Celebrating Our Bevel Alumni

In this exclusive feature on the Bv'ld Edge, we introduce you to three accomplished individuals – Pelli Wang, Mimi Rupert, and Blake Schenerlein – all of whom began their careers at Bevel. Here, Pelli, Mimi and Blake share insights into what first attracted them to Bevel, their favorite and most memorable clients and projects, and how their experiences at the firm have shaped the trajectory of their careers to follow.

Initially, what attracted you to Bevel?

Pelli: I thought Jessica's vision for Bevel was extremely refreshing and necessary in the fintech, VC and crypto industry. Having worked at all of those industries myself, I knew how difficult it was to communicate and market new products that are typically thought of as boring, stale or overly complex. Enter Bevel. Bevel really sought to change that narrative and worked with some of the most interesting companies and got the word out that next-generation finance can be exciting! I really enjoyed my experience working with Bevel colleagues and clients.

Mimi: I was initially drawn to Bevel's company culture, opportunities to work closely with industry leaders and room for professional growth. When I joined the team, even starting off as an intern, I immediately felt so welcome and was treated as an integral part of the team. As I progressed from an intern to a Junior Associate to an Associate, I was entrusted with more responsibility on each account and took on a greater client-facing role and in turn, developed invaluable media and client management skills.

Blake: With Bevel, I found the opportunity to enter the world of PR on the ground level of an exciting new start-up. As a recent college grad, I was immediately thrown into projects, soon leading clients and pitching top-tier press with the guidance of some of the most talented public relationships professionals in the business! The experience I gained from my time at Bevel was invaluable to the trajectory of my career.

Can you share a memorable project or campaign you worked on with us? What made it special or challenging?

Pelli: 2 projects that I wanted to highlight (1) Tagomi was a digital asset trading firm that built a prime brokerage model for institutional crypto. In just under 2 years, they grew from a small team to being acquired by Coinbase and now make up their institutional arm, Coinbase Prime.  (2)  Curio Cards was one of the oldest NFT collections minted on Ethereum. This full set of 30 cards was the first digital art collection sold by famed auction house Christie's for over 393 ETH or $1.2mm. It was a landmark sale for its time.

Mimi: The most memorable campaign that I worked on at Bevel was the launch of Alan Patricof's memoir, No Red Lights: Reflections of Life, 50 Years in Venture Capital and Never Driving Alone. I'm incredibly lucky that Morgan [Borer] took a chance on me to support her on this project, and I learned so much about the importance of building and maintaining relationships, being quick on my feet and staying organized. Plus, working with a legend like Alan [Patricof] is always a wild ride!

Blake: During my time at Bevel, I always had the opportunity to jump on crazy fun projects! I helped support the launch of Rally Rd.’s (Now Rally) brick-and-mortar - one of my first event coordination experiences that started my love of events! And… I got to see how a Ferrari fit into a tiny Soho storefront.

Tell us about your current company and role. How have you continued to develop and expand your skill set post-Bevel?

Pelli: Currently, I'm proud to have moved on to co-found other companies such as DeerCreek (strategy advisory for fintech, crypto) and Bracket Labs (decentralized finance project). I have taken a lot of my knowledge of product marketing, PR and media strategy from Bevel with me to achieve great success with these new companies

Mimi: I'm currently the US PR Manager at the world's largest independent dance music label, Armada Music. I run press campaigns on new releases, projects and albums across my artist roster, focus on long-term profile building, and work to grow the label's presence in the US, as we're headquartered in Amsterdam. As I learn the new media landscape, I've really enjoyed the research process, refining my writing skills and pushing myself to think outside of the box.

Blake: After Bevel, I had the opportunity to work at Meta for 4 years, leading trending communications on the Instagram team and then supporting Partnership communications efforts company-wide. I am now a Sr. Strategist at See.Spark.Go, a full-service marketing agency. My experience at Bevel provided a foundation to expand my career across industries and specializations. Bevel helped shape me professionally, creatively, and collaboratively, for which I am so grateful!

Tell us about achievements or promotions in your post-Bevel career that you're most proud of. How do you think your experience with us contributed to these accomplishments?

Pelli: Post-Bevel, I am thrilled that I've been able to help many startups scale from pre-product to several hundred millions of dollars through BD partnerships, product marketing, and strategic PR. It is the most exciting to see deals that you've been working on for months turn into real products that are used by millions of people.

Mimi: Music PR is vastly different from tech and startup PR - the industry is a completely different world. Since joining Armada, I've had to rebuild my network in a new industry, but I'm proud of the relationships I've formed in a short amount of time and my ability to dive right in. My experience at Bevel gave me a strong foundation in media relations, networking and interpersonal communication, and laid the groundwork to apply my knowledge in a new field.

In the next five years, what are your biggest career goals or aspirations?

Pelli: I love what I do which is working with startups and building new financial products that bring value and convenience to people. I hope that I can continue to build my career in this direction for the next few decades.

Mimi: My ultimate career goal since I was young was to work in the music industry, and I'm blessed to have made the transition at such an early point in my career. I still have so much to learn and so many areas to explore, but I'm excited to see where the journey goes.

Blake: I plan to continue expanding my range, leaning into new projects, and learning how to evolve with the ever-changing communications landscape. I want to always be open to new opportunities, challenges, and seasons of growth.

Grow Your Career at Bevel

We've had the privilege of witnessing remarkable career growth and achievements among our Bevel team members, which speaks to the valuable experiences and opportunities they've encountered here. These stories underscore the potential for meaningful professional development, and we're proud to have played a part in their journeys.

Stay tuned for more industry insights and stories from talented professionals right here on the Bv'ld Edge. If you're considering a career in PR, explore the possibilities available in the field to kickstart your own journey of growth and success.