April 2015 Woman in Leadership
Katie Krawczyk
19 IDEAS
Partner and Communications Director
In 2011 Katie Krawczyk launched 19 IDEAS on her own; offering marketing and communications services. In August 2012, she hired her first employee. Her partner, Dan Gigante, joined the firm officially as business partner and digital director in January 2014. Today 19 IDEAS has 10 full-time employees and one part-time employee.
19 IDEAS provides traditional and digital marketing and communications strategy, advertising creative and media buying, Web and mobile app development, graphic design, public relations, SEO and SEM, event planning, writing and editing.
Katie says this about the business, “I think we have a unique perspective. We aren’t looking to be the biggest, but we are looking to do exceptional work. We aren’t looking to compete with other marketing agencies; instead, we want to foster collaboration so the best work and the best ideas are born from it. Something that makes 19 IDEAS different is that we are an agency of entrepreneurs and doers. We are a team that is passionate about our community; we have tight-knit community values yet bring a global perspective to our clients.”
According to Katie, “I tell people all the time – what you give to Buffalo, Buffalo will give you back times ten. I don’t know that I would have ever opened a business in New York or DC, where I used to live; but in Buffalo, doors have opened for me in ways that are delightfully surprising every day. I have become more fulfilled in my career here than I probably would have been in any other larger city. Incorporating my passion for Buffalo and – in general, passion for communities – into my business has resulted in a tremendous outpouring of support in return.”
Katie serves on the board of directors for the International Institute of Buffalo (IIB) since 2012 and Hasek’s Heroes since 2013. She has co-chaired the IIB’s premier annual fundraiser, Buffalo Without Borders since 2013.