our team
Who We Are
our firm
Innovation sees beyond what is possible and raises the bar.
This is the ethos our clients operate by, and they trust us to tell their story because we operate by it too. NextTech Communications is a women-led, full-service marketing and communications agency that doesn’t let convention define us.
What you’re doing may not neatly fit into a single industry practice. Neither do we. Whether you’re a startup or a tech titan, a developer or a financial services company leveraging tech in a creative way, NextTech Communications has the flexibility to fit your needs, and the insight to help you not just get ahead of what’s next but lead the way.
We’ve assembled a team of experts across an array of sectors and disciplines who are excited to jump in and help you with everything from media relations to digital marketing. You change the world. We’ll let it know.
Janine Savarese brings more than 20 years of experience in corporate communications, public relations and marketing. With a focus on storytelling, Janine has developed communications strategies for major companies and brands across industries. She advises on programs that range from thought leadership initiatives to crisis communications and product launches. She consistently delivers strategic results for her clients due to the deep relationships she has built with top-tier media and industry influencers over the years.
Prior to launching her own consultancy - which was later launched as NextTech Communications as part of The Bliss Group - Janine served as the executive managing director of public affairs for New York University's Stern School of Business, where she oversaw communications programs for faculty and centers, with a focus on increasing external visibility through earned media coverage, events and social media. As one of the lead communicators for the school, Janine spearheaded public relations campaigns that covered the economy, entrepreneurship, finance, fintech, leadership, marketing, management, workplace diversity and sustainable business.
A technology specialist, Janine previously ran programs for companies including AT&T, Sprint, XO Communications, Akamai, Symbol Technologies, edX, Mphasis, The Cyber Readiness Institute, Infobip, and Digium (acquired by Sangoma). She also led campaigns for large brands including Bank of America, Ameriprise, McGraw-Hill, S&P Global, Nasdaq, Tupperware and Sprint.
Janine is based in New Jersey and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Studies and Communications from Fordham University.
Janine Savarese
CEO
Cortney works with companies in financial and professional services to help them realize their communication goals with integrated marketing campaigns that move their clients and prospects to action.
Her background in professional services means she is adept at marketing ideas as well as services. A passionate storyteller, Cortney is interested in becoming true partners with her clients, many of whom she has had for several years. She has created strategic programs for clients in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa and is the firm’s Crisis Communications Co-Director. Prior to her career in marketing and PR, Cortney worked in the non-profit sector and for the state government of Vermont.
In 2019, Cortney was named to PR News’ Top Women in PR list due in part to her work as a founding member of Exponent Women, an organization focused on senior women in the deal-making industry. She serves on the board of directors for the Council on Accreditation. She also sat on the board of an anti-child trafficking organization and has done pro-bono work with universities and the UN.
Cortney is based in New York and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Environmental Studies from St. Michael’s College. She also graduated magna cum laude from New York University with a Master of Science in International Relations.
Cortney Stapleton
Chairwoman at NextTech Communications, Managing Partner at The Bliss Group
A senior vice president at NextTech Communications, Jennifer Harbour has 20 years of experience supporting business-to-business enterprise technology clients. Her career is balanced between agency and corporate environments, which shapes her deep understanding of the communicator’s responsibilities. Additionally, she has supported businesses ranging from small private companies to multibillion dollar business units of large multinational corporations.
Through the years, Jennifer has worked in professional services, consulting, outsourcing, managed services, cloud computing, developers, artificial intelligence, edge computing, Internet of Things, as-a-Service, digital transformation, enterprise hardware and software, high-performance computing, applications, vertical industries, corporate sustainability, social impact, diversity & inclusion, customer experience and the chief customer office.
Jennifer is based in Houston and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Trinity University.
Jennifer Harbour
Senior Vice President
Erin Harrison is a senior vice president at NextTech Communications. With two decades of media experience, Erin has deep domain expertise within legal services and B2B technology, helping firms establish a solid market presence and differentiate themselves through novel strategies and tactics. With a digital-first mindset, she is a passionate storyteller who works collaboratively to build mindshare and elevate brand awareness through integrated marketing strategies, including earned, social, and owned (PESO) media.
Previously, Erin worked with legal tech and B2B tech companies as a managing director at both Plat4orm PR based on the West Coast, and Baretz+Brunelle, a strategic communications firm in New York City. As an accomplished business journalist, Erin was at the helm of two of the legal industry’s most prominent publications as editor-in-chief of ALM’s Legaltech News and InsideCounsel. Named among the Folio’s Top Women in Media, Erin was recognized as a “Director-Level Doer” for her collaborative approach to building new digital media products and work on the relaunch of ALM’s global newsroom. She has been a frequent moderator at major industry conferences including Legalweek, Women, Influence and Power in the Law (WIPL) and ILTACON.
Erin is based in New York and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Sacred Heart University.
