Ron Berkowitz

CEO and Founder

From powerhouse personalities and companies like Jay Z, Alex Rodriguez, Kevin Durant, Roc Nation Sports and Bacardi to leaders in hospitality such as Tao, 1OAK, Brother Jimmy’s and even the island of St. Maarten, Ron Berkowitz has worked with some of the top brands and celebrities in the world over the last nearly two decades. What started as an entrepreneurial dream with one employee and a desk in 1999 has turned into a formidable player in the PR world specializing in hospitality, celebrity, travel, nightlife, spirits and events. Ron’s philosophy of fostering relationships with both brand owners and members of the media has resulted in long lasting clients and strong media relationships that deliver real results for those clients. His impressive roster of lifestyle and celebrity clients ranges from personalities in music, film, television and sports to five−star resorts and some of New York City’s hottest restaurants and nightclubs, not to mention A− list red carpet events. Berk Communications is now one of the most sought after partners in the space.

Ryan Mucatel

Chief Operating Officer

Ryan Mucatel is a highly-accomplished communications executive with 20+ years of experience developing and executing marketing communications initiatives for diverse industry leaders including Amazon, Barefoot Wine, Microsoft, Nike, Jordan Brand, Coca-Cola, 3M, Kimberly-Clark, Comcast, NASCAR, the NFL, DraftKings and DIAGEO. He is a facilitator of integration across corporate units, business cultures, geographies and personnel, and a collaborative problem solver who uses marketing, content and communications to elevate people, products and brands. Over the course of his career Ryan has counseled senior executives through a variety of industry altering initiatives including the launch of Activision’s Overwatch League, the launch of several Nike Air Jordan signature sneakers, the entrance of DraftKings into the legalized sports betting industry, and the launch of Xbox Live for Microsoft. When not on a client call, Ryan is likely to be reading a spy thriller or watching his Yankees, Giants and Rangers while his three amazing children and wife are yelling at him to get off the couch.

Marisa Carstens

Senior Vice President

Marisa Carstens joined Berk Communications in 2016 with 16 years of experience in consumer and corporate communications.  A New York native, Marisa has spent her years in public relations taking well-known and not so well-known brands and getting them the visibility and coverage they want through creative and strategic programming.  Her career path has taken her to notable agencies including Text100 and Harrison & Shriftman and to American Express where she oversaw external communications for travel and lifestyle services.  Marisa has had the luck to work with amazing clients throughout her career including British Airways, Johnson & Johnson, TLC (The Learning Channel), W Hotels, JW Marriott, Blackberry, MTV and more. At Berk Communications, she oversees the food & beverage, travel & lifestyle teams. In her spare time she can be found building Lego towers with her son or reading a great novel.

Melanie Van Dusen

Vice President, Sports & Entertainment

Melanie Van Dusen joined Berk Communications in 2017 with a wealth of experience across the sports and entertainment realm. She has worked with some of the biggest personalities in sports including numerous league campions, Pro Bowl selections, All-Stars, and Olympians in addition to A-list events and mainstream consumer brands.

Melanie has worked for the Washington Redskins, NFL Players Association, National Basketball Association, Octagon and Select Sports Group. Most recently at Select Sports Group, Melanie directed and developed strategic communications for the firm while shaping and rebuilding client reputations through targeted and creative media placements, publicity opportunities, brand collaborations, philanthropic endeavors, and social strategy. Since leaving her home state of Virginia, Melanie has lived in New York, San Francisco, Houston and now Los Angeles. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and a master’s from Georgetown University. At Berk, Melanie oversees the sports and entertainment team in conjunction with Founder Ron Berkowitz and manages the agency’s marketing and digital. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys binging The Bachelor and exploring Los Angeles with her family.

Matt Frappier

Vice President

Matthew joins BERK Communications from DKC where he led national media outreach on behalf of clients including Delta Air Lines, BMW and Moet Hennessy.

Prior to DKC, Matthew was a Vice President in Edelman New York’s Brand Earned Media Practice where he leads media relations campaigns on behalf of clients across the network. Some of his successes include the launch of Dove’s Real Beauty Productions with Shonda Rhimes, the debut of two new brands – AptotheCARE Essentials and Love, Beauty and Planet with Unilever, The Vaseline Healing Project with Viola Davis and helping raise the profile of the Heineken House at events including, Coachella, the US Open and ULTRA.  In addition to these, Matthew has worked extensively across the Edelman Brand US network where he oversaw programs on behalf of iconic brands including Bacardi, The Empire State Building, KFC, Chobani, Porsche and Netflix.

