Built on Crisis Ready® methodology taught at Harvard and
trusted by leading organizations worldwide.
The only AI platform that combines world-class technology with world-renown crisis communication skills to help you navigate high-stakes communications with confidence—before, during, and after any storm.
Join us for a live demonstration and discover why leading communicators are calling this "the missing tool we've been waiting for."
Select your preferred time option for this webinar:
Wednesday, Oct. 29th at 7pm eastern
Thursday, Oct. 30th at 11am eastern
If you're a communications or HR professional right now, you're living with a weight on your shoulders that's only getting heavier.
The world has changed. What used to be routine announcements now trigger emotional firestorms. Internal memos go viral. Policy changes spark protests. Even well-intentioned messages can backfire spectacularly in today's divisive, emotionally-charged environment.
You feel it:
You're not alone. And you're not being dramatic.
This is the reality of communication leadership in 2025 and 2026. The crisis response penalty—the increased damage to people, operations, revenue, and reputation due to ineffective response—has reached unprecedented levels.
And yet, here's what most people are missing...
While everyone else is scrambling to avoid disaster, Crisis Ready® leaders see something different.
People are CRAVING connection, trust, and information that helps them feel safe.
In all this chaos—the divisiveness, the emotional escalation, the uncertainty—your stakeholders are hungry for leaders who will:
✓ Show up authentically and speak truth with empathy
✓ Validate their emotions in a way that fosters connection and unity, rather than more separateness and divisiveness
✓ Guide them through uncertainty with competence and care
✓ Create safety in their nervous system, rather than perpetuating fear
This isn't just about crisis survival. This is about seizing an unprecedented opportunity.
The organizations that step into this moment—that lead with emotional intelligence, strategic communication, and authentic connection—won't just weather the storm. They'll emerge as the trusted voices their industries and communities need.
What if you had a Crisis Ready® Certified advisor available 24/7, trained in the methodology taught at Harvard and trusted by the world's leading organizations, ready to guide you through any high-stakes communication in real-time?
What kind of support could that offer you? What kind of value would that provide you with?
Welcomg to Crisis Ready® AI!
No prompt engineering. No AI expertise required. Just describe your situation and within minutes, receive:
✓ A strategic communication plan tailored to the situation and your stakeholders
✓ Draft messaging with Crisis Ready® emotional intelligence built-in
✓ Q&A scenarios for anticipated questions
✓ Multi-channel content (social, web, internal comms, etc.)
✓ Guidance and support for YOUR emotional regulation as the leader
This isn't another generic AI tool you have to spend hours training with prompts. This is the only platform specifically engineered for crisis and high-stakes communication, built on the world-renowned Crisis Ready® methodology and powered by the best AI technology available (Claude, ChatGPT, and more—all integrated seamlessly).
Available in all languages. Accessible on any device. Ready when you are.
Here’s what makes Crisis Ready® AI completely different:
Crisis Ready® AI doesn’t just generate communications. It integrates:
✓ Leading emotional intelligent research: Recognizing and responding to over 85 distinct emotions your stakeholders experience.
✓ World-Renowned Crisis Ready® Frameworks: Including specific response strategies for each emotional state.
✓ Dual-layer support: Guidance for BOTH stakeholder communication AND your own emotional regulation as a leader.
This means: When your stakeholders are experiencing anger, grief, or fear, Crisis Ready® AI knows how to validate their emotions authentically, meet their emotional needs, and guide them toward trust and hope, using proven frameworks that work.
And critically: When YOU’RE feeling overwhelmed, terrified of getting it wrong, or struggling to get leadership buy-in, Crisis Ready® AI supports you in moving through YOUR emotions so you can show up as the confident, clear-headed strategic communicator your organization needs.
Generic AI gives you words. Crisis Ready® AI is designed to build your expertise.
