Brian Purchia

About Brian Purchia

Brian Purchia is the CEO of Riff City Strategies, one of the country’s leading mission-driven communications firms working at the intersection of climate, emerging technology, and public policy. The firm was named “Small Organization of the Year” by PRWeek’s Purpose Award and recognized by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards for its innovation and impact.Riff City helps government leaders, VC-backed startups, and major foundations communicate bold public investments and breakthrough innovation. From launching EV infrastructure and defending democracy to shaping the frontier of AI governance, Riff City builds trust and momentum in moments that matter.The firm recently led the U.S. launch of Sam Altman’s World, a privacy-first platform helping distinguish humans from AI.“As a repeat (2x!) customer of Riff, I can attest to their hustle and creativity in bringing stories to life,” said Rebecca Hahn, Chief of Communications at Tools for Humanity & World. “Their tenacity and professionalism is contagious.”Riff also supported the U.S. launch of the Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging network, helping accelerate access to clean transportation.“More than a PR firm, Riff City is a mission-aligned partner,” said Andrew Cornelia, CEO of Mercedes-Benz HPC. “Their EV knowledge offered our team valuable insights to reach a diverse set of stakeholders.”The firm has also made national impact in justice reform. As former Air Force Chief Prosecutor, Col. Don Christensen (ret.) noted:“Riff City helped bring the most significant policy changes to the military justice system in history… and brought the epidemic of sexual violence and racism in the military out of the shadows.”Purchia began his career as a journalist and later became San Francisco’s first Director of Digital Media under then-Mayor Gavin Newsom. He was also co-chair of Newsom’s tech policy committee during his run for governor. The San Francisco Chronicle called him Newsom’s “go-to guy for new, and especially social media,” and Craig Newmark described him as “genuinely innovative.”Outside of work, Brian helps care for the chickens on his child’s school Green Team, supporting climate action from the ground up. He also co-founded CivicMakers.

Experience

1. CEO

   Riff City Strategies

   Mar 2017 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   Riff City is one of the country’s leading mission-driven communications firms, working at the intersection of climate, emerging tech, and public policy. The firm was named “Small Organization of the Year” by PRWeek’s Purpose Award and recognized by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards for its impact and innovation.Riff City helps government leaders, VC-backed startups, and major foundations communicate bold public investments and breakthrough innovation. From launching clean energy networks to shaping AI regulation, Riff City builds trust and momentum in moments that matter.The firm recently led the U.S. launch of Sam Altman’s World, a privacy-first platform helping distinguish humans from AI. “As a repeat (2x!) customer of Riff, I can attest to their hustle and creativity in bringing stories to life,” said Rebecca Hahn, Chief of Communications at Tools for Humanity & World. “Their tenacity and professionalism is contagious.”Riff also led communications for the Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging U.S. network launch, supporting the company’s effort to expand access to EV infrastructure. “More than a PR firm, Riff City is a mission-aligned partner,” said Andrew Cornelia, CEO of Mercedes-Benz HPC. “Their EV knowledge offered our team valuable insights to reach a diverse set of stakeholders.”Riff’s work in justice reform has also made national impact. As former Air Force Chief Prosecutor, Col. Don Christensen (ret.) noted: “Riff City helped bring the most significant policy changes to the military justice system in history… and brought the epidemic of sexual violence and racism in the military out of the shadows.”Riff City is led by Brian Purchia, a former journalist, San Francisco’s first Director of Digital Media under then-Mayor Gavin Newsom, and co-chair of Newsom’s tech policy committee. The San Francisco Chronicle called him Newsom’s “go-to guy for new, and especially social media,” and Craig Newmark described him as “genuinely innovative.”

Education

• Kenyon College

  BA, International Studies

  1998 — 2002

Skills

• Public Relations
• Internal Communications
• Media Relations
• Video
• Online Advertising
• Public Policy
• Copy Editing
• Marketing
• Strategic Communications
• Social Media
• Press Releases
• Digital Media
• Political Campaigns
• Writing
• Broadcasting
• Marketing Communications
• Television
• Corporate Communications
• Online Marketing
• Journalism
• Video Production
• Online Reputation Management
• Blogging
• Broadcast
• Content Strategy
• Leadership
• New Media
• Advertising
• Public Affairs
• Storytelling
• Brand Development
• Editing
• Radio
• Social Media Marketing
• Start-Ups
• Strategy
• Politics
• Mobile Technology
• Event Management
• Digital Strategy