Most PR professionals break into the business after college. Amanda Karfakis got her first break at age 10.
Born to a family of Greek immigrants Amanda grew up in the public eye, working in her family’s 24-hour diner in Ithaca, New York. There, she mastered the art of communicating with the public, from promotion to community relations to damage control. Interacting with hundreds of people daily, she found she had magnetism, a knack for making a diversity of people feel comfortable.
After graduating from Towson University she landed a job with one of the country’s top 100 interactive firms, Gr8. Through a fluke of events, including the sudden resignation of the PR director, Amanda found herself in charge of Gr8bs corporate communications just four months out of college.
While Gr8 prospered, she worked for local and national accounts. As Gr8 slowly unraveled (and jilted workers took their stories to the press), Amanda gained invaluable crisis communications experience. When Gr8 closed in 2001, she moved on to Planit. She launched Planit’s PR division and oversaw its growth into a highly profitable enterprise within her four-year managership.
Today, Amanda has over 15 years’ experience in business and marketing. She’s worked with clients across multiple industries, including Eat SmartB., Six Flags, Cathedral Stone Products, Tourism Ireland, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, House Of Ruth, and XLHealth.
As President and CEO for the boutique PR-design-branding firm, Vitamin, she delivers proven business and media savvy to support the firm’s mission to be the Cure for the Common Brand.