Hawthorne Strategy Group

10/20/2026

Apna Ghar, Inc. (Our Home) just released "Recipes from Our Home," a cookbook containing 29 recipes shared by survivors of gender-based violence. This collection was gathered through years of cooking programs hosted at Apna Ghar's emergency housing services.

Hawthorne is proud to support Apna Ghar's mission through this project, and we look forward to readers creating each dish for their own homes this holiday season.

You can learn more about "Recipes from Our Home" and the mission of Apna Ghar in this article from Block Club Chicago: https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/10/19/recipes-shared-by-domestic-violence-survivors-find-home-in-uptown-shelters-cookbook/

10/13/2026

Last week, the Hawthorne team attended the 68th Annual Golden Trumpet Awards hosted by the Publicity Club of Chicago. It was great to see our team's hard work recognized, and none of it would be possible without our amazing clients!

We're proud to have taken home the following awards for our work with Solar Powers Illinois, Organogenesis, Chicago Dental Society, Lasagna Love, and Hope Ignites:

Golden Trumpet - Media Relations - Solar Powers Illinois
Golden Trumpet - Public Affairs - Solar Power Illinois
Golden Trumpet - Special Events/Experiential - Organogenesis
Golden Trumpet - Influencer/Creator Campaigns - Chicago Dental Society
Silver Trumpet - Integrated Marketing Communications - Chicago Dental Society
Silver Trumpet - Association Communications - Chicago Dental Society
Silver Trumpet - Nonprofit Communications - Hope Ignites
Silver Trumpet - Nonprofit Communications - Lasagna Love

Thank you to our clients for your trust and collaboration, and to the Publicity Club of Chicago for hosting such a wonderful event!

09/30/2026

Welcome aboard to Hawthorne's newest intern, Mallory LaPlante! Mallory has already been hard at work in September alongside the Hawthorne team and we're very happy to have her with us for the Fall.

Learn more about Mallory on our website:
https://www.hawthornestrategy.com/mallory-laplante

09/28/2026

The Hawthorne team recently attended the 2026 PRSA Chicago Skyline Awards to celebrate our incredible team, wonderful clients, and hard work!

We are honored to have taken home the following awards for our work supporting Chicago Dental Society and Solar Powers Illinois:

Skyline Award, Newsletters, Solar Powers Illinois
Award of Excellence, Media Relations - Nonprofit, Solar Powers Illinois
Award of Excellence, Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability, Solar Powers Illinois
Skyline Award, Influencer Marketing - Micro, Chicago Dental Society
Award of Excellence, Influencer Marketing - Macro, Chicago Dental Society
Skyline Award, Integrated Communications - Nonprofit, Chicago Dental Society

09/02/2026

Congratulations to our client, the Women's Business Development Center, for 40 years of supporting small business owners throughout its nine-state region of operation!

The WBDC's community is celebrating with regional events to connect, learn, and build the future of small businesses. The first regional event kicked off in Milwaukee last month, with another upcoming event in Minneapolis and the main event on Oct. 15 at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Check out the photos in BizTimes Milwaukee:

The Women's Business Development Center recently hosted the 2026 WBDC Small Business Social, drawing Wisconsin entrepreneurs, partners, staff and

08/28/2026

As we approach the end of summer, Jade Walker and Griffin Owens took some time to reflect on their experiences at Hawthorne. From media training and event support to press releases and social copy, our interns became deeply familiar with the work of a communications agency.

Hear from Jade and Griffin in Hawthorne's latest blog post:

Our summer interns Jade and Griffin reflect on their time at Hawthorne Strategy Group

08/24/2026

Effective today, our client MPEA has appointed Chris Konecki as the general manager of McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America.

Konecki is a McCormick Place veteran, previously spending 16 years with the organization as an event manager. More recently, he served as the Chicago Automobile Trade Association's Executive Vice President and Director of Auto Show Relations, overseeing the show's production and familiarizing himself with the needs of organizers, exhibitors, and attendees. We are excited for our client to take this critical step in the next evolution of McCormick Place.

You can learn more about Chris Konecki and future plans for the convention center in this article from Trade Show Executive:

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority announced Chris Konecki has been appointed as the new General Manager of McCormick Place

08/19/2026

The 2026 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Skyline Awards are just a month away, and we are proud to represent our clients with award-winning results!

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) - Chicago Chapter selected Hawthorne as a finalist in six different categories, showcasing our versatile and comprehensive capabilities. These awards not only recognize excellence in producing business results, but celebrate creativity and innovation in public relations.

Our work received recognition for the following categories and campaigns:

Newsletters, Solar Powers Illinois
Media Relations - Nonprofit, Solar Powers Illinois
Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability, Solar Powers Illinois
Influencer Marketing - Micro, Chicago Dental Society
Influencer Marketing - Macro, Chicago Dental Society
Integrated Communications - Nonprofit, Chicago Dental Society

We look forward to celebrating these campaigns and continuing to elevate our clients at the Skyline Awards Celebration Gala on September 17!

08/17/2026

When local businesses succeed, communities thrive.

That's the common belief that drives both our client, the Women's Business Development Center and Cook County Government's recent Pathways to Cook County Summit event.

As a keynote speaker, WBDC president and CEO Erica T. Kuhlmann shared the stage with Cook County Board of Commissioners President Toni Preckwinkle to share insights and inspiring success stories with attendees. The WBDC team was also onsite to put Erica's words into action. During the event, they met with interested business owners to discuss how the organization supports entrepreneurial journeys in Cook County and beyond.

08/14/2026

At Hawthorne, we always bring our best work to our clients, no matter the task. We are proud to be recognized in the 2026 Publicity Club of Chicago Golden Trumpet Awards across 7 categories. These awards celebrate the year’s most outstanding campaigns, programs, content, and communications work, and we are honored to be counted among them.

We received recognition in the following categories:

Nonprofit Communications, We Are Lasagna Love
Nonprofit Communications, Hope Ignites
Influencer/Creator Campaigns, Chicago Dental Society
Association Communications, Chicago Dental Society
Integrated Marketing Communications, Chicago Dental Society
Special Events/Experiential, Organogenesis
Public Affairs, Solar Powers Illinois
Media Relations, Solar Powers Illinois