The Team

Cássio Trevisani

With 20 years experience as a public relations /marketing professional, Cássio’s diverse marketplace understanding and cutting edge talents have given him the expertise required to excel developing dynamic, creative, successful campaigns for companies and professionals around the globe.

Cássio’s talents thrive in today’s digital marketing and public relations new media landscape . Always on top of the latest trends and technologies in all forms of social media, Cassio is extraordinarily well versed in managing messages, content and audiences across all digital platforms . Whether you are looking for a new web site, an online advertising campaign, a revision of your current online material, search engine optimization, web site content creation, or any other form of digital marketing, Cássio delivers precision programs that will enhance your company’s exposure to reach your target audience.

Cássio has worked for companies such as Bridgestone, Fox Sports Net, Playboy Entertainment, Hilton Hotels, and others in the capacity of vp of public relations and marketing manager. Cassio has an ever present quest for knowledge, he holds a master degree in marketing from UCLA and is currently pursuing a PHD in organizational leadership.

Peggy Bendel

Peggy Bendel, headed the Tourism Division of Development Counsellors International (DCI) from 1985 to 2008, working with such clients as Australia, California, Denver, Dubai, South Africa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Scotland and Tasmania.

A principal in the seminal I Love New York campaign, Peggy began her career as a travel writer for the State of New York, and worked in economic development and international trade as well as tourism.

Her crisis communications experience includes working with Hong Kong during the SARS epidemic; with the US Virgin Islands pre- and post-Hurricane Hugo; a murder-suicide at a hotel client, undiscovered for a week; and the reintroduction of South Africa to North American travelers, before and after President Mandela’s election.

She has conducted crisis communications and media training for the Arizona Office of Tourism; Hershey Entertainment and Resorts; the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau; and the Texas Office of Tourism, among others, and has taught at PRSA, DMAI and other conferences.

In 2006, Peggy received The Winthrop Grice Lifetime Achievement in Public Relations award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). She sits on the Boards of the Association of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME) and the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Travel & Tourism section – which she Chairs in 2011 – and is an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).

Peggy also served on the Board of the International Ecotourism Society for five years, and provides pro bono advice and counsel to Ecology Project International.

A frequent speaker at conferences around the U.S. and internationally on the topics of branding, crisis communications, marketing and public relations, Peggy is also a media coach and trainer.She is also the author of the forthcoming book “It’s a Crisis! Now what?” A step- by- step crisis communications handbook for the global hospitality industry.

Jeanne Sullivan

Jeanne Sullivan’s passion is looking for the hidden or untold story, helping clients get heard in an increasingly noisy marketplace – through the good times and the “Oh my God how am I gonna survive this” times. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in strategic communications and media relations, she counsels clients in public relations, marketing, crisis communications, coaching, teambuilding, and communications services. She also implements programs, from coordinating major promotions & media missions and, producing broadcast segments to, escorting media tours and building press kits that make stories sing.

Sullivan specializes in travel and hospitality, with current clients such as the California Travel & Tourism Commission, San Jose Convention& Visitors Bureau and California’s Wine Institute. She also ran the highly regarded public relations team of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau for 13 years, which helped rebrand Miami into a hip luxury brand. Over the years she’s become a trusted source for media from the U.S., Canada, Asia, Europe and South America. She’s worked with major media outlets such as Good Morning America, CBS Early Show, Canada A.M., E! Entertainment, HBO, Today Show and their counterparts overseas.

She serves on the U.S. Travel Communications Council and is an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers and Bay Area Travel Writers. She was also a contributor to the first-ever “how to” book on travel PR, Travel and Tourism Public Relations: An Introductory Guide for Hospitality Managers (Published by Butterworth-Heinemann).

Sullivan has a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida, and currently resides in the San Francisco Bay area.

Lisa Marks

British writer, journalist and media consultant, Lisa Marks, has been living in Los Angeles for four years now, and still can’t get over seeing blue skies (almost) every day.

Starting out an eager cub reporter on an evening paper near London, she moved into women’s magazines, and soon became the showbiz editor of a popular weekly title, before moving to the Mirror Newspaper Group, as a commissioning editor. She wrote for Media Guardian, before making her move California.

As well as editing and writing, Lisa worked as a media consultant for a small publishing company in West London, over-seeing the re-launch of their specialist entertainment titles, and editing one-off publications for business clients, including MTV. She now uses her new media skills, extensive travel knowledge and marketing acumen to help build awareness of her client’s brands, and generate media coverage.

Still in demand as a journalist, she is also the LA correspondent for The Scotsman, and the Sydney Herald Sun, and Sunday Telegraph, in Australia. She still writes for the Guardian about entertainment, film and culture, as well as many other publications including Marie Claire.

She now hosts her own monthly podcast, where she interviews California-based artists about their life, work and passions.

Tim Cravens

Tim is an exceptionally talented and capable tech ninja, who also has extraordinary project management and writing skills.

Utilizing his acute attention to detail and technical expertise Tim has spent the past 15 years developing websites and maintaining social media profiles for artists, as well as copy writing and managing creative staff. He also has extensive experience in production and post production.

Prior to joining Black Ink PR, he was a production manager for the Quantum Collective, LA., where he successfully produced five consecutive days of music showcases, branding and events for over 120 bands during Austin’s SXSW 2012. He has also worked as an audio visual and event manager for Planet LA Records.

He received his BA in Technical Journalism and Communications from Colorado State University.

Tim’s technical wizardry is powered by his love of music, cats and green tea.

Courtney Ambrosia

An aficionado of the new media industry, Courtney Ambrosia has more than 10 years of experience in the marketing, communications, and web content development fields. Using her robust knowledge of digital technologies, she’s successfully navigated the information age as a digital strategist focused on solving complex business and marketing problems.

Courtney’s proclivity for innovation was always fostered through her involvement with her New Orleans-based family’s information technology business, OAC Software, which was selected as a business partner by major national vendors including IBM, Honeywell, and Wang Laboratories.

The beginning of her content development career started in community journalism, with immersion in print media as an account executive and reporter for the Suburban Community Newspaper Group followed by online news as a columnist for Patch Media.

Further refining her technical expertise, she was a web content developer for various Los Angeles based technology and media companies, including Patexia, Ematic, and Tree Home Media, where she specialized in communications with a creative edge by building results-driven strategy for brand development. For the past 6 years, she has also focused on composing dazzling copy and client content for Black Ink PR.

Thanks to her technical prowess, adaptable writing style, and project management skills, she has since developed websites, spearheaded SEO campaigns, and maintained social media platforms for various clients in the law, e-commerce, and lifestyle industries.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Rhodes College and certifications in graphic design, web design, web development, and desktop publishing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Courtney has been working in copywriting, marketing, and web content development with Black Ink PR since 2011, and is often responsible for a steady stream of Jazz in the office, and an occasional Creole dish.