What’s included now:
✓ Strategic guidance built on Crisis Ready® methodology with foundational explanations provided
✓ Context about the Crisis Ready® frameworks informing each recommendation
✓ Methodology references that connect outputs to proven approaches
What you’re getting as a Founding Member (available until Nov. 30th, 2025):
✓ Exclusive bonus training sessions that teach the deep WHY behind Crisis Ready® methodology
✓ Direct input on which competence-building features we develop next
✓ Access to platform enhancements as we continuously deepen the learning experience
What we’re building: Crisis Ready® AI will continuously evolve to provide increasingly comprehensive strategic rationale, neurological principles, and business case support with every recommendation. As a Founding Member, you’ll help shape these features—and benefit from every enhancement we add.
This means: You’re not just using a tool—you’re building genuine competence while having direct influence over how Crisis Ready® AI develops to serve you best.
Crisis Ready® isn’t new or untested. It’s:
✓ Taught at colleges and universities world-wide, including at Harvard University
✓ Trusted by leading global organizations
✓ Proven through real-world crisis transformations
✓ The gold standard for crisis communication among professionals who take this work seriously
Crisis Ready® AI takes this methodology—normally available only through high-cost consulting or intensive certification—and makes it accessible to you in real-time, whenever you need it.
Unlike single-AI tools, Crisis Ready® AI:
✓ Integrates Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and other leading AI models
✓ Automatically selects the optimal AI for your specific needs
✓ Gives you access to cutting-edge technology without vendor lock-in
✓ Ensures you’re always working with the most powerful tools available
✓ Works on any device, anywhere, anytime
Plus: Secure, privacy-compliant infrastructure. Crisis Ready® AI is EU-compliant and aligned with global data protection standards, which means your sensitive crisis information stays protected.
Crisis Ready® AI extends your team’s capacity without requiring additional headcount:
✓ Do more with your existing team: Handle multiple high-stakes situations simultaneously
✓ Consistent quality across all communications: Every team member can have access to Crisis Ready® methodology
✓ Faster response times: Turn what would have been hours of crafting into minutes of refinement
✓ Reduced overwhelm: Support available 24/7, even when you’re stretched thin
✓ Knowledge transfer built-in: Every interaction is grounded in Crisis Ready® methodology, and we’re continuously building features that help your team understand the strategic thinking behind each approach
Small teams achieve big impact when they have world-class support.
Whether you're facing a full-blown crisis, navigating a controversial announcement, or ensuring your next campaign won't trigger backlash, Crisis Ready® AI provides comprehensive support, delivering strategic guidance in minutes, with zero prompt engineering required.
Stakeholder Communication
Within seconds of describing your situation, you receive:
✓ A Strategic Communication Plan: Tailored to your stakeholders, situation, and desired outcomes using Crisis Ready® Formulas
✓ Emotionally Intelligent Draft Communications: Initial statements, Q&As, social posts, and web copy that validate emotions, build connection, and demonstrate authentic leadership
✓ Real-Time Scenario Analysis: Understanding stakeholder emotional states, identifying potential pitfalls, and recommending optimal approaches
✓ Multi-Stakeholder Strategies: Different approaches for employees, customers, media, board members, and community, all aligned with core messaging
✓ Multi-Channel Content: Adapted for social media, websites, internal communications, and press statements
✓ Long-Term Trust-Building Plans: Not just crisis response, but transformation roadmaps that turn challenges into organizational growth opportunities
All available in multiple languages. Accessible on any device. No prompt engineering required.
Competence Development
Crisis Ready® AI is designed to build your competence over time:
✓ Grounded in Crisis Ready® Methodology: Every recommendation connects to proven frameworks, with foundational explanations and ongoing platform enhancements
✓ Founding Member Bonus Training: Exclusive access to recorded Crisis Communication Certification sessions that teach the deep WHY behind the methodology; covering mindset, crisis vs. issue distinction, and a Crisis Ready® Formula
✓ Identifies Growth Opportunities: Highlights where deeper training (like our full Crisis Communication Certification) would accelerate your mastery and strengthen your team's capabilities
✓ Evolving With You: As a Founding Member, your feedback shapes which competence-building features we develop next. You benefit from every enhancement we add at no additional cost for a minimum of three years
Leader Support & Emotional Regulation
When you're overwhelmed and feeling the weight of it all, Crisis Ready® AI:
✓ Validates Your Experience: Acknowledging the very real pressure and fear you're experiencing
✓ Guides Emotional Regulation: Provides evidence-based techniques to help you move from fear-state to clarity and confidence
✓ Provides Grounding Practices: Access to the platform includes integrated meditative tracks that help you drop into your body, access calm, and think clearly
✓ Builds a Strategic Bridge: Connects your emotional experience to stakeholder needs, helping you create authentic connection from genuine understanding
✓ Strengthens Your Voice: Helps you craft business cases for leadership buy-in, positioning you as strategic partner rather than tactical executor
All of this happens in real-time, on-demand, whenever you need it.
