We saw a trend among the world’s fast-growing tech companies. They fuel early growth through product-market fit, but fail to invest in brand and communications. When it’s time for their next stage of growth, they face critical roadblocks:
They need a story bigger than product features to reach new customers.
They need investors to believe in their vision, not only short-term results.
They need employees to stick around for more than the fruits of an IPO.
That’s where we come in.
Refract Strategies is a strategic communications consultancy that prepares tech leaders and their companies for their next stage of growth.
We’ve lived through change and scaling at some of Silicon Valley’s biggest brands. We know that the most successful transitions start with clear-cut, inspiring communication from the top.
Together with CEOs and leadership teams, we define their bigger purpose, put it into action, and build strategies to rally stakeholders around where they’re going next.
Matt Hicks |
Founder and CEO
Matt is a communications strategist and leader with nearly two decades of experience crafting stories, advising CEOs and founders, and leading communications for category-defining companies including Zendesk and Facebook.
He has seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t when companies reach critical turning points. He has led IPOs and public company communications, navigated corporate rebrands and market shifts, managed international crises, and created new categories and enduring brands.
He founded Refract Strategies in 2022 to guide even more leaders through critical transitions, define their purpose and communicate it with the world.
Leadership Experience
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As one of the first communications hires, Matt managed its early corporate and advertising communications; worked with executives to manage messaging, media and speaking; and formed its first editorial team to proactively tell product, culture and consumer stories through blogs and social media.
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Over the course of 8 years, Matt took the company public as its first communications leader, created and grew the first corporate marketing team to 25 people, and rallied the company and its stakeholders toward its $1 billion ARR vision. He was the first communications executive to sit inside the CEO office, where he led executive communications in close partnership with the leadership team.
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As SVP of communications and public affairs, Matt led communications for the company-defining $1 billion Series D, featured in a Forbes feature; spearheaded the creation of a CEO council focused on business execution; and advised the company’s co-CEOs and leadership team on both internal and external communications.