Erin Harrison
Senior Vice President
As vice president at NextTech Communications, Michelle Andersen is a marketing communications professional with a 20-year career evolution starting as a music publicist and moving on to work with some of the biggest and smallest brands in consumer technology including Shockwave, Yahoo!, Ask.com, T-Mobile, ActivisionBlizzard, Match.com and many more. Michelle later became increasingly interested and knowledgeable in the B2B/enterprise space working with payments, compliance, security, data, devops, API integration, and particularly with the next iteration of technologies that include blockchain, IIOT and Web3. Michelle’s special talents come into play not only through understanding technology and how it makes our world work, but through her lauded strategic media relations skills. Michelle is based in San Francisco and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Loyola Marymount University.
Michelle Andersen
Vice President
Amanda Coyle is an account director and head of business development at NextTech Communications. In addition to supporting NextTech in building relationships and expanding into new industry sectors, Amanda specializes in helping NTC’s edtech, fintech and jobtech clients achieve their thought leadership and visibility goals. Her experience spans work with a wide variety of companies – from startups to Fortune 500s – in the education, eCommerce, B2B and B2C technology, private equity, energy, and telecommunications industries. Notably, her past work included guiding a major e-commerce retailer through a global rebrand and announcing a prominent institutional financial services firm’s launch of a key distributed ledger technology project. Amanda is based in New York and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from The School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina.
Amanda Coyle
Account Director, Head of Business Development
Natalie Weiner is an account director at NextTech Communications, where she leads the development and execution of comprehensive earned media strategies for a diverse roster of clients spanning fintech, insurtech, healthtech, venture capital, investment banking and software-as-a-service (SaaS). With nearly a decade of public relations and corporate communications experience, Natalie possesses a strong ability for generating innovative story angles that drive brand awareness and support business objectives for B2B and B2C companies. Prior to joining NextTech, Natalie worked in various in-house and client-facing roles where she provided strategic public relations support for noteworthy companies throughout the real estate, proptech, financial services and design industries. Natalie is based in Austin and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a minor in Communication Studies from Northeastern University.
Natalie Weiner
Account Director
Aileen McNelis is a Senior Account Executive on the NextTech Communications team. With a background concentrated on high-growth technology clients, she has extensive experience working with clients at the intersection of technology and various verticals including, but not limited to, financial services, cybersecurity, human resources, healthcare, and marketing.
Aileen is responsible for managing all day-to-day client activities such as content creation, strategic planning, impactful reporting measures, and event/award campaigns. She specializes in media relations and creative communications, leading on earned media strategies for companies and programs of all sizes.
Aileen holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and International Business from the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware.
Aileen McNelis
Senior Account Executive
Madeline Wilson is an account executive on the NextTech Communications team. She currently works with clients in various sectors including financial technology, cloud-computing, cybersecurity, financial services and more. As an account executive, Madeline handles coordinating account activities including media relations, content development and oversees general account administrative duties.
Madeline is based in New Jersey and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Culture from Fordham University.
Madeline Wilson
Account Executive
Erica Fisher serves as an account executive on the NextTech Communications team. She currently works with clients across various industries, ranging from startups to unicorns, in the sectors of education, law, healthtech and more. As account executive, Erica coordinates media relations initiatives, participates in social media strategy and content development, and oversees general account administrative duties. Erica also helps with new business development and spearheads NextTech’s marketing efforts.
Prior to NextTech, Erica worked in the legal nonprofit sector coordinating research and community-based, advocacy efforts.
Erica is based in New Jersey and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Studies in Law from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Erica Fisher
Account Executive
Naomi Solnick is an account executive at The Bliss Group and NextTech, focusing on media relations for clients in the financial services and tech industries. Naomi leverages a skillset that includes creative expression and cross-cultural communication to advise clients as they position themselves for the future of media.
Prior to Bliss, she was an assistant account executive at MacMillan Communications, working on strategic communications campaigns for financial services clients including banks, asset management, wealth management and investment advisory firms.
Naomi is based in New York and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Muhlenberg College with a double major in Media and Communications and Dance.
Naomi Solnick
Account Executive
Hannah is an account executive at NextTech Communications, focusing on client services and media relations for the financial tech, education tech, and marketing tech spaces. Prior to joining NextTech, Hannah worked in book publishing, managing publicity campaigns for front list titles and day-to-day author management.
Hannah is based in New York and holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Denison University.
Hannah Ohlmann
Account Executive
Jack is an associate account executive at NextTech Communications. He has experience working with clients in multiple tech fields such as payments, investing, and cybersecurity.
Jack is based in New York and holds a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Jack Hayes
Associate Account Executive
Hailee is an associate account executive at Next Tech Communications, focusing on media relations for her clients within the HRtech, martech, and fintech sectors. Hailee also assists with new business development for NTC.
Hailee is based in New York and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and Journalism from Monmouth University.