No more waiting for consultant availability. No more hours of prompt engineering. No more hoping you got it right.
Join us for a live demonstration and discover why leading communicators are calling this "the missing tool we've been waiting for."
Select your preferred time option for this webinar:
Wednesday, Oct. 29th at 7pm eastern
Thursday, Oct. 30th at 11am eastern
Crisis Ready® AI was specifically designed for communication and HR professionals who:
✓ Feel the Weight of Responsibility
You’re accountable for organizational reputation and stakeholder trust, and you take that seriously.
✓ Know There’s More to Learn
You sense there’s a deeper level of expertise in crisis communication that most training programs don’t teach.
✓ Struggle with Leadership Buy-In
You need support making the business case for strategic, emotionally intelligent communication approaches.
✓ Navigate High-Stakes Communications Regularly
Not just full-blown crises, but controversial announcements, sensitive HR matters, and situations where emotions run high.
✓ Want to Build Genuine Competence
You’re not looking for shortcuts—you want to become truly excellent at high-stakes communication.
✓ Feel Overwhelmed by Current Tools
Generic AI platforms require too much prompt engineering and don’t understand the nuanced, emotionally-charged reality you face.
Important note:
Crisis Ready® AI is designed to amplify your expertise and extend your capacity, not replace your professional judgment.
The world needs skilled crisis communicators more than ever. That's why we've built both this AI platform for real-time support AND our Crisis Communication Certification for developing deep mastery. Together, they create something greater than either could alone: professionals with both the skills and the support to lead through any high-stakes moment with confidence and competence.
You might be thinking: "I already have access to ChatGPT or Claude. Why would I invest in this?"
Here's the truth:
Generic AI platforms are powerful—but they're not built for crisis communication. They require extensive prompt engineering, they lack emotional intelligence frameworks, and they can't provide the strategic depth that high-stakes moments demand.
Let's compare:
We started Crisis Ready® Institute because we saw brilliant communications professionals struggling under impossible weight.
They were responsible for organizational reputation during the most emotionally-charged era in modern history—but they were doing it without adequate support, training, or recognition.
They knew there was a better way to navigate crisis and high-stakes communication. They sensed that emotional intelligence was the missing piece. But they didn't have access to the methodology, frameworks, and real-time support that would transform their capabilities.
Crisis Ready® AI changes that.
For the first time, world-class crisis communication expertise is available to you 24/7, supporting both your stakeholder communications and your own growth as a leader.
You don't have to carry this weight alone anymore.
You don't have to hope you're getting it right.
You don't have to choose between what's strategic and what leadership will approve.
Crisis Ready® AI meets you exactly where you are and helps you become the confident, competent, strategically-positioned communication expert you're meant to be.
Join us for the exclusive launch webinar and discover what's possible:
Wednesday, Oct. 29th at 7pm eastern
Thursday, Oct. 30th at 11am eastern
Crisis Ready® AI is a web-based tool that supports communication professionals in managing crises and other moments of high-stakes communication.
The tool helps teams respond faster and more effectively by automatically generating—within minutes—communication texts, a communication strategy, and a public sentiment assessment.
It also creates an Emotional Intelligence Response Plan and a Leadership Self-Awareness Tool, ensuring that both the technical and human dimensions of crisis response and critical communication are addressed.
