Arc Initiatives
Arc Initiatives is a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs consulting firm advising political campaigns, advocacy nonprofits, Fortune 100 companies, foundations, and government entities on federal advocacy, strategic communications, paid/earned media, campaign management, digital strategy, and research. It operates through wholly-owned brands Arc North Star, Arc Research, Studio Gradients, and co-owned voter contact firm Wildfire Contact.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Arc Initiatives does
Arc Initiatives is a Washington, D.C.-based, fully integrated public affairs consulting firm that was formed by the January 2022 rebrand of STG (Smoot Tewes Group), an Obama-campaign-architect-founded shop dating to 2008 and later grown by Dan Kanninen and Aaron Florence-Weinberg. The firm advises and executes on federal advocacy, strategic communications, earned/owned/paid media, campaign and coalition management, digital strategy, and strategic political and advocacy research for political campaigns, advocacy nonprofits, Fortune 100 companies, trade groups, global foundations, and government entities.
The business operates as a professional services consultancy with no proprietary technology products; capabilities are delivered by a team of approximately 30 professionals (and 40+ combined with strategic partner True Blue Strategies) based at three offices — Washington, D.C. (headquarters, 750 17th St NW, overlooking the White House), Saint Paul, Minnesota (Arc North Star), and New York City (sister firm Studio Gradients). Revenue is generated through retainer and project-based consulting fees, supplemented by an expanding ecosystem of wholly-owned and co-owned service entities — Arc Research (launched March 2024, full-service research), Arc North Star (Minnesota practice, launched March 2023), Studio Gradients (design, founded 2021), and Wildfire Contact (voter contact, co-owned since June 2024).
Distribution is exclusively direct-to-client, with senior partners personally managing relationships to enterprise and institutional clients; marketing runs through the firm website and social channels plus significant earned media appearances by staff on MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, NYT, Washington Post, and Politico. Growth has been driven by sustained hiring, geographic expansion into Minnesota, in-house capability launches, and a co-ownership stake in voter contact infrastructure, rather than by disclosed external funding.
Arc Initiatives firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Arc Initiatives
- Legal name
- Arc Initiatives
- Website
- https://team-arc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Arc Initiatives is a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs consulting firm advising political campaigns, advocacy nonprofits, Fortune 100 companies, foundations, and government entities on federal advocacy, strategic communications, paid/earned media, campaign management, digital strategy, and research. It operates through wholly-owned brands Arc North Star, Arc Research, Studio Gradients, and co-owned voter contact firm Wildfire Contact.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Arc Initiatives is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Arc Initiatives business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Public Affairs Consulting Services: Arc Initiatives generates revenue through professional services fees for integrated public affairs consulting, including federal advocacy, strategic communications, earned/owned/paid media, campaign and coalition management, digital strategy, and political/advocacy research services. Revenue is derived from retainer agreements and project-based consulting engagements with political campaigns, advocacy organizations, corporations, and foundations.
- Voter Contact Services (via Wildfire Contact partnership): Through its co-ownership of Wildfire Contact, Arc Initiatives offers expanded voter contact services including data procurement, live and patch-through calls, peer-to-peer texting, robocalls, and teletownhalls for political campaigns and advocacy organizations.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Arc Initiatives product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Arc Initiatives is a fully integrated public affairs consulting firm that provides federal advocacy, strategic communications, earned/owned/paid media, campaign and coalition management, digital strategy, and strategic political and advocacy research services to political campaigns, advocacy organizations, Fortune 100 companies, trade groups, global foundations, and government entities. The firm is supported by sub-brands Arc Research, Arc North Star, Studio Gradients, and a co-ownership stake in Wildfire Contact, allowing it to offer end-to-end services from research and design to voter contact.
