Phenom, an HR technology SaaS platform, was scaling fast from 60 to 1,500 employees in 3 years earning Series B and Series C funding rounds.

But its external communications function hadn't kept pace with its ambition. There was no structured PR program to tell the company’s stories consistently at the time when visibility mattered most. The opportunity was to build a PR engine that could generate sustained earned media momentum while positioning Phenom as a category leader in HR technology.

Having partnered with an agency, I developed the PR strategy and media relationships to generate a consistent media presence at scale to secure multiple Series funding.

After identifying where our market audience consumed media, I worked cross-functionally to establish a story mining process that surfaced compelling narratives:

• Customer stories with data

• State of the industry data reports

• Industry-benefiting partnerships

• Product releases with genuine market impact

• Thought leadership topics for evangelists

• Award wins and certifications

During the Series C funding round, I led communications around the announcement and secured embargo agreements with tier 1 target reporters. The result was placement in VentureBeat alongside several trade publications that amplified the funding story to the audiences that mattered most.

Data-backed client success and our flagship State of Candidate Experience report — an audit of career site performance for the Fortune 500 — powered some of our strongest media placements because they carried independent validation.

• Over 35 earned media placements per quarter at peak

• Tier-1 coverage secured during Series C funding announcement

• Feature placements in VentureBeat, Forbes, and Fast Company with customer success, data reports, and thought leadership

• Additional coverage in TechTarget, Technical.ly, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and trade publications

• Scalable PR function built from scratch during hyper growth from 60 to 1,500 global employees during Series B and C funding milestones

• PR strategy supported company's positioning as a category leader in HR technology

Press releases:

• Fortune 500 Study Reveals Significant Lack of Personalization and AI Technology in Candidate Experiences

• RentPath Captured and Engaged 50,000+ Candidates with Phenom CRM

• Phenom People Raises $30 Million in Series C Proving the HR Shift Towards AI-Powered Talent Experiences

• Phenom People Raises $22 Million in Series B Funding to Accelerate Global Expansion of its Talent Relationship Marketing Platform

• Phenom People Announces Phenom AI: Defines AI for the Talent Acquisition Market

Select media placements:

• VentureBeat: Phenom People raises $30 million for AI recruitment platform used by Microsoft, others

• Forbes: How RentPath Is Harnessing The Power Of AI In Hiring

• SHRM: How HR Tech Adoption Happened at Southwest Airlines

• TechTarget: Southwest Airlines upgrades its internal mobility

• Forbes (CEO byline): Three Overlooked AI-Powered HR Functions That Mirror Consumer Technology Experiences