Today, North Carolina adds another company to its women-owned venture list. Co-Founders and marketing strategists Christy Harner and Tara Fusco have partnered to launch Kepler & Wilde Charlotte’s newest marketing agency with over 25 years of combined marketing strategy and brand development experience.
Why is Kepler & Wilde different? Christy Harner, Co-Founder and CEO explains, “Kepler & Wilde is dedicated to exploring the edge of marketing. The age of the ill-informed customer is over. Brands need to establish an emotional connection while creating compelling stories and unforgettable experiences.” Harner adds, “Over the past 15 years, Tara and I have been in the startup and corporate trenches. We’ve sold companies, served global enterprises, and successfully lead campaigns that have made headlines and experienced triple-digit growth. We know success follows alignment and deliberate data-driven strategy and we are here to bring organizations closer to their customers.”
Harner is a well-known marketing strategist in the Charlotte area, an NC IDEA Fellow, and the Director of Entrepreneurial Experience for Innovate Charlotte. Over the past 15 years, she has helped raise millions of dollars in capital, developed products, sold companies, built marketing strategies for over 100 Charlotte-based companies, and had startups featured in TechCrunch and Shark Tank. Harner is also completing her MBA at Queens University of Charlotte as well as serving on the board of Aspire Community Capital.
As Harner takes on the role of Chief Executive Officer, Tara Fusco will serve as the company’s Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer.
“According to a recent study only 1 in 4 companies have women in the C-suite, and only 6% hold CEO titles. This is abysmal,” says Tara Fusco, Co-Founder and CMO. “Kepler & Wilde will transform the agency model and how organizations approach marketing. From helping companies grow and owning lean and agile methodologies to supporting the local economy, we want to create an agency that is emblematic of transforming the status quo and improving the human experience.”
With over 10 years of corporate brand, marketing, and communications strategy and implementation experience, Tara has led growth-driven marketing teams for consulting firms, software companies, and, more recently, a multi-billion-dollar manufacturer in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. From her in-depth knowledge of the technology sector and digital transformation to her diverse industry experience, Tara’s campaigns have empowered companies to achieve exponential growth and headlines in Forbes and the Wall Street Journal as well as multiple awards including coveted CES recognition. Tara received her degree in Communications from Appalachian State University, is a guest lecturer on the topic of Big Data and New Media, and was a fellow for NextGen Climate during the 2016 Presidential election.
Based out of WeWork in Charlotte and Durham, NC, Kepler & Wilde aims to be the model of a lean organization focused on empowering customers and community.
Kepler & Wilde is hosting a launch party this week at the new Charlotte WeWork @TheRailYard in SouthEnd. To inquire about tickets, contact tarafusco@keplerandwilde.com. To learn more about the company, check out keplerandwilde.com