This gives teams clarity and confidence under pressure. Crisis Ready® AI is fully aligned with the Crisis Ready Institute methodology and guides you step by step through the process—without requiring technical expertise or extensive preparation.
Crisis Ready® AI is specifically designed for crisis communication and high-stakes communication, and is built on a vast body of knowledge and experience in the field, including lessons learned from past crises.
While general AI tools like ChatGPT are broadly applicable, Crisis Ready® AI delivers highly targeted output that directly meets the needs of communication teams in the moment.
The tool not only generates texts, strategies, and public sentiment assessments but also structures the entire crisis communication process.
Through a clear dashboard, teams are guided step by step and receive the right information at the right time. As a result, the output of Crisis Ready® AI is far more specific, relevant, and immediately applicable in crisis and high-stakes situations.
Crisis Ready® AI is designed for communications and HR professionals who are called upon to navigate critical, high-stakes communication—whether that’s during a crisis, a controversial announcement, sensitive HR matters, or any situation where getting it wrong could damage trust, reputation, or relationships.
It doesn’t matter what role you hold or which department you serve. Crisis Ready® AI supports:
The platform is specifically built to help you respond faster, more consistently, and with greater confidence in any high-stakes moment—not just traditional “crisis” scenarios. Whether you’re managing external stakeholder emotions or internal team dynamics, Crisis Ready® AI provides the emotionally intelligent support you need to communicate with competence and care.
Crisis Ready® AI provides immediate support by generating the key elements a communication team needs under pressure: ready-to-use communication texts, a clear communication strategy, a public sentiment assessment, an Emotional Intelligence Response Plan, and a Leadership Self-Awareness Tool. This includes, for example, an initial press release or Q&A.
While crisis teams often take up to an hour to deliver their first messages, Crisis Ready® AI produces these texts and analyses within minutes. This enables teams to act faster, stay aligned, and communicate consistently across all channels, even in high-stress situations.
Not at all. Crisis Ready® AI brings the methodology to you. However, certified professionals receive special discounts, and using the AI will help you identify where certification could accelerate your mastery.
Absolutely. Crisis Ready® AI runs on secure, privacy-compliant infrastructure. We’re dedicated to maintaining the highest security standards.
Crisis Ready® AI is continuously improved and expanded upon. The tool is developed by Crisis Ready Institute and Compaijen C&C, two leading organizations in the field of crisis communication. We closely monitor the latest insights and developments in both crisis communication and AI and integrate them into the tool. Updates are implemented automatically, ensuring that users always have access to the most current features and best practices without requiring any extra work.
Crisis Ready® AI includes business case support that helps you make the strategic argument for investment. We also offer organizational licenses for teams. Schedule a demo call and we’ll help you build the business case together.
Yes, Crisis Ready® AI is particularly well suited for organizations with little experience in crisis communication or high-stakes communication. The tool guides communication teams step by step through the process and provides ready-to-use texts, strategies, and analyses. This gives less experienced teams immediate support and ensures they can still respond professionally and consistently in a crisis or high-stakes situation.
Crisis Ready® AI integrates multiple leading AI models (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and others) and intelligently selects the optimal technology for your specific situation. You don’t need to understand the technical details—the platform automatically chooses the best AI for each task. This gives you access to cutting-edge capabilities without vendor lock-in or technical complexity.
Yes. Crisis Ready® AI provides strategic guidance and draft communications in multiple languages, making it ideal for global organizations or those serving diverse communities.
The tool currently supports English, Spanish, German, French, Dutch, and Ukrainian. In addition, new languages are regularly added, allowing organizations to reach more audiences directly without the need for extra translation work.
Consider what you’re getting: 24/7 access to Crisis Ready® methodology (normally requiring $10,000+ consultants), Harvard-taught frameworks, emotional intelligence integration, and multi-AI capabilities—all for $5,000/year. A single crisis mishandled can cost organizations millions in crisis response penalty (increased damage to reputation, revenue, operations, and stakeholder trust). Crisis Ready® AI helps you avoid that penalty while building capacity to handle multiple high-stakes situations throughout the year. It extends your team’s effectiveness without requiring additional headcount, delivering both immediate crisis support and long-term competence building.
