About Us

Inner Circle Labs is a strategic marketing communications group built on the following tenets:

People do their best work when they have a personal passion for what they do
PR people have a bad rep today and for good reason: too many people are peddling crap they don’t even like, let alone love, and selling the same old services to anyone with a budget
It’s time for a change – time to head to the lab and find a new way to work within the highly engaged, social world to reach the inner circle

At Inner Circle Labs, we aim to change the world of the PR sell out. Unless we’d tell your story even if we weren’t getting paid, we won’t take on the engagement. Every marketer tells stories of their “favorites” but wouldn’t the world be better (and wouldn’t marketing have a much higher ROI) if you only worked with “favorites”? So yeah, we play favorites. We say “no” more often than we say “yes.” And even though this sometimes leads to an awkward conversation, in the long term everyone’s happier and a real impact is made on the bottom line.

Inner Circle Labs works with companies ranging from consumer startups to enterprise-focused innovators – in industries including music, robotics and crowdsourcing. And we work to reach your inner circle through all mediums available – traditional media, social media, thought leadership, events, network building, collateral creation, digital content, paid placement, etc. There is no “practice area” – there is no “social vs. traditional” – at the Labs, if we love it, we’ll do it. And, if you need help that falls outside of our tactical expertise, we’ll tap partners in our network to make it happen.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Inner Circle Labs was founded by Julie Crabill and Jonathan Neri in January 2010.

The Inner Circle Labs Team:

Julie Crabill, Founder & CEO

Julie is responsible for the overall vision and direction of the company and team. Before founding Inner Circle Labs, Julie spent 10 years in agency side PR with SHIFT Communications, Edelman and Weber Shandwick. In her spare time, Julie likes to maximize participation in frequent flier programs, categorize and log her wine collection and vie for reservations at any hot/new San Francisco restaurants.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/julzie
Blog: www.needlingthehaystack.com
Podcast: www.bubblyandbanter.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/juliecrabill

Jonathan Neri, Founder & COO

Jonathan is responsible for the day-to-day operations, finance, technology, HR, etc… pretty much everything that isn’t marketing related. Prior to starting Inner Circle Labs, Jonathan spent 15 years in the investments industry, most recently with a large Bay area asset manager. When he is not at work, Jonathan enjoys new tech toys, drinking good beer/wine and traveling the world.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanneri

Melissa Roxas, Manager

Armed with more than seven years of PR agency experience, Melissa leads the day-to-day activities and media outreach at the Labs. She has worked all across the world of tech from consumer web to enterprise software. When not at work, Melissa loves watching reality TV (the crazier the better), shopping for great deals and planning fun vacations.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/melrox
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/melissaroxas

Meredith Klee, Associate

Meredith Klee is an associate at Inner Circle Labs. She spends her time supporting our partners’ media relations efforts while also helping with coverage tracking, events and baseline activities. Prior to joining the Inner Circle Labs team, Meredith worked in marketing and public relations for the City and County of Denver. She has worked on a number of exciting projects, dedicating the greater part of her time to Denver B-cycle, the first, city-wide bike share program in the U.S. When not at work, Meredith spends her free time getting used to her new sea legs – scoping out the best of San Francisco attractions, shopping and happy hours.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/merekleezy
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredithklee

Paige Thelen, Associate

With experience in entertainment, technology, hospitality and event planning, Paige has found her niche at the Labs. She supports our partners’ media relations efforts while helping with tracking, research, awards, events and reporting. Before joining the Inner Circle Labs team, Paige worked on the social media team at Symantec, where she was on the front lines of engagement for the Norton brand. Beyond the Labs, Paige loves music festivals, cooking, museums and being a nerd (a la Star Wars).

Twitter: www.twitter.com/paigemthelen
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paigethelen

Audrey Craipain, Vice President

Audrey is a vice president at Inner Circle Labs with over seven years of PR experience working with start-ups and public companies in the consumer tech and lifestyle space. On a day-to-day basis, Audrey ensures partner activities are on track and results are being achieved, from coverage to writing and planning, Audrey enjoys it all! In her downtime, Audrey takes pleasure in the joys of urban farming in Oakland where she lives.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/prfrenchy
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/audreycraipain

Maclay Coldren, Associate

Maclay joins Inner Circle Labs as an associate with experience in the consumer tech and lifestyle industries. She spends her time supporting our partners’ media relations efforts, while exploring event opportunities, tracking coverage, and ensuring all baseline activities are covered. Before joining the Labs team, Maclay worked on the Samsung Mobile account at MWW Group. Maclay enjoys exploring her new stomping grounds in SF, traveling, checking out music festivals and catching up on the latest celeb gossip.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/maclayc
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maclaycoldren

Jessica Gross, Manager

Jessica joins the Labs as a manager equipped with years of experience in the consumer tech space. She helps lead strategy, media relations and day-to-day account activities. Over her tenure, Jessica has worked with companies in areas ranging from consumer electronics to online social platforms to gaming, and has developed relationships with an array of top tier media outlets. When out and about, she enjoys Indian cuisine, the San Francisco bargain shopping scene (Goodwill what!) and outdoor activities such as camping and snowboarding.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/gross_j
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/grossjessica