Launched in 2025, Practicum Strategy is a synthesis of my experience and insights in client guidance and support across multiple business sectors. The methodology I deploy mirrors many aspects of the new business development process from marketing and PR agencies. It also incorporates best practices for storytelling and persuasion, designed to create the best possible real-word outcomes for my clients.
Background
Prior to launch, I fulfilled senior roles at Columbia University as an expert in communications, public affairs and media strategy. I conceived and shaped the full spectrum of communications strategy at Columbia, from media outreach and crisis management to internal messaging and reputation defense. I also managed press for major events and amplified the work of students, faculty, and staff through targeted media relations.
Before Columbia, I was an executive at public relations agencies. My agency clients included multiple divisions of General Electric, IBM, and General Motors, as well as project-specific work for Intel, Aventis, and Tyco International, among others.
Originally trained as a visual artist, I held significant positions in museums and galleries before my career transition to communications. As a result, I bring a unique perspective to public relations. Making anything truly original requires courage. Artists take risks and make mistakes in the creative process. Being productive requires resilience and discipline. Plus, I’ve found that exhibiting artwork is a kind of dialogue with audiences, not unlike PR. Those skills are transferable superpowers!
Origins of the Practicum Strategy Course
In 2018, I designed a course of study in applied communications theory for staff at Columbia University, as a non-credit professional development course modeled on a graduate seminar. The goal was to build a shared understanding of strategy—defining its elements, distinguishing goals and tactics, and integrating metrics to reflect real outcomes.
The response was overwhelming. My peers craved strategy. Over six years, nearly 200 professionals from across the Columbia community took part in my course, Introduction to Strategic Communications. They came from a variety of disciplines: public relations, website design, social media management, science visualization, and more. Not only did they share learning, they also built networks and friendships.
What People Say about Robert…
“A few years ago, I was tasked with writing and implementing a strategic communications plan for my institution. We had never put one together before and frankly, I had no idea what I was doing. In only a few sessions, Robert taught me the foundations of strategic planning in a way that was clear, coherent, and unforgettable. I was able to put together a solid report that laid the groundwork for a very successful communications strategy. I’m eternally grateful.
– Masha, journalist/editor/media manager
“In my experience with Robert, he provided the full breadth of communication strategy from idea to delivery. His professional knowledge was evident in the focused and real-world application of his guidance. I have attended and listened to many tutorials on communication and PR, and I found most to be limited in scope and superficial. The critical difference and value of his methodology is that it breaks down the fundamentals of strategy and makes this complex subject less intimidating.”
– Mary, senior communications manager
“The strategic communication plan that I developed working with Robert addressed a real-world challenge that existed at my workplace, a large corporation that is also a major government contractor. Two months later the project-tailored version of my plan was approved and funded for implementation by the management team.”
– Beverly, systems engineer/senior staff
Practicum Strategy 