As soon as you receive your login details (which can take up to 48 hours), you can start using Crisis Ready® AI right away. No installation or technical configuration is required. While organizations often spend significant time setting up and aligning processes, Crisis Ready® AI enables you to generate communication texts, strategies, and analyses almost immediately—saving valuable time when every minute counts.
An account for Crisis Ready® AI is created easily through a registration form. You enter basic information such as name, email address, and organization. You can also optionally add extra details, such as your organization’s tone of voice or specific characteristics. This information helps the tool generate even better outputs. That said, you are not required to provide this upfront. You can always add or update it later. Once your registration is processed, you’ll receive your login details by email and can start using the tool immediately, without any installation or technical steps.
Crisis Ready® AI complements consultant relationships by providing 24/7 support between engagements. Many consultants are using the platform themselves to enhance their client work.
No, you don’t need any extra software or separate accounts for AI models such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to use Crisis Ready® AI. Everything you need is built into the tool. You don’t have to arrange any additional subscriptions or integrations—this is fully taken care of for you. Simply log in through the web app and you can start right away.
Yes, Crisis Ready® AI is well suited for use during trainings and simulations. This allows your team to become familiar with the tool, making it easier to use effectively when a real crisis occurs. We therefore strongly recommend incorporating Crisis Ready® AI into trainings and exercises.
No. We strongly advise you to NOT enter sensitive information, such as personal data, into Crisis Ready® AI. To keep confidential information safe, limit the input to what is necessary for generating useful output. If you want to work with sensitive details, you can easily anonymize them—for example, by replacing names with initials, a letter, or a symbol. This ensures that your organization can use the tool effectively without exposing privacy-sensitive information.
Yes, Crisis Ready® AI is fully web-based and can be used anywhere in the world. This makes it especially valuable for companies and organizations that operate internationally. The tool can also retrieve geo-information from different parts of the world, ensuring that teams always have access to current and relevant context. In addition, the tool automatically detects which time zone you are in based on your geo-location and adjusts accordingly.
Yes, Crisis Ready® AI can adapt the output to your organization’s tone of voice. When creating an account, you can specify how your organization typically communicates. For example, if you use a formal and professional tone with your audiences, you can set that. If your style is more informal and personal, that’s possible too. This applies to different types of communication texts, such as Q&As, social media posts, and website messages. These preferences can always be added or adjusted later, ensuring the output continues to match your organization’s communication style.
No, there is no limit to the number of analyses or communication texts you can generate with Crisis Ready® AI. Users can deploy the tool as often as needed, both during real crises and in trainings or exercises. This gives teams the freedom to use the tool whenever required, without worrying about extra costs or restrictions.
Yes, Crisis Ready® AI is fully web-based and can be used on mobile devices such as phones and tablets. The tool automatically scales to your screen size, making it easy to use on mobile phones as well. This gives communication teams access to the tool anytime and anywhere, even when they are not at their laptop or in the office. It enables fast responses and consistent communication, even on the go or on-site during a crisis.
Yes, Crisis Ready® AI provides the option to keep an overview of all generated outputs. This makes it easy to evaluate afterwards which texts, strategies, and analyses were used during a crisis. It helps organizations learn from previous situations, identify areas for improvement, and refine their approach for future crises.
Yes, Crisis Ready® AI is designed to be used during large and prolonged crises. The tool supports communication teams not only in the initial acute phase but also in the days or weeks that follow, when consistency and continuity in communication remain crucial. During a crisis, you can add updates at any time, such as new factual information, and supplement the Public Sentiment Assessment. The tool can also search online sources for current input. Based on this, Crisis Ready® AI generates new texts and strategies that match the evolving phase of the crisis.
Crisis Ready® AI is intuitive and easy to use, so no training is required to get started. Users receive their login details and can begin right away. In addition, short instructional videos are available that walk you step by step through the main features.
No, you don’t need any knowledge of AI to work with Crisis Ready® AI. The tool is designed to be intuitive and easy to use. Everything runs through a clear interface, allowing communication professionals to get started right away without any technical background.
Annual subscriptions run for 12 months. However, if within the first 30 days you determine the platform isn’t delivering the value promised, contact us and we’ll work with you to ensure your success or provide a prorated refund.
We're hosting two live webinars where we'll share how Crisis Ready® AI transforms high-stakes communication into opportunities for authentic leadership.
In these live webinars, you will:
✓ See Crisis Ready® AI in action: Live demonstration using real crisis scenarios
✓ Learn the Crisis Ready® formulas and frameworks: Discover the methodology that transforms crisis communication
✓ Get your questions answered: Bring your specific challenges and situations
✓ Discover the complete ecosystem: How AI + Certification work together to build both skills and support
✓ Receive exclusive bonuses: We have gifts and bonuses for our founding members!
✓ Meet the team: Connect with the crisis communication and tech experts who built this platform
Space is intentionally limited to ensure everyone gets personalized attention.
Both webinars will be the same, we're just offering them at different times for your convenience.
Wednesday, Oct. 29th at 7pm eastern
Thursday, Oct. 30th at 11am eastern
Whether you’re an in-house professional, a crisis communication consultant, or an educator who teaches on the subject, the Crisis Ready Newsletter provides tailored content specifically for you.
Paul Damaren is the Global Director of Strategic Accounts for LRQA, a global Assurance Provider. Paul also holds the position of Chief Commercial Officer and Partner at StepUp Solution Services. Paul has worked as a Senior Executive in the Certification space for 10 years and has over 39 years’ experience in the Hospitality, Certification, Service, Retail agri-food and Technology sectors. Damaren is skilled in sales, marketing, certification, operations and software applications and he possesses an MBA from McGill University.
Mr. Damaren has worked with many companies across multiple sectors in supporting their food safety, supply chain, health & wellness, front & back of house operations, brand protection, quality, environmental, health & safety, GMP/GDP compliance, automotive, aerospace, medical, information security and technology requirements.
Paul was formerly a board member and Treasurer for the Ontario Food Protection Association (OFPA) and is a currently an Advisor & Council Member with The GW University School of Business and the Crisis Ready Institute.
Before working in the Certification industry, Damaren was a professional Chef/consultant for 20+ years working in major hotel chains, restaurants, private golf courses and food service organizations. Further, Damaren was a member of the National Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks (C.F.C.C.) for 14 years, member of the Region of Waterloo Culinary Association (R.W.C.A.) for 14 years, President of R.W.C.A. (Region of Waterloo Culinary Association) for 3 years, special Events chairman - R.W.C.A. – 1998 – 2000 and National Culinary Ambassador to Russia for 5 years.
Paul’s wealth of knowledge and experience across the span of our services supports his commitment to the ongoing success of our customers.
As we get this membership off the ground, we’re looking to our 2022 inaugural members to be a part of helping us strengthen and tailor this program to meet your needs.
This will involve regular communication with the Crisis Ready Team to provide feedback, share requests for additional ways to support you and your business, etc.
Each Crisis Ready Course is designed to help you strengthen your Crisis Ready® Expertise. Course subjects will include crisis communication, establishing governance, crisis leadership, storytelling for crisis comms, DEI integration, and more.
Each course is complete with:
If you:
... then you will benefit from Crisis Ready Institute's 1:1 coaching and support. This opportunity is retainer-based and is offered exclusively to our consultant and small agency members.
This offering provides personalized coaching and support in:
Monthly retainer*
Hours of support per month
$2,500 USD
Up to 5
$5,000 USD
Up to 10
* This is in addition to the annual membership fee.
Click below...
Have experts review your crisis comms program prior to the course
1:1 Consultation time with a member of the Crisis Ready Team, post the course (per hour)
We're excited to be sharing Sustained Resilience: Building Tomorrow's Leaders with you. Fill in the form below to gain access to demo this course. Once you fill in this form, we'll send you an email with further instructions.
Thank you for the honor of considering this important course for your curriculum. We look forward to sharing in the experience with you!
