Tess Pawlisch, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Needle PR, has dedicated over 15 years to championing values-driven brands and elevating underrepresented voices from Washington, D.C. to Silicon Valley.
A leader in tech publications since 2019, Tess has leveraged her skills in mobilizing voters and donors to help mission-driven startups and venture capital firms attract talent, customers, and investors. Her clients—and subsequently, her expertise—span artificial intelligence, blockchain, climate, financial services, healthcare, social impact, and more.
Tess began her political career at age 15 in her home state of Wisconsin. Before graduating high school, she was a member of the finance team that broke various state and national fundraising records during the recall of Governor Scott Walker—the biggest recall in American history.
For the next decade, she led fundraising and communication programs for non-profits, philanthropic organizations, and campaigns to help elect presidents, governors, attorneys general, senators, Supreme Court justices, congresspeople, state legislative leaders, and mayors.
Tess pivoted in 2016 after moving to San Francisco, where she realized that representation in Washington is just one way to make societal change. The tech industry also plays a crucial role in driving real-world progress, but she knew it needed to better support diverse founders and voices building impactful startups.
These two passions culminated in 2023 when Tess founded Needle, a creative communications agency that helps clients committed to systemic change Make a Point.
Tess's leadership extends to pro-bono communications, mentorship, and advisory roles, reflecting her commitment to social impact and diversity. Her academic background includes a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Elizabeth J. Somers Women's Leadership Program at George Washington University. An avid runner and reader, Tess embodies a blend of professional excellence and personal passion.
Dedee is a copywriter, ghostwriter, and PR strategist with a focus on technology, politics, and science.
After earning dual degrees in journalism, television, and political science, Dedee began her career in startup PR at a boutique agency in San Francisco. Throughout the turbulent media environment of the pandemic, she supported comms efforts for technology clients including Evernote, Discord, Kyte, AirProducts, and Life360. When the world opened up in late 2021, Dedee pivoted to entertainment publicity in Los Angeles (her home base!), where she helped execute theatrical release campaigns and live events with IFC Films, AMC Studios, Lionsgate, RLJE Films, Saban Films, Shudder, and XYZ Films.
Dedee returned to tech in 2022 as a freelance copywriter, focusing on long-form content and ghostwriting for clients around the world. She wrote popular newsletters The Business of Tech, No-Code This, and Latest In Space, and crafted social media copy for B2B and B2C clients in AI, cosmetics, apparel, and more.
At Needle, Dedee drives Needle’s owned content program while supporting thought leadership development, media monitoring, proactive pitching, events and awards applications, and client communication. With a knack for writing, a fascination with trends, and a love for collaboration, Dedee brings a thoughtful perspective to every PR and content initiative.
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Isabel is a San Diego-born-and-raised strategic media relations pro with a passion for storytelling.
At Needle, she leads all aspects of media strategy — building and nurturing long-term relationships with journalists, securing top-tier exclusives for company announcements, drafting proactive pitches that pack a punch, and spearheading high-impact PR campaigns that align with client priorities, whether it's boosting investor visibility or growing share of voice.
Prior to joining the Needle team, Isabel worked at BAM Communications, a tech PR and marketing agency, where she specialized in climate tech and VC media relations. Her roster of former clients includes Touring Capital, Gigascale Capital, itselectric, Mycocycle, Epicore Biosystems, and more. Isabel kicked off her PR career at a boutique agency in San Francisco where she helped startups across industries, including fintech, mobility, AI, and Saas, navigate the heights of a global pandemic, national social justice movement, and turbulent funding environment.
Isabel takes pride in her local journalism background, which ultimately laid the foundation for her career in PR. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis in poetry from California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo. Her favorite poets include Ross Gay, Jose Olivarez, and Ada Limón.
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Ella came to Needle after completing her Master’s program at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where her thesis project examined journalist outcomes in private equity-owned newsrooms. She previously held internships at Popular Science, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, and the Medill Spiegel Research Center. She is passionate about helping founders tell their stories and specializes in research, competitive analysis, and proactive pitching.
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