About - KWI Communications

KWI is a collective of communicators and consultants passionate about putting people at the center of business.

We help companies thrive by creating connections with their communities – both internally and externally. Our agency offers a variety of services – from internal communications, change management and employee engagement to external public relations, digital media and brand reputation. Our people-centric approach has driven results for clients across industries, and we know that together we can unleash your company’s full potential.

View Our Areas of Expertise

What we mean by...

verb: To foster strong connections, trust and alignment to ensure community members become engaged contributors and advocates that drive better business performance.

noun: People connected to one another by shared values, norms, purpose, interests and motivations. Community is a reflection of the people in it and is authentic, voluntary and based on trust.

Our history

In 2007, Ken Willis leveraged his career of journalism, political service and global PR agency leadership to launch a truly unique communications company. He envisioned a business of exceptional specialists with a unique understanding of corporate culture who could focus on true partnerships with their clients.

KWI has always specialized in crafting the story and delivering it anywhere, anytime and on any device. We do that very well.

But as our world changed, we saw an opportunity to shift, to put the audience first, focusing on authenticity and connection to drive results.

What began as a niche internal communications team with embedded consultants who worked hand-in-hand with corporate communications staff has grown into a robust, full-service agency with a unique, people-first approach.

Under the trailblazing leadership of Ken’s daughter, Celia Willis, KWI’s approach evolved from helping companies communicate with their employees to helping companies weave community and foster connections among all their audiences. As we boldly flipped business (and the business of communicating) on its head, we saw results that demonstrated community and communication go hand in hand.

Communities are bound by language and fueled by stories, making communication the connective tissue that holds communities together.

Understanding the impact of community broadened our ability to build projects and campaigns that more directly target our clients’ varied audiences. Armed with this valuable insight, KWI focused its approach to help companies develop strong communities of people – inside and out – who are engaged contributors and advocates.

In 2022, having shepherded KWI into a people-focused era, Celia entrusted agency leadership to dynamic communications executive Leah Gladu. As CEO, Leah expertly counsels clients and coaches the KWI team, fostering a company culture characterized by excellence, collaboration and community.

With Leah at the helm, KWI leverages a robust understanding of the vital role of communications to inform and inspire effective strategy, bring to life innovative programs and achieve lasting results.

Ultimately, we believe we have a game-changing approach that can be applied across the board to drive bottom lines for all businesses, and we are eager to share our perspective, findings and related success. And what’s more, we see an opportunity to leverage our expertise to drive growth for you.

Meet the leadership team

KWI began as a small collection of contractors. Today we boast a diverse team of professionals from a variety of backgrounds and with decades of experience. As a company that values community (our passion), growth (our heartbeat) and exploration (our drive), we are proud to reflect all three in our team’s continued growth.

Ready to start putting some faces with our name? Meet the KWI leadership team: