Shallot Communications helps organizations and leaders talk more persuasively about who they are and what they do.
We have advised executives in the Biden and Obama administrations as well as CEOs at Amazon, Boeing, and well-regarded startups.
We formed our boutique communications firm to build on our experience in landing messaging – supporting executives with thought leadership, employee communications, and media relations.
Who We Are
Teal Pennebaker
Teal Pennebaker has nearly two decades of communications experience in tech, healthcare, and politics. She has advised executives at Amazon, in the Obama Administration, at Stanford, at high-profile nonprofits, and at fast-growing startups -- providing messaging positioning, thought leadership development, and speechwriting. Teal is a business communications lecturer at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, and she and her husband are active in Democratic politics. A graduate of Wellesley College and the Harvard Kennedy School, Teal lives in Austin with her husband, two kids, and—if her kids convince her—two kittens.
Tim Granholm
Tim Granholm has more than 15 years’ experience leading strategic communications initiatives in both the public and private sectors. Tim has extensive experience running communications campaigns on the national and regional stage from his time in the Obama White House and as a leader in the Biden Administration’s public response to COVID-19 as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Tim led internal communications and advised multiple CEOs at Boeing, in addition to working with members of the c-suite during his eight years at the company. A graduate of Indiana University and Northwestern University, Tim lives in Chicago with his wife and three daughters.
Jamie Hill
Jamie Hill is a communications strategist with 13 years experience leading communications and public affairs initiatives across big tech, startups, and the U.S. government. She spent nine years at Google building national public affairs programming around education, online safety, and economic opportunity. She has extensive experience partnering with executives and organizations on thought leadership positioning, public affairs and advocacy positioning, and internal and external communications. She serves on the board of the YWCA-NYC and is an active volunteer with local organizations and in Democratic politics. A graduate of University of California, Berkeley (Go Bears!), Jamie lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their dog, Kevin.
How you explain what you do and who you are -- from an elevator pitch to a TED Talk -- determines your success and your organization's future. Investors invest in people; reporters write about a company's foundational story; potential recruits join companies with a clearly stated vision; and employees commit to visionary leaders. Shallot Communications works with senior leaders to nail their stories across audiences.
What We Do
Executive Communications
Employee Engagement
When people believe their companies and leaders are invested in them, research shows that they perform better and are more likely to stay in their jobs. Too often, though, executives don’t have the time required to dive into how to build that connection and motivate their teams. At Shallot Communications, we have the expertise to build the internal communication foundation for creating a culture of performance, vast experience navigating difficult employee issues and advising on when to weigh in on fraught societal issues, and have built programs that drive employees to be a company’s best ambassadors.
Media Relations
Whether for a newsy announcement or to drive awareness of your brand, a holistic and multi-media approach is critical. Shallot Communications works with leaders to understand the story they want to tell, identifying how to generate media interest, and advising on how to smartly roll out an announcement across platforms and publications.
Policy Communications
Ensuring your voice is heard in Washington, D.C. and state capitals can be the difference between winning and losing, particularly for companies in highly-regulated industries. But few organizations have the resources or background to navigate complex political dynamics. Shallot Communications helps leaders and companies figure out who their key stakeholders are and what messages will move them.
Best-In-Class Writing
Even in a social media-obsessed world, good writing still differentiates great leaders. Clear writing grabs the reader, absorbing them in what you're trying to say. Shallot Communications offers a variety of writing for executives, ensuring your voice is captured.