Between the demands of our social impact economy, the divisiveness of society and the many other challenges in front of us, embedding a crisis ready culture is more important than ever before. Having a team that is trained, poised, and empowered to effectively respond to risk, controversy and other threats, will strengthen stakeholder relationships and increase the brand equity of your organization. This is a powerful opportunity. The Crisis Ready® Coaching Program is specifically designed to equip your team with the tools needed today for launching into a stronger tomorrow.
From best practices around re-opening, to diversity and inclusion, to managing through the impacts that 2020 has left on your business, the Crisis Ready® Coaching Program is designed to support you through the challenges of today, in order to recover faster and stronger for an even better tomorrow.
COVID-19 continues to affect a great majority of professionals and businesses, leaving them blindsided by its impact and all the uncertainty that came with it. The Crisis Ready® Coaching Program provides you with access to a diverse group of experts, each with unique areas of insight, to help provide you and your team with strengthened foresight to better anticipate and plan for both the risks and opportunities that lay ahead of us all.
Licy Do Canto, is a veteran of public policy, corporate strategy, health care communications and diversity and inclusion, is managing director of APCO Worldwide’s Washington D.C. office headquarters and mid-Atlantic region lead. Licy is also a Global Advisory Council (GAC) member here at the Crisis Ready Institute and a highly recognized African-American public affairs, lobbyist and communications strategist— recognized by TheHill newspaper for the 11th consecutive year as one of the most influential leaders in Washington, DC.
Recognized globally as an expert, thought leader and visionary in the field of crisis communication, Melissa Agnes has worked with global players, including NATO, the Pentagon (DoD), Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, financial firms, technology companies, healthcare organizations, cities and municipalities, law enforcement agencies, aviation organizations, global non-profits, and many others.
In 2020, Melissa founded Crisis Ready Institute, a public benefit corporation dedicated to teaching advanced crisis communication skills.
She's currently passionate about providing dedicated support to crisis communication consultants. Through her programs, she’s focused on helping them strengthen their crisis communication skills and credibility in the market, and supporting them in growing and scaling their business. The work they do is important and she's passionate about helping them amplify the positive impact they have in the world.
Her book, Crisis Ready: Building an Invincible Brand in an Uncertain World, is taught in dozens of universities around the world, including at Harvard University; is ranked amongst the leading crisis management books of all time, by Book Authority; and was named one of the top ten business books of 2018 by Forbes.
Melissa is the creator of the Crisis Ready® Model, which is recognized and being taught as leading industry best practice in the fields of crisis management and crisis communication.
As an in-demand international keynote speaker and a TEDx alumna, Melissa has traveled the world helping organizations and leaders further strengthen their crisis ready mindset, skills and capabilities.
In 2019, Melissa founded the Crisis Ready® Community, a space for professionals to come together to support one another, collaborate and strengthen their crisis ready skills.
Melissa sits on the Board of Directors for ZeroNow, a non-profit committed to ending harmful events in schools.
She also sat on the Board of Trustees for D'Youville University for four years until the end of her term, where she also serves as a visiting scholar for the course she co-created and co-teaches on Crisis Leadership.
Passionate about serving law enforcement and bridging the trust divide between agencies and the communities they serve, Melissa is a former member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). In 2021 she co-chaired a committee tasked with developing a strategy and plan of action to begin resolving the trust crisis in the U.S.
In 2019 and 2020, Melissa sat on the panel tasked with developing the International Standard for Crisis Management— ISO 22361, Guidelines for developing a strategic capability.
Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Melissa currently lives in New York City and enjoys weight-lifting, sailing, and exploring new cities, countries, and cultures.
Erick Anez is the Global Head of Business Resilience at Finastra. Erick is a proven leader with well over a decade of experience leading change and transformation in the Operational Resilience field.
