About

KWI is a collective of communicators and management consultants who are 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. Our seasoned team is a driving force behind some of the country’s most respected corporations, including Chick-fil-A, Cox Communications, Aflac and more. Together we can unleash your company’s full potential.

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What we mean by...

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.

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

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 changes, we saw an opportunity to shift, to put the audience first, focusing on authenticity and connection rather than messaging and channels, to drive results.

What began as a niche internal communications team with embedded consultants who worked hand-in-hand with corporate communications staff to build employee engagement has grown into a robust, full-service agency with a uniquely people-first approach. Under the trailblazing leadership of Ken’s daughter, CEO Celia Willis, KWI continues to boldly foster a company culture characterized by collaboration, innovation and now community.

With Celia at the helm, KWI’s communications approach has evolved from helping companies communicate with their employees, to helping companies weave community and foster connections

among all their audiences. As we boldly flip business (and the business of communicating) on its head, we see results that demonstrate 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.

Our journey toward understanding how vital community is to a company has broadened our ability to build projects and campaigns that more directly target these varied audiences. We now have valuable insight into how to help companies develop strong communities of people – inside and out – who are engaged contributors and advocates.

We believe we have a game-changing approach that can be applied across the board to impact bottom lines and results for all businesses – from internal communications and engagement campaigns to public relations, management consulting and insights – and we are eager to share our perspective, findings and related success.

Putting people at the center of business sets us apart and sets our clients up for success. So, with a diverse team, we have embraced the critical role of engaged community. And what’s more, we see an opportunity to leverage that to drive growth for you.

Meet the leadership team

KWI began as a small collection of contractors. Today we boast a diverse team of 50 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: