What myWHY Agency does

myWHY Agency is a Chicago-based, Black-owned and all-women-led public relations and integrated marketing agency founded in 2016 by Emerald-Jane Hunter, a four-time Emmy Award winner with a 15-year prior career in television. The firm sells eight interconnected service lines: Brand/Messaging/Positioning Strategy, Inclusive Strategy & Cultural Alignment, Creative Content & Storytelling, PR/Media/Thought Leadership, Social Media & Community Building, Influencer & Partnership Marketing, Corporate Social Responsibility programs, and Media Monitoring/Analysis & Insights. It has no proprietary technology product and operates as a services boutique with a distributed team across 10 US states, Canada, the UK, and Ghana.

The agency's commercial model is professional services — project-based engagements and retainer/Agency-of-Record relationships — sold via direct sales and referrals, targeting purpose-driven consumer brands (Natracare, oVertone, MadeGood Foods, KHOI, Secret Squirrel), enterprises (Loyola University Chicago), and mission-focused nonprofits (Female Strong, Latinx Education, Young Black & Lit). Documented outcomes include 2B+ lifetime impressions across TV/radio/print/online, 1.5B+ earned media impressions for oVertone in 8 weeks, and 147M+ UVM with 25 placements for KHOI in 8 months.

myWHY Agency has been bootstrapped since founding with no external funding rounds disclosed, no parent company, and no M&A activity. The firm has accumulated 100+ lifetime clients globally, with its primary anchor case study (MadeGood Foods AOR) running 2018-2021. It is privately held, founder-controlled, and recognized repeatedly by Expertise as Best PR Firm in Chicago (2020, 2022, 2023) and by PRWeek and Ragan in 2025 as an emerging agency to watch. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is delivered on quote-based project or retainer arrangements.

Name

myWHY Agency

Legal name

myWHY Agency Inc.

Website

https://mywhyagency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

myWHY Agency is a Chicago-based, Black-owned and all-women-led PR and integrated marketing agency serving purpose-driven brands, mission-focused nonprofits, and transformational leaders with brand strategy, media relations, influencer marketing, and social media services since 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Services

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182), Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Campaign & Integrated Communications Agencies (MPAAAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reputation Management & Online PR (BPAFADAN), Social Media & Community Management (BPAFAAAE)

Keywords

• Public relations services
• Integrated marketing agency
• Brand strategy services
• Influencer marketing services
• Social media management

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. PR and Marketing Services: myWHY Agency generates revenue through providing comprehensive PR, brand strategy, media relations, influencer marketing, social media, and content marketing services to purpose-driven brands and organizations. Services appear to be project-based or retainer arrangements, with the agency serving as Agency of Record for long-term partnerships (e.g., MadeGood Foods for nearly 4 years).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

myWHY Agency is a Chicago-based, all-women-led PR and integrated marketing agency that delivers strategic communications, brand strategy, media relations, influencer marketing, social media, and content marketing services to purpose-driven brands, mission-focused organizations, and transformational business leaders. The agency operates as Agency of Record for long-term partnerships and project-based engagements, with services spanning brand positioning, inclusive strategy, creative storytelling, thought leadership, paid and organic social, influencer activations, CSR programs, and media monitoring.

Product overview

myWHY Agency is a Chicago-based, all-women-led PR and integrated marketing agency that offers a unified platform of strategic communication services for purpose-driven brands. The agency's core portfolio comprises eight interconnected service offerings: Brand/Messaging/Positioning Strategy, Inclusive Strategy & Cultural Alignment, Creative Content & Storytelling, PR/Media/Thought Leadership, Social Media & Community Building, Influencer & Partnership Marketing, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Media Monitoring/Analysis. These services work together as an integrated ecosystem rather than siloed offerings, allowing the agency to develop brand stories that resonate, campaigns that convert, and strategies that stick. The agency also demonstrates its capabilities through documented case studies including the Natracare #BeKind campaign, oVertone PR/Influencer campaign, MadeGood Foods Agency of Record relationship, KHOI PR/Media Relations, Loyola University Chicago Brand Strategy, and Young Black & Lit Brand Strategy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand, Messaging & Positioning Strategy Strategic framework that defines a brand's identity, core messaging, and market positioning to anchor decision-making across all channels with consistency and intentionality, delivered to purpose-driven brands and mission-focused organizations.
• Inclusive Strategy & Cultural Alignment
• Creative Content, Storytelling & Lifecycle Marketing
• PR, Media & Thought Leadership
• Social Media & Community Building
• Influencer & Partnership Marketing
• Corporate Social Responsibility & Impact Programs
• Media Monitoring, Analysis & Insights

Quantifiable outcome

• 2+ Billion impressions across TV, Radio, Print & Online
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 minor.

• Bigmouth CreativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborative partnership with Bigmouth Creative for brand strategy projects. For the Young, Black & Lit project, myWHY partnered with Bigmouth to develop strategic messaging and brand identity. Bigmouth used myWHY's strategic insights in their creative process to develop new identity and design systems for clients.
• MADE SAFEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MADE SAFE certification organization for Natracare campaign. myWHY leveraged the MADE SAFE partnership to increase visibility for Natracare's campaign during key awareness moments, aligning with MADE SAFE's mission of promoting safer, non-toxic products.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Finn Partners: One of the largest independent PR firms globally with strong consumer lifestyle, health, and tech practices. Highly comparable as an independent mid-to-large PR agency delivering integrated campaigns, brand storytelling, and influencer activations at a similar positioning tier to myWHY.
• Kivvit: Chicago-based integrated communications and public affairs firm offering PR, content, and influencer/digital services. Direct geographic and offering overlap with myWHY, comparable scale, and similar mid-market/large institutional client roster.
• Zeno Group: Mid-sized independent PR and communications firm with strong consumer, purpose, and corporate practices. Highly comparable to myWHY in positioning, offering mix (PR, influencer, brand storytelling), and mid-market enterprise client mix.
• Walker Sands: Chicago-based integrated marketing and PR agency serving B2B and consumer brands with PR, content, and demand-generation services. Direct geographic and offering overlap with myWHY; comparable scale and similar mid-market enterprise clientele.
• The Pollack Group: Independent, mid-sized PR and integrated marketing agency with consumer, lifestyle, and purpose-oriented practices. Comparable to myWHY on integrated PR/influencer/brand storytelling services for mission-driven mid-market clients.
• 5W Public Relations: Mid-sized independent PR and integrated marketing agency with strong consumer, health, and purpose practices. Comparable to myWHY on integrated PR, influencer, and brand storytelling services targeted at CPG and lifestyle mid-market clients.
• M Booth: Mid-sized independent PR and social influence agency with strong consumer lifestyle, cause, and purpose practices. Highly comparable to myWHY on integrated PR, influencer, and purpose-led brand storytelling work for mission-driven mid-market clients.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: World's largest independent PR firm with global integrated communications across purpose, brand, and corporate affairs. Directly comparable as the dominant scaled player competing for the same purpose-driven RFPs myWHY targets, but operates as a broad incumbent across all sectors and geographies.
• Havas PR: Global holding-company PR and creative network offering brand storytelling, influencer marketing, and integrated communications comparable to myWHY's stack, but operating as a broad incumbent at significantly larger scale.
• Ogilvy PR: Global advertising and PR network with deep public relations, influencer, and brand strategy practices. Comparable to myWHY on integrated brand storytelling and influencer marketing service lines, but operates as a broad incumbent holding-company network across all categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mywhyagency
• Xx.com/mywhyagency
• Facebookfacebook.com/mywhyagency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 myWHY Agency