Prior to Edelman Matthew held roles at Harrison  & Shriftman, Zeno Group and The Magrino Agency where he managed a variety of hospitality, spirts and lifestyle clients including GREY GOOSE Vodka, The Fontainebleau Miami Beach, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Facundo Rum, One & Only Resorts and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Originally from Watertown CT, Matthew resides in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and when he isn’t seeking out NYC’s best burger he is honing his skills so that he can someday be an OK tennis player

Matt Mirandi

Senior Director

Matt Mirandi joined Berk Communications in 2018 with an extensive background in content marketing and communications strategy. He has spent years leading comprehensive content, thought leadership and public relations campaigns for Fortune 50 companies, advocacy groups and startups alike. He’s passionate about building authentic reporter relationships and a student of the Internet who uses pop culture to tap traditional and new media formats to help advance client stories and enhance the impact they have on desired audiences. Matt has led media relations strategies for brands as diverse as GE, Credit Suisse, Pfizer, ExxonMobil, Target, The Home Depot, Dell, The Motion Picture Association of America, the TED Conferences, InterContinental Hotels Group, Liberty United, Solar Impulse, The Happiest Baby Company, Knewton, Credit Sesame, and BillShrink (acquired by MasterCard) among many others and the experiences have made him adept at successfully crafting compelling strategies for any industry or beat. Always eager to pursue great stories, Matt has contributed pieces for publications such as Fast Company on topics ranging from marketing to Internet culture. In his spare time, you can find Matt stand-up paddle boarding, enjoying a craft beer, or sketching out a song you might hear on the radio one day. Matt received an undergraduate degree from Hamilton College.

Brenda Fuster

Senior Director, Travel & Hospitality

Brenda has nearly a decade of experience in public relations covering a diverse set of clients in travel, lifestyle and hospitality. Having lived in more than six different countries and speaking four languages, she has first-hand experience understanding cultures and their intricacies.

Prior to joining Berk Communications, Brenda was an Account Director at SweeneyVesty where she was responsible for drafting strategic communications proposals for potential new clients and leading multiple accounts in the agency’s tourism and economic development division including Ireland’s flag carrier Aer Lingus and New Zealand’s regional economic development agency (WREDA). Before that, Brenda cultivated her media relations and event management skills by working with the Jamaica Tourist Board, Hilton Hotels, Air France and Hotels.com at Finn Partners.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Brenda is fluent in Spanish and English. Thanks to the four years she lived in Switzerland, she’s also familiar with Italian and French.

Didier Morais

Senior Director, Lifestyle  

Didier Morais joined Berk Communications in 2017 with experience in sports, entertainment and technology communications. At Berk, Didier currently leads clients that span the sports, spirits, travel and consumer lifestyle verticals. Prior to joining the company, he worked at Edelman and Text100, where he successfully spearheaded and executed media relations campaigns for many prominent brands, including MTV, VH1, Samsung Techwin, Schick, Heinz and IBM Watson. Before working in public relations, Didier spent three years as a sports reporter, covering the Boston Red Sox for New England Sports Network (NESN), the Miami Heat for the Miami Herald and high school sports for the Houston Chronicle. He also graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out in Washington Heights, watching Power and eating his traditional Colombian cuisine.

Clark Williams

Director, Sports & Entertainment

Clark Williams joined Berk Communications in 2015 and is currently a Director of Sports & Entertainment, leading PR and publicity efforts for Berk’s roster of athletes. Previously, Clark held positions at IMG, the Oakland A’s, Major League Baseball, the New York Mets and the Kansas City Chiefs. His day-to-day efforts focus on athlete brand building, creative strategy, media relations and publicity efforts. A Texan-born, Missouri-educated New Yorker with two stints in California, Clark has been all over. Fun fact, he is the least-athletic person to ever be featured in Sports Illustrated.

Laura Kepus

Account Supervisor

Originally hailing from Richmond, VA, Laura has over five years PR experience working with a variety of fashion and lifestyle brands, from sports, fitness, streetwear and everything in between. Prior to joining Berk in 2019, Laura previously held roles at TURNER and Factory PR where she worked with ’47, Bombas, CorePower Yoga, Eastpak and Native, among others. Laura has strong media relationships in multiple categories, deep experience working on influencer programs and is a skilled strategist for her team and clients.

A die hard sports fan, she loves soccer the most and hopes to stop befriending Arsenal and Chelsea fans (come on you Spurs!). When not working, she’s a full-on dog mom to her adorable French Bulldog puppy, Lucho. With half her family in Sicily, she’s semi-fluent in Italian and travels back to the motherland as much as possible.

Lea Komitzky

Account Supervisor

Originally from Philadelphia, Lea has over five years of experience working across a diverse set of client verticals including hospitality, entertainment and lifestyle. After graduating from Boston University, Lea spent four years living in Las Vegas and working with clients such as Insomniac Events, Life Is Beautiful Music & Arts Festival, South Point Hotel & Casino and USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament.

Lea has turned her passion for travel into a career at Berk working as an Account Supervisor for the travel team. Her favorite destination she’s visited so far is Sydney, Australia, where she spent four months studying abroad during college

Gabrielle Gaines

Account Supervisor, Food and Beverage

Gabrielle Gaines joined the Food and Beverage team at Berk Communications in January 2017 and now serves as an Account Supervisor. Prior to Berk, Gabrielle worked at the boutique PR firm Engelman & Company as well as the luxury jewelry brand Van Cleef and Arpels. At Berk, Gabrielle works closely with her clients to reach their goals, keep them newsworthy, and tell their unique stories. She has strong relationships with top tier media in New York City and across the country. Born and raised in Manhattan, she graduated with a B.A. from the George Washington University in 2014 with a major in American Studies and minor in Health and Wellness. Outside of Berk, Gabrielle loves to travel the world and try NYC’s newest restaurants.