Mission
Moving science from insight to impact in service of health, society, and our planet.
Team
Our team is as diverse as the organizations and individuals we support. We bring together scientists, writers, designers, web developers, and media specialists united by a shared commitment to science, its impact on the world, and the importance of communicating it well.
Our primary goal
is to help our clients share their research and findings with the world in an impactful and authentic way. We do this by leveraging our science, storytelling, design, and media expertise to create memorable and effective messaging. Whether you are a researcher, a nonprofit organization, or an academic institution, we believe that your work matters and deserves to be heard.
Our Core Values
Empathy
We lead with kindness, grounding our culture in respect, earned trust, and humanity. We put people first in every interaction.
Integrity
We do work we believe in, with people and organizations who share our values. Having a deep connection and shared purpose makes us genuinely invested in our clients' successes.
Agility
We adapt quickly and creatively, flexing across roles, projects, and priorities. We don't just react to problems, we anticipate and solve them before they ever reach the surface.
Excellence
We are relentless in our pursuit of exceptional work and hold ourselves to the highest possible standards. We achieve this through shared accountability, grace, and teamwork.
Our Founder’s Story
I often tell people that I have a PhD in “science politics,” but perhaps a more accurate reflection would be that I received world-class training in the business of academic science. I published in prestigious journals, secured awards and funding, and built a brand within my community that could be leveraged for research and career advancement. This training is also what led me to leave the academy. I was a fine scientist, but was compelled to explore new opportunities knowing that other brilliant minds would drive much-needed progress and make world-changing discoveries. I didn’t know it yet, but years later, my path would come full circle to catalyze precisely these individuals and events.
I transitioned to a career in life sciences PR and Corporate Communications, working with biotech companies and their executive teams. It was eye-opening to see the value that communications has in the corporate world and how invested companies are in cultivating it. It’s a stark contrast compared to the attitude toward communications pervasive in academia (It’s a distraction. It’s a waste of time. The media always gets it wrong, why bother?) But in industry, these efforts are led by an X-factor that didn’t exist in academia: ongoing, tailored support staffed by an expert team. This is the niche that Stellate occupies. A communications agency, for scientists, by scientists.
Stellate is more than a PR firm.
We are strategic scientific partners that operate across communications and research operations. To-date, our grantsmanship has resulted in over $52.5M in awarded funds. We’ve placed clients and prepared clients for coverage in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, National Geographic, The Guardian and on NPR and PBS NOVA. But perhaps the most rewarding are client reports of being better mentors, family members, and colleagues because Stellate clears mental space so that they can focus on what they do best: the science.
I transitioned to a career in life sciences PR and Corporate Communications, working with biotech companies and their executive teams. It was eye-opening to see the value that communications has in the corporate world and how invested companies are in cultivating it. It’s a stark contrast compared to the attitude toward communications pervasive in academia (It’s a distraction. It’s a waste of time. The media always gets it wrong, why bother?) But in industry, these efforts are led by an X-factor that didn’t exist in academia: ongoing, tailored support staffed by an expert team. This is the niche that Stellate occupies. A communications agency, for scientists, by scientists.
Stellate is more than a PR firm.
We are strategic scientific partners that operate across communications and research operations. To-date, our grantsmanship has resulted in over $52.5M in awarded funds. We’ve placed clients and prepared clients for coverage in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, National Geographic, The Guardian and on NPR and PBS NOVA. But perhaps the most rewarding are client reports of being better mentors, family members, and colleagues because Stellate clears mental space so that they can focus on what they do best: the science.
— Caitlin Vander Weele, PhD
