15 Years of Caliber: What We’ve Learned and What’s Next.

Grace Keith Rodriguez
Posted on Jun. 16, 2025
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It’s hard to believe that 2025 (and, more specifically, today) marks 15 years since Caliber Corporate Advisers was founded.

A lot has changed since then. Fintech has gone from a fringe concept to a global force. Newsrooms are leaner — but the pace of media is faster than ever. AI isn’t theoretical anymore. And remote work, once the exception, is now baked into how many companies (including Caliber) operate.

What hasn’t changed, however, is our focus.

So with that, I want to take a moment to reflect on our journey — the choices that shaped us, the relationships that sustained us and the kind of agency we’re still building every day.

Specializing Before It Was Cool

When Caliber’s founder Harvey Hudes launched the firm in 2010, it wasn’t just to start another agency. He’d seen firsthand how fintech and financial services companies were being underserved by generalist firms that didn’t understand the complexity of their work — or the audiences they needed to reach.

It was a bold bet. For a little context, it would be another eight years before Merriam-Webster’s added “fintech” to their dictionary. Back then, being so focused could feel like a limitation. It meant turning down work that didn’t align. But that decision gave us something much more valuable: the ability to go deep.

Specialization allowed us to develop real subject matter expertise, to build strong relationships with journalists and industry leaders, and to represent complex companies with clarity and confidence. It also gave us the tools to adapt — because when you understand the nuances of a sector, you’re better equipped to evolve alongside it.

Today, more agencies are following suit as brands increasingly demand deeper expertise out of their partners — a shift that reinforces what we’ve long believed: Our specialization is our superpower

For Caliber, that focus meant steady intentional growth in the early years — and it paid off. Earlier this year, we were named one of the Financial TimesFastest Growing Companies in the Americas for the third year in a row, and have twice been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list — a testament to what’s possible when you stay focused.

Built on Relationships

With focus comes another key ingredient: relationships. These relationships didn’t happen overnight. They’re the kind that only come from being immersed in a space for years and, of course, consistently showing up.

Over time, we’ve developed strong ties with the journalists who cover financial services and fintech — by getting to know them, understanding the topics they care about and bringing them relevant pitches and valuable sources. We’ve built partnerships with the people behind major industry conferences — hosting media rooms, curating on-site events and creating space for meaningful conversations between innovators, investors and the press. And we’ve earned the trust of VCs and other connectors who turn to us when their portfolio companies need strategic communications support.

That proximity helps us evolve alongside our clients. Priorities shift. Messaging evolves. Government policy changes. New voices enter the conversation. But by staying close to the industry and the people driving it forward, we help clients keep pace and lead with clarity.

The People Behind the Work

Of course, Caliber wouldn’t be where it is today without the people behind it. The dedication, curiosity and collaboration across the team are what make it possible to deliver at a high level and keep showing up.

That kind of culture isn’t accidental.

From the beginning, we knew that in order to create a better agency experience for our clients, we had to do the same for our team. That meant looking both at what agencies get right and where they fell short. 

For starters, we wouldn’t just hire people with agency backgrounds. We look for people who bring different vantage points, including those who have sat in‑house and understand the pressures internal teams face. That mix of perspectives shapes how we partner, recommend ideas and measure success.

Remote work has also been part of Caliber’s DNA from the start, enabling us to attract passionate specialists across the country. To keep everyone connected, we hold a weekly all‑team meeting, biweekly virtual happy hours, monthly mentorship groups and both virtual and in‑person off‑sites that bring everyone together.

Additionally, programs like the Caliber College of Public Relations, ongoing mentorship and regular guest‑speaker sessions ensure we keep learning together. Meanwhile, unlimited PTO and other well‑being initiatives give people the space to recharge and bring their best thinking.

This commitment to balance, empowerment and continuous learning isn’t just talk. Our focus on culture has earned us a Ragan’s Employee Wellness Award, recognition among Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators and other impressive accolades.

The result is a team that’s not only talented, but energized to keep raising the bar for our clients and for one another.

Staying Close to the Work

On a more personal level, our culture of connection shapes how I lead. My own path at Caliber has taken me from practitioner to president to CEO, and while my title has changed, the thrill of jumping in to help out has not. I still get energy from rolling up my sleeves when a client hits a major milestone or runs into a bump in the road, and that’s more important than ever.

Staying close to the work keeps me grounded. It reminds me that in a service business — especially one built on relationships — leaders can’t afford to drift too far from day‑to‑day reality. I speak with a lot of CEOs who say leadership feels isolating. Curiosity, presence and a willingness to listen to and learn from the team are the best antidotes.

At the same time, as our team continues to grow, staying personally connected becomes more challenging, making deliberate connection essential. When the team was smaller, I could speak with everyone one on one every week. Now I lean on structured listening: regular check‑ins, open‑ended questions and frequent reminders of why we’re here. 

The goal is simple — make sure every person still feels that same pulse of collaboration and shared purpose, even as our business grows.

What Comes Next

Fifteen years in, one truth stands out: progress never sits still. New tools emerge, AI reshapes workflows and fresh channels appear while others fade. Yet the core of this work — strategy, creativity and human judgment — remains.

That’s where we’ll keep our focus. We’ll invest in people who know this space and care about its future. We’ll deepen our specialization so we stay a step ahead of industry shifts. And we’ll adopt new technology not to replace thinking, but to clear space for even better ideas.

Most important, we’ll keep showing up — for headline moments and for everything in between — with the same commitment that brought us here.

To every client, colleague and partner who’s been part of the journey with us so far, thank you. Here’s to the next fifteen!

Curious what a better agency experience looks like in practice? We’d love to talk.

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