What HELLER does

HELLER is a full-service, boutique communications and public affairs consultancy headquartered in New York City with a second office in Los Angeles. Founded by Risa Heller in 2011, the firm operates across six integrated practice areas: Crisis & Reputation Management, Real Estate & Civic Life, Litigation & Regulatory Matters, Corporate Communications, Issue Advocacy & Public Affairs, and Media & Entertainment. Clients are predominantly high-profile — Fortune 500 and growth-stage corporations, major residential and commercial real estate developers, top-tier law firms and in-house legal teams, cultural and civic institutions, advocacy organizations, and prominent individuals and families in New York, Washington, and Los Angeles.

The firm's underlying asset is its senior practitioner bench rather than a technology platform: it employs approximately 11–50 professionals, with a leadership cadre drawn from the highest levels of U.S. government (Senate Democratic leadership, New York Governor's office, White House, Vice President's office), major media companies (Netflix, NBC News, Facebook/Meta, Condé Nast, Vox Media), and Fortune 500 corporate communications roles (Lyft, WeWork, Moody's, Paramount Global, Activision). There is no proprietary software product, AI/ML system, or platform; service delivery is labor-intensive and bespoke.

HELLER generates revenue through professional services fees structured as project engagements and retainers, with pricing not publicly disclosed and tailored to scope, complexity, and client profile. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: business development flows primarily through referrals from law firms, political networks, lobbying teams, and existing clients, supplemented by the firm's professional website and the credentialing value of its team's résumés. The firm has no disclosed outside investors, operates as a privately held entity under founder control, and has no disclosed funding rounds or M&A activity.

Name

HELLER

Legal name

Heller

Website

https://heller.inc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HELLER is a boutique, full-service communications and public affairs consultancy founded by Risa Heller, serving high-profile corporations, real estate developers, law firms, institutions, and individuals across crisis management, litigation support, public affairs, and media relations in New York and Los Angeles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Communications Consulting

NAICS

All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation PR & Legal Communications (MPAAAOAH)

Keywords

• Crisis communications consulting
• Reputation management services
• Public affairs advisory
• Strategic media relations
• Corporate communications consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

New City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting: Heller generates revenue through professional consulting fees for crisis and reputation management, public affairs, corporate communications, litigation support, and media/entertainment advisory services. As a boutique consultancy, the firm likely charges project fees or retainer arrangements based on the scope and complexity of engagements. The firm serves high-profile individual and institutional clients navigating complex communications challenges.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HELLER is a full-service communications and public affairs consultancy that provides strategic communications counsel to corporations, institutions, developers, law firms, and high-profile individuals facing complex reputational, regulatory, and public-affairs challenges. The firm delivers six integrated practice areas: Crisis & Reputation Management, Real Estate & Civic Life, Litigation & Regulatory Matters, Corporate Communications, Issue Advocacy & Public Affairs, and Media & Entertainment, with engagements structured as bespoke project work or ongoing retainers.

Product overview

HELLER is a full-service communications and public affairs consultancy offering six core service lines: Crisis & Reputation Management, Real Estate & Civic Life, Litigation & Regulatory Matters, Corporate Communications, Issue Advocacy & Public Affairs, and Media & Entertainment. The firm operates as a unified consulting practice rather than a software platform, providing strategic communications counsel to corporations, individuals, and institutions facing high-stakes situations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crisis & Reputation Management
• Real Estate & Civic Life Strategic communications consulting for developers, civic groups, and cultural institutions navigating complex political environments, high-stakes legal issues, sensitive transactions, policy advocacy, and corporate brand building.
• Litigation & Regulatory Matters
• Corporate Communications Messaging, media strategy, and communications consulting to help companies tell their stories, prepare leaders for high-impact moments, and navigate internal communications during business transformations.
• Issue Advocacy & Public Affairs Strategic communications and public affairs initiatives for organizations, partnering with government affairs and lobbying teams on political communications and stakeholder engagement campaigns.
• Media & Entertainment Communications consulting for entertainment, fashion, gaming, music, news, social media, and sports clients navigating media landscapes, managing reputational risks, and building profiles.

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brunswick Group: Global strategic communications firm with deep crisis, public affairs, and corporate communications capabilities. Directly comparable in service line to HELLER, but operates at significantly larger scale with global offices and broader resource capacity.
• Edelman: World's largest independent PR firm with strong crisis and reputation management, corporate communications, and public affairs practices. Overlaps with HELLER's core service lines but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• FTI Consulting: Global advisory firm with a communications segment focused on crisis management, litigation support, and public affairs. Comparable to HELLER in litigation and regulatory communications, with much larger bench and cross-border capabilities.
• Teneo: Global CEO advisory and strategic communications firm offering crisis management, public affairs, and corporate communications. Comparable to HELLER in serving high-profile individuals and corporates through crisis moments, but with much broader advisory and consulting portfolio.
• Hill+Knowlton Strategies: Global communications consultancy offering crisis management, public affairs, and corporate communications. Overlaps with HELLER's full-service communications positioning but operates at far larger scale with global infrastructure.

Direct peers

• SKDKnickerbocker (SKDK): Top-tier US public affairs and crisis communications firm with strong political and corporate communications practice. Closely comparable to HELLER in scale, service mix, and political-network driven business model, particularly in crisis, public affairs, and litigation communications.
• Kekst CNC: Boutique strategic communications firm specializing in crisis, M&A, shareholder activism, and corporate reputation. Directly comparable to HELLER in crisis communications and litigation support, with similar boutique positioning serving corporate and institutional clients.
• BerlinRosen: New York-based communications and public affairs firm with strong crisis, corporate, and advocacy capabilities. Comparable to HELLER in NYC-centric positioning, political-network driven growth, and service mix across crisis, public affairs, and corporate communications.
• Rubenstein Communications: Established New York-based strategic communications firm providing public relations, crisis management, and media strategy. Comparable to HELLER in NYC boutique positioning and high-profile client base, though with longer operating history and broader corporate focus.
• Mercury: US public affairs and strategic communications firm with strong crisis, corporate reputation, and government relations capabilities. Directly comparable to HELLER in political-affiliated positioning, public affairs practice, and high-stakes client engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 HELLER