Sparkpr
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Marketing communications, Public relations |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Donna Sokolsky Burke, Chris Hempel |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | United States, Europe, South Africa |
Key people | Alan Soucy (CEO), Donna Sokolsky Burke (Managing Partner) |
| Products | Marketing communications, Public relations services |
Spark Public Relations—commonly referred to as Spark—is a marketing communications and public relations firm headquartered in San Francisco, California, with an additional office located in New York City.
History
Established in 1999 by Donna Sokolsky Burke and Chris Hempel, both former Netscape employees, Spark initially focused on supporting Silicon Valley startups and colleagues from Netscape. The agency frequently engaged in one-year agreements to assist with startup launches and initial public offerings, often accepting equity as part of their compensation. A notable achievement includes managing the IPO of VA Linux in December 1999.
In 2006, Alan Soucy assumed the role of CEO, sharing leadership duties as managing partner alongside Burke. The company pursued international growth by launching SPR Europe in London in 2007, followed by expansions into South Africa in 2008 and New York City in 2012, strategically targeting significant global markets.
Recognition
Donna Sokolsky Burke, co-founder of Spark, was honored as one of PR News' Top Women in PR in 2016.
In 2020, Forbes acknowledged SparkPR as one of the nation’s leading 200 public relations agencies for 2021, selected from a pool of approximately 7,000 firms across the United States.