Product overview
Arc Initiatives is a fully integrated public affairs consulting firm offering a portfolio of services centered on political consulting and advocacy. The core service offerings include Federal Advocacy, Strategic Communications, Earned/Owned & Paid Media, Campaign & Coalition Management, Digital Strategy, and Strategic Political and Advocacy Research. The company operates several sub-brands and divisions including Arc Research (full-service research department), Arc North Star (Minnesota-focused political and public affairs practice), and Studio Gradients (design agency). Arc Initiatives also maintains a strategic partnership with Wildfire Contact, a voter contact firm specializing in data acquisition and communications outreach. Formerly known as STG (Smoot Tewes Group), the firm rebranded in January 2022.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Arc Research: Full-service Research Department built by veteran operatives offering political, issue advocacy, and corporate research services including opposition research, candidate vetting, and landscape analysis
- Arc North Star
- Studio Gradients
Products and services
- Federal Advocacy Federal lobbying and advocacy services to influence legislative and regulatory outcomes at the federal government level, sold to political campaigns, advocacy organizations, and corporate clients.
- Strategic Communications Comprehensive communications strategy development and execution to shape public perception and media narratives for political, advocacy, and corporate clients.
- Earned, Owned & Paid Media Integrated media services encompassing earned media relations, owned content platforms, and paid advertising campaigns for clients across political and advocacy spaces.
- Campaign & Coalition Management Management of political campaigns and coalition building to coordinate advocacy efforts across multiple stakeholders, clients, and partner organizations.
- Digital Strategy Digital marketing and online engagement strategies to reach and mobilize target audiences through digital channels for political and advocacy clients.
- Strategic Political and Advocacy Research Research services providing political and issue landscape analysis to inform campaign strategy and messaging for political, advocacy, and corporate clients.
- Arc North Star A dedicated political, communications, and public affairs practice operating in Minnesota with an office near the Capitol in Saint Paul, serving state-level campaigns and progressive causes.
- Arc Research A full-service Research Department offering political candidate and organizational opposition research, professional vetting, and political and issue landscape analysis.
- Studio Gradients A remote design agency specializing in branding/identity, web development, product design, stage and large-scale event design, and content strategy.
- Wildfire Contact Services Voter contact services including data acquisition, paid phone outreach, SMS communications, live calls, peer-to-peer texting, robocalls, and teletownhalls for political campaigns and issue advocacy organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Led Democrats' efforts to elect Senators Warnock and Ossoff, flipping the balance of power in the U.S. Senate
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Arc Initiatives
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Arc Initiatives technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Arc Initiatives partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Wildfire ContactcoreArc Initiatives became a co-owner of Wildfire Contact, a voter contact firm specializing in data acquisition, paid phone outreach, and SMS communications for political campaigns and issue advocacy organizations. The partnership includes extended services for campaigns: data procurement, live and patch-through calls, peer-to-peer texting, robocalls, and teletownhalls. Wildfire Contact has worked with presidential campaigns, high-profile Senate and House candidates, down-ballot races, and progressive causes for over a decade, including setting the world record for the largest teletownhall.
- True Blue StrategiescoreStrategic partnership with Seattle-based digital-first communications firm True Blue Strategies. The collaboration brings together Arc's political and advocacy campaign experience with True Blue's award-winning digital creative and strategy team. The firms had already won five AAPC Pollie Awards and two Campaigns & Elections Reed Awards for their collaboration on the Stop Pebble Mine campaign. Combined, the firms have over 40 world-class communications, creative, and policy professionals. The partnership focuses on comprehensive campaign services for pressing policy issues including Indigenous rights in Alaska, public lands protections, and energy policy reforms.
- Studio GradientscoreStudio Gradients is a sister creative firm within the Arc Initiatives family, located in New York City. Founded by four members of the Biden-Harris creative and tech team, Studio Gradients specializes in branding/identity, web development, product design, stage and event design, and content strategy. Led by Robyn Kanner (VP and Creative Director who oversaw design on the Biden-Harris campaign), the firm brings winning design sensibility to each client.
