The Castle Group

What The Castle Group does

The Castle Group, Inc. is a privately held, women-owned professional services firm founded in 1996 by Sandy Lish and Wendy Spivak, headquartered in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts. The company delivers integrated communications and event management services across six core service lines: Public Relations, Event Management, Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, Social Media, and Marketing Communications. Its client base spans Fortune 500 enterprises, mid-market companies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, government entities, and healthcare/life sciences organizations, with named engagements including SHI International, MassBio, the City of Boston, the Office of Governor Maura Healey, Boston Business Journal, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

The firm operates on a traditional professional services revenue model, generating fees through project-based engagements and retainer arrangements tailored to client scope; no proprietary software, technology platforms, or API offerings are disclosed. Headcount is reported in the 11–50 range, with satellite offices in Atlanta and Maui extending reach beyond the Boston metro. The company is founder-owned with no disclosed external funding, parent, or subsidiaries, and Sandy Lish continues to lead the business as Principal/Co-founder alongside co-founder Wendy Spivak, with a management team averaging roughly 14 years of tenure.

Distribution is exclusively direct-to-client via consultative, relationship-based sales; the firm uses content marketing (blog, email), Instagram, earned media, and community panel events such as the Mission to Motion series co-hosted with media partner GBH to generate leads. Underlying assets are human capital, an established Boston network spanning government, civic, nonprofit, and media constituencies, and a portfolio of industry recognitions including Forbes 2021 Best PR Agency, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce 2021 Small Business of the Year, PRNEWS Agency Elite Top 100 (2022), and a five-time Boston Business Journal Best Places to Work designation. The firm is a member of the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) via Sandy Lish's Executive Committee role, enabling cross-market collaboration.

Name

The Castle Group

Legal name

The Castle Group, Inc.

Website

https://thecastlegrp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Castle Group is a privately held, women-owned Boston-based communications agency delivering integrated public relations, event management, crisis communications, public affairs, social media, and marketing communications services to enterprises, nonprofits, government, and education clients since 1996.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Relations and Communications Services

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Retreats & Team Offsites (Non-incentive) (THAHAMAL), Company All-Hands, Town Halls & Leadership Offsites (THAHAIAB), Corporate Team-Building & Offsite Services (HSACADAF)

Keywords

• Public relations services
• Event management
• Crisis communications
• Social media marketing
• Public affairs consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Relations Services: Strategic communications, media relations, and public affairs services delivered through project-based or retainer engagements for corporate, nonprofit, and government clients.
2. Event Management Services: Full-service event planning, production, and execution including conferences, incentive programs, product launches, corporate retreats, and fundraisers. Revenue generated through service fees for planning and on-site management.
3. Crisis Communications: Crisis management and communications advisory services for organizations facing reputational challenges, regulatory issues, or sensitive situations.
4. Social Media and Marketing Communications: Digital and social media strategy, content development, and marketing communications services integrated with PR and event programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Castle Group is a Boston-based, women-owned communications agency delivering integrated professional services across six core practice areas: Public Relations, Event Management, Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, Social Media, and Marketing Communications. Engagements are delivered as customized consulting projects or retainers for corporate, nonprofit, government, and institutional clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Services are executed by in-house teams from offices in Boston, Atlanta, and Maui.

Product overview

The Castle Group is a full-service communications agency offering a unified portfolio of six core service lines: Public Relations, Event Management, Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, Social Media, and Marketing Communications. These services are delivered as professional consulting engagements rather than software products or platforms. The agency serves diverse industries including education, healthcare, energy, life sciences, technology, financial services, nonprofit, real estate, hospitality, consumer, and professional services. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard, the women-owned business also maintains offices in Atlanta and Maui.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Relations Strategic public relations services including media relations, press releases, media training, and earned media coverage for corporate, nonprofit, government, and institutional clients.
• Event Management Full-service event planning, production, and execution covering conferences, incentive programs, product launches, corporate retreats, fundraisers, and meetings for clients across nonprofit, public, and private sectors.
• Public Affairs Government relations and public affairs consulting helping clients navigate policy, stakeholder engagement, community relations, and government communications.
• Crisis Communications Crisis management and communications services including strategy development, media response, stakeholder messaging, and reputation management during emergencies or sensitive situations.
• Social Media Social and digital media services including content strategy, platform management, social advertising, and engagement analytics integrated with broader PR and event programs.
• Marketing Communications Integrated marketing communications including messaging development, collateral creation, and multi-channel campaign execution for client brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 30 years in business serving clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Public Relations Global Network (PRGN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandy Lish serves on the Executive Committee of the Public Relations Global Network, an invitation-only network of independent PR firms from around the world. The network enables collaboration with agency principals in every major media market to develop world-class relationships for clients and teams.
• GBHsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with media partner GBH to host the Mission to Motion: Health, Wellness, and Equity panel discussion in May 2023. GBH serves as media co-host for annual panel events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: Global largest PR firm with full-service communications, public affairs, and event capabilities. Represents the scale-based competitive ceiling against which regional independents like Castle compete on enterprise RFPs.
• Weber Shandwick: Global public relations and communications agency with strong public affairs, crisis, and event practices. Comparable on Fortune 500 enterprise and government client work, but at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• SHIFT Communications: Boston-headquartered PR agency serving consumer, technology, and enterprise clients. Comparable scale, service model, and New England enterprise client roster.
• Mower: Independent integrated marketing and communications agency with Northeast roots and full-service PR, digital, and event offerings. Closely comparable mid-size independent agency model.
• Inkhouse: Boston-area integrated PR and communications agency serving technology and B2B clients. Direct competitor in the Northeast mid-market PR segment with similar size, service mix, and client profile.
• Small Army: Boston-based integrated communications and creative agency. Direct competitor for regional enterprise, nonprofit, and event marketing engagements of similar scale.
• Allen & Gerritsen: Philadelphia/Northeast-based integrated marketing and communications agency offering PR, events, and digital. Comparable full-service agency model and Fortune 500 client tier.
• Solomon McCown & Company: Boston-based strategic communications and public relations firm with comparable nonprofit, education, and professional services client focus. Direct competitor in the same regional mid-market segment.
• Rasky Partners: Boston-based public affairs and PR firm with strong government and corporate communications practices. Closely comparable on public affairs, crisis, and Northeast enterprise client base.
• V2 Communications: Boston-based integrated PR and content agency serving technology and B2B clients. Comparable regional mid-market competitor with similar service-line breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/thecastlegrp
• Xx.com/CastleGRP

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Castle Group