSevers

Connect with PR & Lattes
Website: PR & Lattes
Instagram: @PRAndLattes
Host: @MatisseNelis

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In this episode, Matisse chats with Linda Andross, ABC, MC, co-owner/managing partner of independent agencies APEX PR  and ruckus Digital + Design, about all things PR today.

About Linda Andross, ABC, MC
Recognized by the G&M’s inaugural Report on Business ranking of Canada’s Top 400 Growing Independent Companies, Linda is a Co-Owner/Managing Partner of independent agencies APEX PR and ruckus Digital + Design. 

Linda brings her experience from the world of communications to the widely changing business of media, digital/social, content + influencers.  Winner of multiple national and international awards, Linda is a current board member of IABC Canada East Region, Past President of the largest communications association worldwide, IABC/Toronto, a former Chair of the Peer Advisory Committee for Seneca College’s Corporate PR program, and a founding member of the Canadian Council of PR Firms.  

Follow Linda:

X (formerly Twitter): @APEXLinda

LinkedIn

Connect with PR & Lattes
Website: PR & Lattes
Instagram: @PRAndLattes
Host: @MatisseNelis

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In this final episode of the Global Accessibility Awareness Day series, Matisse chats with Lisa Riemers, an independent communication, content, and digital workplace consultant who specializes in digital accessibility.

About Lisa Riemers
Lisa Riemers is an independent communication, content and digital workplace consultant who helps organizations connect their people and tell their stories. She helps teams create accessible, user-centred content that makes information easier to understand and gets the best out of their intranet and collaboration tools. She builds inclusive communities online and offline. She works with large organizations like the UK government, G4S, Veolia, FirstGroup and the British Red Cross, as well as more niche B2B companies. A member of the IABC UK&I board, Lisa is also an artist who brings her creative flair to the workplace.

Connect with Lisa
LinkedIn
X (Formerly Twitter)
Website

Connect with PR & Lattes
Website: PR & Lattes
Instagram: @PRAndLattes
Host: @MatisseNelis

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In this episode, Matisse chats with Fiona Murphy, founder of the Accessible Communications Collective, about all things accessible content.

About Fiona Murphy
Fiona Murphy is an award-winning writer and editor based in Sydney, Australia. She is the founder of the Accessible Communications Collective, which is making the internet more accessible. Her writing about accessibility has appeared in The Guardian, ABC, The Saturday Paper, Griffith Review, and The Big Issue, among many other outlets. Her memoir about deafness, The Shape of Sound, was released in Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and North America.

Connect with Fiona
LinkedIn
Instagram

Connect with PR & Lattes:
Website: PR & Lattes
Instagram: @PRAndLattes
Host: @MatisseNelis

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In this episode, Matisse chats with Chad Chelius, ADS, and Dax Castro, ADS, two accessible document experts and host of the accessibility podcast CHAX Chat.

About Chad Chelius, ADS
Chad Chelius is a trainer, author, consultant, speaker, Director of Training Solutions and Principal at Chax Training and Consulting. He resides in the Philadelphia area and has been using Adobe products for over 25 years. As an Adobe Certified Instructor, Accessible Document Specialist, and Consultant, he teaches and advises on all Adobe print and web products, specializing in InDesign and InCopy workflows, Illustrator, automation, and PDF accessibility using InDesign, Word, and Adobe Acrobat. He works with clients, both large and small, in and outside of the United States, helping them to solve design, workflow, and accessibility challenges using Adobe products.

About Dax Castro, ADS
Dax Castro is an award-winning Adobe Certified PDF Accessibility Trainer and certified Accessible Document Specialist (ADS) with more than two decades of experience in the marketing and communications industry. In addition to providing accessibility training to companies worldwide, he and Chad Chelius host a weekly accessibility podcast, Chaxchat, and the “PDF Accessibility” Facebook group. Dax’s training style focuses on fundamentals in a clear and simple way that is both engaging and informational.

Connect with Chad and Dax:
Chad - LinkedIn
Dax - LinkedIn

Websites
CHAX Chat Podcast
CHAX Accessibility Training
Facebook Group - PDF Accessibility

Handout
10 things you can do to improve accessibility without being an expert

Software
MadeToTag
CommonLook
AxesWord
AxesPDF
Grackle PDF

Connect with PR & Lattes:
Website: PR & Lattes
Instagram: @PRAndLattes
Host: @MatisseNelis

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In this episode, Matisse chats with Karl Groves, a pragmatic solution-finder and thought leader in the accessibility industry, about issues with what is being sold as accessibility overlays.

About Karl Groves
With 20 years of experience in web development, usability, and accessibility, Karl Groves is widely regarded as a pragmatic solution-finder and thought leader in the accessibility industry. As CEO of AFixt, Karl focuses on pragmatic and efficient ways of improving the accessibility of websites and software.

Connect with Karl:
LinkedIn
X (formerly Twitter)
Mastodon

Websites
KarlGroves.com
AFixt
Eventably

Learn more about overlays
Overlay False Claims
Overlay Fact Sheet

Resources
WebAIM
LinkedIn Learning

Connect with PR & Lattes:
Website: PR & Lattes
Instagram: @PRAndLattes
Host: @MatisseNelis

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In this episode, Matisse chats with Sandi Gauder, a web accessibility specialist, about everything PR and communications professionals need to know about web accessibility.

About Sandi Gauder
Sandi Gauder focuses on removing barriers in the digital learning environment, starting with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and incorporating usability and humanizing learning strategies to ensure all digital environments are accessible for all students and staff. This includes education to support the accessibility and compliance of public-facing websites, internal applications, learning management systems, etc.

Sandi is a co-founder of CMS Web Solutions Inc. As a web accessibility specialist, she has been developing modern, accessible websites for over 15 years. She also coaches designers, developers, and content producers on best practices for meeting web accessibility guidelines.

Sandi is a curriculum designer and instructor for accessible web and social media content. She has led workshops on web accessibility and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) for businesses, municipalities, and web development firms. She has spoken at conferences and appeared as a web accessibility expert in webinars. Management and technical audiences welcome her clear, common-sense approach.

Connect with Sandi:
LinkedIn
CMS Web Solutions Inc.
AccessibilityConsulting.ca

Connect with PR & Lattes:
Website: PR & Lattes
Instagram: @PRAndLattes
Host: @MatisseNelis