AI Doesn’t Just Have an Energy Problem. It Has a Permission Problem.
Last year, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was boasting about landing a huge AI data center. Last month he imposed strict new requirements on the next ones. Texas Governor Greg Abbott froze new data centers outright. In Michigan, the Republican Senate nominee is backing a one-year moratorium. Top Republicans are telling reporters that data centers alone […]
Dual-Use Founders Have a Reputation Balance Sheet. Most Aren’t Managing It.
Defense tech is having its moment. Investors put more than $14.6 billion into military and national-security startups in just the first five months of 2026, already ahead of 2025’s full-year record of $9.6 billion. Anduril is valued at $61 billion. Shield AI sits at $12.7 billion. The capital is real, and it’s moving fast. What […]
Reputation is one of the most misunderstood assets in business.
Most leadership teams treat it as a communications function: something to activate after the strategic decisions have already been made. A press release once the deal closes. A statement once the crisis breaks. A campaign once the round is announced. That approach gets the sequence backward, and the data increasingly makes the case for why. […]
Pentagon Red Team Expert Anthony Johnson Joins Purposeful Advisors
Former Pentagon advisor expands the firm’s work on national security, dual-use technology, and regulatory risk facing technology companies NEW YORK, NY and WASHINGTON, DC, February 26, 2026 – Purposeful Advisors has added Anthony “Tony” Johnson as a Senior Advisor, expanding the firm’s ability to counsel clients operating at the intersection of commercial innovation and national […]
Why Problem-Finding Is Becoming the Real Differentiator in Communications
Published in O’Dwyers Our job is changing. We are still problem solvers, and traditional communications work still matters. But it is no longer enough. Increasingly, the work that differentiates effective communications leaders is problem-finding—identifying the real risk before it becomes visible, reputational or irreversible. In consulting, there is a familiar and deeply frustrating failure mode known […]
Havilah Clarke Joins Purposeful Advisors as Managing Director
Her appointment expands the firm’s marketing and communications capabilities, adding senior leadership depth in healthcare, biotechnology, and corporate affairs. New York, NY – November 13, 2025 — Purposeful Advisors, the senior-level strategic communications firm, appointed Havilah Clarke as Managing Director. She is based in Salt Lake City, UT. Clarke is a global marketing and corporate […]
Think of your reputation—before it’s too late
As with financial risk oversight, reputational risk thinking requires the continuous, systematic, and proactive attention of the board. Most boards discuss reputation the way they discuss succession planning—reluctantly, reactively, and usually too late. Yet while boards have learned to demand proactive oversight of financial, operational, and strategic risks, reputation intelligence remains trapped in the “crisis […]
Whistle-Blower Sues Meta Over Claims of WhatsApp Security Flaws
Elie Jacobs and I had the privilege of supporting the journey that led to today’s NYT story on the WhatsApp whistleblower. It took tremendous courage for him to step forward, and it’s a powerful reminder of how vital it is to protect those voices. We are delighted to support the incredible work of Psst.org, and […]
Public Affairs: How Smaller Organizations Can Shape Policy Conversations
30 July 2025 Reading Time: 3 minutes by Elie Jacobs: Conventional wisdom – for whatever it is currently worth – suggests that startups and scaleups should focus on funding and product development first and worry about policy and regulation later. In today’s political environment, following the conventional wisdom is a sure way to stunt your growth. The […]
When Companies Take a Stand
How to Navigate the Risks and Rewards of Signing Open Letters In April 2021, more than 1,800 business leaders, including the CEOs of Merck, American Airlines, and Levi Strauss, signed a public statement opposing restrictive voting laws in Georgia and other states. The letter ran as a full-page ad in The New York Times and […]