- The Conservation AllianceminorArc Initiatives is a member of The Conservation Alliance, the largest coalition of businesses dedicated to conservation in the country. This partnership aligns with Arc's mission to safeguard North America's wild places and commitment to protect public lands. The Conservation Alliance is described as supporting organizations working to protect wild places through business-backed action.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Arc Initiatives competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GMMB: Democratic political media and consulting firm specializing in paid media, advertising, and strategic communications for progressive candidates, ballot initiatives, and advocacy nonprofits. Competes head-to-head with Arc on gubernatorial, Senate, and advocacy campaigns (e.g., Hobbs-style paid media work).
- FP1 Strategies: Democratic political consulting and public affairs firm led by veterans of Obama and Biden campaigns, providing direct mail, media, and strategic communications. Similar boutique model and progressive client base as Arc Initiatives.
- Bully Pulpit Interactive: Progressive digital agency and strategic communications firm combining paid media, creative, and analytics for political campaigns, advocacy groups, and brands. Overlaps with Arc on digital strategy, earned/paid media, and integrated campaign execution for progressive causes.
- Acronym: Progressive digital media and advertising firm providing campaign infrastructure, targeting, and creative services to Democratic candidates and causes. Comparable in digital-first integrated services and progressive client focus, with larger scale infrastructure than Arc.
- SKDK: One of the largest Democratic-aligned public affairs and political consulting firms in Washington, providing strategic communications, advertising, and crisis management to candidates, parties, and Fortune 500 clients. Direct competitor for the same Democratic/progressive client base and federal advocacy mandates as Arc Initiatives.
- Blue State: Digital agency and strategic consultancy serving progressive nonprofits, campaigns, and brands with integrated creative, media, and technology services. Similar integrated offering and Democratic/progressive client base.
- Hilltop Public Solutions: Democratic political consulting and public affairs firm offering campaign management, advertising, and strategic communications for candidates, parties, and advocacy organizations. Directly comparable boutique progressive consultancy with overlapping service lines.
- 170 Public Strategies: Public affairs and political consulting firm specializing in issue advocacy, coalition management, and strategic communications for nonprofits, foundations, and corporate clients. Comparable integrated advocacy offering and progressive-leaning client base.
Broad incumbents
- Edelman: Global public relations firm with a substantial U.S. public affairs and policy practice serving Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, and nonprofits. Broad incumbent competing for the same Fortune 100 and advocacy engagements, though not specialized in political campaign execution.
- Burson (WPP): Global public relations and communications firm within WPP, offering corporate communications, public affairs, and crisis management at scale. Overlaps with Arc's corporate public affairs and Fortune 100 work but does not focus on progressive political campaigns.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Arc Initiatives social profiles
Digital presenceArc Initiatives financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Arc Initiatives leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Arc Initiatives subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Arc Initiatives funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Arc Initiatives M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Arc Initiatives
What does Arc Initiatives do?
Arc Initiatives is a fully integrated public affairs consulting firm that provides federal advocacy, strategic communications, earned/owned/paid media, campaign and coalition management, digital strategy, and strategic political and advocacy research services to political campaigns, advocacy organizations, Fortune 100 companies, trade groups, global foundations, and government entities. The firm is supported by sub-brands Arc Research, Arc North Star, Studio Gradients, and a co-ownership stake in Wildfire Contact, allowing it to offer end-to-end services from research and design to voter contact.
Is Arc Initiatives a public or private company?
Arc Initiatives is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Arc Initiatives founded?
Arc Initiatives was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Arc Initiatives based?
Arc Initiatives is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Arc Initiatives make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Public Affairs Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are voter Contact Services (via Wildfire Contact partnership).
Who are Arc Initiatives's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GMMB, FP1 Strategies, Bully Pulpit Interactive, Acronym, SKDK, Blue State, Hilltop Public Solutions and 170 Public Strategies. Broad incumbents are Edelman and Burson (WPP).
Does Arc Initiatives have an API?
No public API is recorded for Arc Initiatives.