His hands-on approach focuses on operational learning, culture, and reputational management. Erick holds a Bachelor of Emergency & Homeland Security, Graduate studies in Security and Disaster Management, is a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP), Certified Risk Management Professional (CRMP), graduate of the FEMA institute in Incident Management and Command, and is a respected member of Public-Private partnerships within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Some of his most notable achievements in the field include leading the private sector response to Hurricane Maria as well as working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Continuity of Operations (CCOP) projects for mission-critical facilities in the United States. Erick has also trained with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Infectious Disease Planning and community response, including Point of Dispensing initiatives.
From 2016 to 2019, Erick held several roles at Crowley and, most recently, was the company’s Managing Director of Safety & Resilience. During this time, he was responsible for resilience operations supporting all business segments as well as leading the organization’s safety culture improvement journey. At Crowley, he led the Occupational Health & Safety, Business Continuity, and Crisis Management teams.
Before joining Crowley, Erick held similar roles at Southwest Gas and Third Federal Savings & Loan.
Founder and Principal, One Thirty Nine Consulting
Global Advisory Council Member, Crisis Ready® Institute
Aaron Marks is the founder and principal of One Thirty Nine Consulting, providing services for small and large businesses in Risk, Crisis, and Consequence Management.
Supporting both domestic and international clients, he provides operational and subject matter expertise in readiness and preparedness, crisis and incident management, and business and operational continuity for complex systems and organizations.
Aaron has provided in-depth review, assessment, and analysis for technology, policy, and operational programs for clients in healthcare, critical manufacturing, and entertainment and hospitality, as well as for state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal governments in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. He is a recognized authority on the application of nontraditional techniques and methodologies to meet the unique requirements of training, evaluation, and analytic games and exercise.
Prior to entering the readiness and preparedness field, Aaron was the Director of Operations for a commercial ambulance and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provider in western New York State where he participated in the integration of commercial EMS and medical transportation resources into the local Trauma System.
During his 30-year career, Aaron has worked in almost every aspect of EMS except fleet services. This includes experience in Hazardous Materials and Tactical Medicine, provision of prehospital care in urban, suburban, rural, and frontier environments, and acting as a team leader for both ground and aeromedical Critical Care Transport Teams.
Aaron is a FEMA Master Exercise Practitioner and received a B.A. in Psychology from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, and a master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. He is also a Nationally Registered Paramedic and currently practices as an Assistant Chief with the Amissville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, Amissville Virginia.
Chris is the 11th Police Chief of the Mountain View Police Department, located in the heart of Silicon Valley. For more than 25 years, he has served the Mountain View community, and as the department’s leader, is passionate about maintaining MVPD’s role as a progressive law enforcement organization in the 21st century.
Chris is an internationally recognized speaker and columnist on the areas of crisis communications, critical incident management, leadership, and engagement with stakeholder groups. In his time with Mountain View PD, Chris has held a variety of investigative, tactical, and leadership roles, serving in every division in the organization. He is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in State and Local Government program and has a master’s degree in eBusiness Management from Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, CA.
Chris also serves in several leadership positions on multiple boards, including as president on the Government Social Media Leadership Council and committee member on the IACP's Professional Standards, Ethics, and Image Committee. Previously, Chris served as a board member for the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center and two terms as a commissioner on the City of San Mateo Community Relations Commission.
You can connect with him on Twitter @Chief_Hsiung or LinkedIn.
Ashley is a Brand and Marketing Strategist who partners with CEOs, executives and solopreneurs to grow their personal and professional brands. After spending over a decade working in strategic communications for multimillion dollar brands and startups, Ashley knows what truly drives conversations, builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their stakeholder groups and attracts strong strategic partnerships.
Ashley has helped organizations and leaders increase employee awareness and overall understanding of the company vision. She has strong experience / knowledge of social media tools and techniques for driving awareness, reputation and brand—and is known for advancing a company's messaging in the marketplace by growing the following of now multiple multimillion dollar brands and startups.
Ashley has served as the Editor of monthly all employee publications by managing the planning, writing and production. She is an integral part of new product launches and is frequently engaged to train entire sales teams along with channel / distribution partners on new product launches. In addition to her extensive experience, Ashley is a trained business coach.
Ashley holds a BA in Global Business Management from the University of Phoenix.
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