What happens when you bring a PR mindset into the world of family offices, private funds, and high-net-worth founders? You get a fundamentally different approach to communications — one built on discretion, trust, and long-term value creation. On this episode of The PR Bunker Podcast, Don Martelli sits down with Jay Kolbe from Impact Partners to explore the unique role strategic communications plays in the private capital space and why the old playbook doesn't always apply.
Most people associate PR with product launches, media placements, and crisis management. But Jay's work at Impact Partners operates in a different arena entirely. He focuses on strategic communications for family offices, investment funds, and founders — a space where visibility is often carefully controlled and the stakes of getting messaging wrong are exceptionally high.
In this world, branding isn't about going viral. It's about building credibility with a very specific audience — investors, partners, and stakeholders who value substance over noise. Jay explains how strategic communications in this context is less about volume and more about precision, positioning clients as trusted thought leaders in their respective sectors.
Jay's journey into strategic communications wasn't a straight line. He didn't come up through a traditional agency track or earn a communications degree and follow the expected path. Instead, his career took a winding route through different industries and experiences that ultimately gave him a unique perspective on what makes communications effective.
That unconventional background turns out to be an asset. It means Jay approaches client challenges without the constraints of "how it's always been done" in PR. He brings fresh thinking to an industry that can sometimes rely too heavily on established formulas, especially when working with clients in emerging and non-traditional sectors.
One of the strongest themes in this conversation is Jay's emphasis on relationships and the human side of PR. In a field that's increasingly driven by analytics, automation, and AI-generated content, he argues that the most valuable thing a communications professional can offer is genuine connection.
Building trust with clients, understanding their vision on a personal level, and maintaining relationships with media and industry contacts — these are the things that can't be automated. Jay is candid about the fact that the best opportunities in his career have come not from cold outreach or clever campaigns, but from relationships built over time with authenticity and mutual respect.
A particularly insightful part of the discussion centers on how Jay views branding not as a marketing expense but as a value creation tool. For family offices and funds, a strong brand — built through thoughtful communications — can directly impact deal flow, partnership opportunities, and the ability to attract top talent.
This reframing is powerful. It moves communications from the "nice to have" category into the strategic core of how these organizations grow and compete. When your reputation precedes you in the right way, doors open that no amount of cold calling could achieve.
Jay and Don also dig into how the PR landscape is evolving with the rise of AI and digital media. While AI tools are making certain aspects of communications faster and more efficient — research, content drafting, media monitoring — Jay stresses that they can't replace the nuanced judgment that comes from experience and human intuition.
The risk, he suggests, is that over-reliance on technology can strip communications of the very thing that makes it effective: authenticity. In a world where audiences are increasingly savvy about detecting manufactured content, maintaining a genuine human voice is more important than ever.
In one of the more personal moments of the episode, Jay opens up about his love for anime and how it influences his worldview. It might seem like an unlikely connection to PR strategy, but Jay draws a thoughtful parallel between the storytelling depth found in anime — its themes of perseverance, transformation, and seeing the world differently — and his own approach to both life and work.
It's a reminder that the best communicators are often those with diverse interests and perspectives. The ability to draw inspiration from unexpected places is what makes strategic thinking creative rather than formulaic.
For founders, family offices, or funds looking to elevate their communications strategy, Jay welcomes conversations. His approach is built on understanding your unique story and positioning it in a way that creates lasting value — not just headlines.
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